New Iron Man 2 Trailer has . . .
SUITCASE ARMOR!!!!!!!!!!
Prolegomena to Any Future Rock Band Disagreements (aka Editor Smackfight)
(bonus points if you get the reference –ed.)
Two men, two opinions. Only one will stand. NeoSapian and I had a long discussion the other day about our differing viewpoints on the Rock Band franchise. We decided to turn it into a full-blown point/counterpoint for the site. The resulting dissection and bodyparts follow:
The Weapons in Question.
It’s time for a dialogue on Rock Band, your cons vs. my pros. That… sounds odd.. but nonetheless.
Alright now, I saw your comments on my review for Beatles: Rock Band and I think we had this out, and there is nowhere better than the blog to do this thing! The way I see it, you’re just being cantankerous regarding your reasoning for RB being dead to you and here’s why:
1. I heard nary a peep out of you when they did it the FIRST time with RB: AC/DC. I even bought the disc at GameStop (screw those guys) and then ripped and returned it. I still have yet to officially play more than two of those songs, btw. What was I *thinking*? (I’m a vocalist.)
2. I heard nary a peep out of you when they collected a bunch of dlc and repackaged them as ‘track packs’ in retail stores. It’s the *exact same thing* as what you’re complaining about!
3. They have already stated that Green Day is NOT getting it’s own retail release, rather that it will be a ‘Themed Track Pack’ ala Pearl Jam’s release.
4. As long as they make it dlc compatible for those of us with RB2, who cares?
5. I happen to know your family LOVES the Going Country track packs (as you keep purchasing them/downloading them (remember I can see that!)), so aren’t you being a TAD hypocritical?
6. Lego Rock Band, which I guess I get from a marketing standpoint but think it’s totally asinine from a consumer standpoint, even allows you to rip the songs for use with Rock Band (and vice versa; you can use RB dlc with Lego RB). Where is your animosity there?
7. So, to date, the ONLY game that is ’separate’ is Beatles: RB, which you have clearly stated you do not care for… so why do you feel that is the death knell for the franchise when every other incarnation is compatible/importable?
The gauntlet has been thrown down. I don’t know what you’re going to do with a slightly dented gauntlet, but there it is. On the ground. Your move, sir.
Neo: I will concede that RB isn’t dead yet, however I do believe the course
they are on leads to a death sooner than necessary. So, the gauntlet I
will pick up, take to the blacksmith and pay 200g to repair it and
smacketh your arguments to the ground! Onward to counterpoints!
1. If you will recall I WAS against AC/DC coming out as a standalone
product vice DLC or a track pack (more on those later). I did not
believe in the model then, however at that point it was a one off event.
Also, unlike Beatles RB, AC/DC came with a stripped down version of an
older RB engine. RB 2 was already out, and the songs were exportable.
I agree on the vocalist thing though. As the only adult that sings, I
hate the guitarist who HAVE to play the AC/DC songs.
2. Ahh, I am sure you are baiting me for something here, but they are
NOT the same thing. The track packs are an alternative for folks who do
not have internet connections to still get select DLC or simply do not
want to purchase it via DLC. There are no game enhancements, and even
the “exclusive” tracks only stay that way for so long before going into
the Playstation Store. These are significantly different from Beatles
RB in almost every way.
3. On the Green Day item, I will have to admit misinformation on my
part. From what I remembered reading it was more like the Beatles
release. Last I had read we didn’t know what the Pearl Jam release was
going to be, so if there are details on that I will have to look into
that. Regardless, even if they are just like the AC/DC pack, this is
exactly the thing that GH was doing that got them shot down. As the
egotistical artist demand that they are too important to have a DLC
release it will drive folks away accelerating their death. The only
thread of salvation being if the songs are importable. But if that is
the case, then they should just be put out as DLC. I would bet the vast
majority of people will simply import it into RB2 and never look at the
disk again.
4. See above. That is the only thread of redemption for these upcoming
“special projects”. However if they are importable, why aren’t they
just DLC? Because the band/artist has an overinflated opinion of
themselves? If there are legal issues then we end up with another
Beatles on our hands.
5. Oh come now, we are both DLC hounds and have been since nearly day
one. (I held out just a little bit based on my inherent dislike of
microtransacitons) There is no comparisons between DLC, add-in game
content, and Beatles RB! Remember I said if the Beatles had been a DLC
add-on to say RB3, I would have almost no issue with it. That assumes
there were no enhanced game features available to only the add-on. My
main issue with the game is that it should have been RB3, with new
features and enhancements available for all relevant game content. I
would love to have harmony available for the Queen pack and some of the
other songs. I cannot see how one could compare a “plug-in” like DLC
and a completely independent and new version of the core product. Also
it sets a horrible precedent. I love Queen, but they don’t deserve
their own version of the game.
6. I’m kinda ambivalent with Lego RB. Is that hypocritical? Let me
’splain. No there is too much. Let me sum up. I was originally hugely
excited about it being a fan of the Traveler’s Tales Lego games. As
time went on I became less so, but more because of other things going on
rather than LRB in and of itself. The tracks are sharable, which
inherently makes it better than the Beatles offering, and as far as I
know gameplay is identical to RB2. As a parent, I curtail the song
selections when my kids play, and for non active gamer parents I can see
how it is an attractive alternative. Again I would have liked to see
the “kid friendly” filter done as an enhancement to RB2 or RB3. Lastly,
it is not locked to one music group/artist. I don’t remember the price
point for the game, but I can appreciate what they were trying to do.
Taken in isolation of the other releases it would not present a problem.
On the scale of causing RB death, this one is a blue on the black of
larger issues.
7. While they are importable, the simple perception of every artist
under the sun getting a special release will:
A: Remind gamers of GH and the reasons they fell out of favor
B: be more expensive for consumers, DLC packs are generally less
expensive
C: Cause confusion in the consumer base (not people like you and
I) with all the different “versions”
D: Ultimately lead to the iCarley disk version of the game,
which Nostradamus predicted would cause the end of existence
In the end, it really comes to this: perceptions and confusion. If
someone like myself can be confused on if Green Day is a track pack or a
full up game, then the average consumer has NO idea. They will just see
RB going down the same path as GH except at least GH had a numbered
release mixed in there. Mix this confusion, with the utter lack of RB
to take the field as The Evil Megazord Corporation falters in the music
game business is unfortunate. Lastly RB2 was only really what RB1 was
envisioned to be. The only additional growth of the series occurred in
a 1 off game that cannot be integrated into the whole. All of these
factors together point to a faltering rather than a championing of the
music game genre. I love my Rock Bands, and I am saddened by what I
see.
Balth Responds: I pull out my white glove, smack it against your counterpoints’ face and remind it that it is uncouth and uncivilized. Here’s why:
I still completely disagree with your assessment of the franchise’s path. Although I DO agree that these ’side-discs’ are a waste of money for the company, and is a path of diminishing returns, I do not believe it will ‘put the nail in the coffin’ due to strong product positioning, continuing appeal with continuous release of new and relevant DLC and the establishment of a platform to push that content.
1. I will concede that I may actually remember you being against AC/DC, but only to the point of a “Meh. Dumb” as opposed to the tirades of late.
2. Well, to be clear, they *aren’t* quite the same things. AC/DC is an example of this, and none of those tracks are available for purchase off the store. Same with Lego Rock Band. Most of the ‘track packs’ are, indeed, just gathering of DLC for offline people/people who do not wish to purchase online, but I think that technically, AC/DC and LRB are nothing more than track packs, as well.
3. Most industry informants I have seen quoted on the Green Day matter state that it will be a ‘themed download pack’ like Pearl Jam did with the reissue of ‘Ten’. IE, it will not appear differently than any other DLC. At the very MOST, some analysts think it will be ala AC/DC; and if this is the case, will be rippable. I, again, agree this is not the way to go in MY mind, but if Harmonix can secure more/better songs through this method, it honestly doesn’t affect the consumer. It is an optional purchase; and only those interested in it are going to actively seek it out for purchase. AND as long as we don’t get ten of them a year (which Harmonix has so far been good about not doing), then I cannot really see a problem with it. If they don’t sell well, they would drop the formula anyways. It is a logical business conclusion.
4. Honestly, I don’t see a ton of these going the direction of the Beatles, mostly because most bands don’t have that kind of leverage, in all honesty. U2, perhaps, since they own the rights to all their songs. But F’n Green Day? Those boys are sellout material through and through. The record companies own their souls. I doubt we’ll see many legal issues in the franchise’s future like the unique ones encompassing Apple Records.
5. I will offer one simple question per your point about Rock Band 3 and Beatles: Rock Band. What would your opinion be if when RB3 is announced, you *could* import the Beatles: Rock Band DLC tracks? I still think this will be impossible unless they include all the resources from B:RB, but let’s just say hypothetically for a moment, that it was possible. Would your animosity be sated?
6. I understand your position on this; but I still maintain that it’s ok to have releases like these *once in a while,* since Harmonix is still attempting to keep the ‘platform’ working by allowing these releases to be ripped and imported into the RB franchise. I truly believe the kicker will be how that franchise evolves with RB3. If all the DLC from the first two games/spinoffs/side-projects don’t work with RB3, guess what I *won’t* be getting. That’s right, RB3.
7. I agree with every point, and your summary. I believe that the unprojected marketing message (which is sad) that has always been the unspoken undercurrent of Guitar Hero vs. Rock Band boils down to this: Guitar Hero is about the popularity contest, whereas Rock Band is actually about expanding your musical palette. Despite whatever you think about that point, from a business model, Harmonix has managed to deliver consistent weekly downloadable content (whether you appreciate the content being delivered is another matter for another discussion) at a desirable price point, and Treyarch has not. This is reflected in the literal billions of dollars made in dlc for RB. They said from the beginning that they were building a platform for music, rather than a game. I believe they have delivered that platform, and although these ’side projects’ like Beatles’ Rock Band may be bumps in the road, I think that the company exploring their options with it aren’t death knells for the product and the genre. I do also agree that TOO many of them would be; but I truly believe Beatles’ Rock Band to be a one-time occurrence, and that since it underperformed even with great critical praise, they identify it as a model that isn’t sustainable moving forward.
Your final rebuttals/thoughts?
Neo pauses for a moment, considering, then begins to speak. Well met good sir. Our swords have clashed in honorable combat, and I
believe it is time for a respectful salute and departure from the field,
all vital organs intact. It seems while we agree on many of the core
subjects, it is primarily our outlooks that are different. As such, I
present my closing thoughts, continuing the point by point format.
1. You are correct, it was more of a “meh” at the time. Unfortunately
meh+meh+meh+grr = Blabbering blatherskite! That is how I got to where I
am now. Continual adds to the left hand side of the equation will cause
the death of the RB franchise.
2. I think we are agreeing here, mostly. I would contend that AC/DC is
not a track pack, but that *is* how most people utilized it. I think
LRB may be another discussion. That is a full functioning platform,
feeding off of the same DLC as the RB proper series (though filtered
obviously). I may just have to pick it up simply to better develop my
thoughts on it. Also, like Unplugged’s “exclusives” I think LRB’s will
eventually be DLC.
3. If Green Day (or any other band for that matter, including the
Beatles) is a “greatest hits” DLC I have no problem with it. At all.
This is the strength, as you noted, of Harmonix and the RB family;
continual, well executed expansion of the library. If it becomes an
AC/DC thing it gets to the “meh” category and if it were (as I
originally though) to be more of a Beatles thing it would get to
“Grr/hate”. The core platform with the DLC has been a great success for
the company, and presented an easy to understand and support
methodology. The further they deviate from that, and give the
appearance of becoming more like GH, the closer they come to the series’
death.
4. On this I agree, it is not the way it should be and not many bands
should have that kind of leverage. Especially with the advent of the RB
Network (unfortunately 360 only), it would seem that model would be
undercut. I also have to admit, with Green day NOT being a Beatles like
product, a bit of wind is taken from my original argument.
5. I don’t know. Honestly, not really, but it would do a bit to salve
my burns from this.
6. Agree 100% with this. I really understand why they did it, and if
it were the only example my predictions of “death” would be quite
unfounded. If GH hadn’t gone down in a flaming ball of overflow of
products, I probably wouldn’t have as much heartburn with RB’s perceived
course. Again perception is everything, and I just plead with Harmonix
to keep that little axiom in mind.
7. Here we are, marching arm in arm toward victory. I don’t want RB to
end. I don’t want Harmonix to bend over to support egotistical bands,
or their labels with “special” projects. The end isn’t here yet, and as
long as Harmonix presents the right message, and continues to present
additional content through their proven model they should enjoy a
prosperous future. I do believe they need to stem the appearance of
having multiple GH type projects on the horizon, and seriously need to
make an announcement for RB3.
Overall I think there is a slippery slope ahead, but treading carefully
and smart marketing choices will allow RB to move forward triumphant.
Since the “Evil Megazord Company” seems to no longer care about music
games since their last product only made a bajillion buckets of money
instead of a gajillion buckets, Harmonix is in prime territory as long
as they avoid the mistakes of their competition. On the other hand,
unclear product announcements, the perception of every top 40 band
getting special treatment and a perceived lack of progression to the
series are issues EA and Harmonix need to address NOW.
The real question: What do YOU think?
J-Pop/J-Rock update incoming!
J-Rock/Jazz. Me Rikey. The group’s name is Tokyo Jihen, and they actually sing in English, which is unusual.
Next up is my favorite J-Pop song/singer of all time. Namie Amuro, with Body feels EXIT. Don’t ask, I have no idea. It’s another case of Engrish; English in Japan is cool, even if it’s used horribly, horribly wrong. This is one of those examples, but I literally have been following this talented singer’s career for over a decade. This J-Pop song was and is my first love.
Lastly, I’ll feature probably the most popular J-Rock group EVER in Japan, Mr. Children, or ミスチル (Misuchiru) as they’re more commonly known in Engrish. They have sold over some ludicrious number like 50+ million albums. Their songs are generally upbeat or ballads, and I do like them a LOT.
Finally, really finally, I will leave you with a young Britney Spears appearing on my favorite Japanese Music TV show called “Hey Hey Hey Music Champ!” featuring a couple famous Japanese comedians named Ma-chan and Hama-chan. The way Ma-chan talks to Britney is exactly how my mom spoke to my friend Shige when I took him home for the first time; louder than necessary and it didn’t help him understand any better, but was funny as hell.
P.S. The video kinda glitches out towards the end, but you get the gist.
Edit: I found a preview clip to give you an idea of what the show is actually like; I think Downtown is hilarious:
Watch [HPS] HEY!HEY!HEY! Music Champ!- Morning Musume and 2003 Shuffles (2003.07.21 subtitled) in Entertainment | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
じゃあ、またね〜＾＿＾
Activision Blizzard, What the ????
So, in the course of a few short weeks Activiziblizargesaultmegazrodofevildesu has shut down Red Octane, gutted Neversoft, beheaded Infinity Ward and pretty much guaranteed I will not be supporting them anytime in the near future. Even my excitement for a certain Blizzard game that has taken forever to come out has been shot to hades. I get it’s a business, but when you are killing off top assets, one has to wonder WTF over. Meanwhile everyone loves EA. You gotta love the oddness of that.
I also just read that Squenix has dissolved their music team. This follows on the heels of many of their top composers leaving the fused company to take on life as a freelancer. While this probably has less impact than it sounds like, for a studio that has been known for it’s amazing soundtracks it is a sad thing to see. I hope to get more regular with the inputs, but we will have to see how things go. As always I am open to comments/critiques and discussion on any of these or other topics. Just be patient since i can’t get to this at work, and I am firmly stuck in the past (relative to the contiguous 48 states).
Review: Beatles Rock Band (game only)
Let me start this review by saying that I can obsess with the best of them. Sure, I had known the Beatles’ works, but it just wasn’t big in my house growing up, so most of my musical association was once-removed by the plethora of artists who remade Beatles songs. The first remake I ever fell in love with was Norwegian Wood by PM Dawn.
But I LOVE me some Rock Band, and the Beatles have long been touted as the greatest band in history. And so the speculation began. What songs would be on the game disc? What would be downloadable content?
And so I made it a point to explore every song from every album they had ever made, and friends that is what I did. For weeks, I listened, and listened. I was finely honing my chops for what, in my mind would be the greatest compilation of Beatles music ever heard. I, being the sappy romantic type, tended to listen more to songs like Eleanor Rigby, Fixing a Hole, Dear Prudence, Here Comes the Sun and While My Guitar Gently Weeps. I’ve never been an acid rock fan, so some of their ..trippier stuff was too trippy for me. But none of it was bad, and I was way excited for the release of this game.
In a mirror universe/Bizzaro/Memento twist, I’m going to write this review backwards, as it flows better to describe this game.
Summary and Score: What Harmonix delivered was a fantastic journey through the career of the group that sampled each of their ‘phases’ as they honed their craft. The sound is spot on, and is the first time we’ve ever had stereo digital recordings of the group’s music to not only listen to, but to play in. The graphics and daydream landscapes are so phenomenal, it almost distracts from playing the game as you want to WATCH them! The sheer variety and number of people this game supports is mind-boggling. The only thing holding this lovingly-crafted piece of art back from a perfect score is the sheer fact that the songs are SO short, that there truly should have been more of them. I will leave it for history to decide if it was the appropriate sampling of songs from their career, but the number and short length of songs truly is enough to detract a full point from this stellar title.
9 out of 10 tangerine dreams.
Gameplay: Beatles Rock Band is broken into Quick Play mode and Story Mode. Story Mode is where most folks will spend their time, taking the Fab Four from their origins in England, through their touring days and finally to the top of Apple Studios for their rooftop performance. Of note, you cannot create a character or change the Beatles’ respective appearance. And that’s not really a bad thing. This game isn’t so much about making you a fifth Beatle on the screen as much as it is having you stand in for one of the boys. The biggest gameplay change for B:RB is that vocals can now support harmonies of up to three people. That means six people total can play the game at once, provided you have that many microphones and USB ports. Three-part harmony is pretty tough, but you do get extra points for successfully pulling it off. Also, there are no drum fills to be had for you Ringo wannabes; instead it is a single hit of the green pad to activate Overdrive, your score modifier. Other than that, this plays identically to Rock Band 2. The difficulty is not off-the-charts, but the music sounds crisp in it’s RB form, and you will appreciate the subtleties that Harmonix have programmed into the game. There are challenges for every stage to unlock recordings and videos of the band, as well as a slew of pictures that most folks have never seen before.
Plusses: Fun and easy, anyone can jump in and play. It’s quite fun, especially with all your friends.
Minuses: The standard strum-when-the-note-gets-to-the-line is slightly different! There’s only a bottom line, and you need to strum/hit the drum BEFORE it gets there instead of WHEN it gets there. This threw a few of my friends and I off for a while, causing all sorts of re-sync mania. There are too few songs due to most songs not being over 2.5 minutes each.
Graphics: Is it photorealistic? No. Is it *just realistic enough with a cartoony look to *FEEL* like the Beatles?* Yes. And every single song is done with such care and love that it comes bleeding out the edges. The colors are vibrant and really pop on the screen. Everything has a very stylized feel and is fantastic.
Audio: Top, top, top notch. If you love the Beatles, this will be an audio thrill for you. Every single part is clear, crisp and fantastically presented. This is one of the best mixing on any music genre game to date.
Second Summary: If you’re not a Beatles fan, you may want to pass. But if you have an appreciation of their music, then Beatles: Rock Band is all you need.
Editorial Staff Note: Reviews Alignment
Hey kids,
Just an FYI, I’m submitting the wonderful reviews we’ve all been coming up with to several review aggregators (I’m hoping to actually land us on Metacritic in time), and one thing I’m noticing is we need a standardized review system. I’ve made one which I’ve posted below, and will always be found on the Reviews page at the top of the site:
Reviews are done by contributors to Gamersledge Blog.
Ratings system: 0-10 in .5 increments, with 0 being That’s So Raven to 10 being Phenomenal Cosmic Power. You may see reviewers state: 3 out of 10 redheads. Any item added after the review score is for lulz only, and not meant to reflect in any way towards the numerical score given. We’re like that.
What this means for you: If you’ve ever reviewed anything, odds are I have converted your score to a out-of-10 point system, trying to mathematically stay as true as possible to your original score. If you have a qualm about the new score, just change it to what you think is accurate out-of-10.
This is a small change, but will ensure that as our community expands, we’ll have editorial consistency as we move forward and I submit your reviews to more outlets, making you internets famous!
Review: Borderlands DLC: The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned
Borderlands. If you haven’t played it, or know nothing about it, you can check my abbreviated review I did a while back here.
Basically, all you really need to know is that it is Diablo II in First Person Shooter (FPS) form. It’s irreverently funny, well-designed and well executed. For those of you that are loot whores (read: Vichaous), it brings out the best (worst) in you; you’re always looking for that slightly better stat gun or shield or myriad of other equipment.
The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned is the first piece of downloadable content (DLC) that I’ll be reviewing for the game. It prices out at $9.99 and stars someone strikingly familiar:
He's *totally* not Dr. Zed's made-up evil twin brother. Seriously.
Let’s just get into the format to do this justice.
Story: Without giving away any spoilers, let’s just say that the narrative is top-notch tongue-in-cheek. I played this all the way through with Trial Access, and the story actually swings from completely absurd to reflective and regretful. At one point, Trial told me he was now depressed, because he knew the outcome of one of the story arcs. From beginning to end, ZIoDN has extremely well written dialogue and pacing, really adding to the mood of the place, where we get to explore Jacob’s Cove, in a remote area of Pandora. The opening cutscene really sets the atmosphere for the entire expansion, and will have you smiling in no time. The reward for finishing is just as strong, thankfully.
Plusses: Strong writing, strong voice acting, great story.
Minuses: You’re doing so much so often, sometimes you really need to just stop and listen to the story unfolding via audio clips. If the game muted the other sounds a bit while listening to the recordings, that would help a lot.
Gameplay: ZIoDN introduces… you guessed it, Zombies! But there are multiple types of zombies, from kamikaze zombies to crawling ankle-biters to shuffling zombies… it’s a pretty diverse list. Rounding out the cast of new villains are Tankensteins, which are VERY difficult to kill Frankenstein monsters, some of which carry loot chests on their back.
Me want...hug!
There are a couple other monster types, but I was VERY surprised at how large this gameplay area is. It’s easily about 8 hours of very solid content, which is quite a lot for ten clams. Not only that, but there are trophies and a claptrap storage expansion quest to be had within this expansion.
Plusses: Imaginative creature types that integrate well into the overarching story of the game (not just the dlc), new creature types keep you on your toes (Trial somehow managed to get his avatar to jump like a scared girl repeatedly).
Minuses: Final boss rarely drops anything out of the ordinary! Cannot repeat content once you’ve finished it (ala 2nd playthrough). Only by joining friends can you experience all the content again.
Actual in-game graphics.
Graphics/Audio: Just wow. While this title is no Final Fantasy or Heavy Rain per se, it does what it does well. The developers have *nailed* the atmosphere of creepy Halloween-esque locales and the audio really plays into this as well. Those old enough to remember certain Mystery Machine traveling sleuths will have some great easter eggs to find throughout the gameplay, as well. Literally the ambience and quality of the work by the devs shines through here in a way that few games achieve; a total immersion into the game. It’s just that good.
Plusses: Great audio and visuals. Beautiful and scary scenery, hilarious easter eggs.
Minuses: None.
For PS3, PC and Xbox360
Summary and Score: If this is the future of videogaming (downloadable content to extend the life of a title) then Gearbox should be looked to as an example of how it can and should be done correctly. From the time you start this piece of DLC until you finish it, you will have an above-average experience, from locales to voice acting. If you own Borderlands, this is a great alternative instead of a second playthrough for the main title (especially since you’ve done it once already!) and is perfect to get you up to the game’s built in level cap of 50. I cannot state enough that this is an extremely fun and well-written side quest for the denizens of Pandora, and you owe it to yourself to experience this story.
10/10
Won't you join us?
Review: Man Factory’s Street Fighter II: Round One
Okay, first of all, I want to thank Marksman/Balth and Trialaccess for getting me the access to be able to be creative in some new ways. Thanks a bunch. Second, for those of you who don’t know me, I am Vichaous. The handle is a bit of a story for the future, but a funny one (at least to me).
Anyway, I have been listening to a particular album a lot recently.
Round one...FIGHT!
I first heard it about a year ago thanks to the guys at Penny Arcade, who recommended it to any viewers who actually read some of their news updates. It’s called Street Fighter II: Round One, a rock opera by Man Factory. When I downloaded the album (legally and for free, in case you were wondering), I initially only listened to 4 of the songs. What a grave mistake I made. The whole album is worth listening to, especially the first time you listen to it. The download that I got came with a “cover insert” that explained everything that was going on in each of the songs. Not that I really needed it, being familiar with the general story with Street Fighter, and Street Fighter II, but it helps fill in the gaps for the band’s interpretation of the story. The album itself is a rock opera of sorts. The songs flow fluidly into each other, even overlapping the outro of the current song with the intro of the next one. The vocals match the emotions of the “characters” they sing for, and the music is very catchy at times. The lyrics are both story telling and singular, making is easy to listen to songs in one long session and singularly alone. The songs have a good musical variety in it, synthesizing what instruments they don’t have physical access to.
On a little bit of a personal touch, I can’t get a few of the songs out of my head. Specifically the song Chun Li I’m Lovin’ it. It’s just a catchy tune, and there’s a phrase I love in it. You’ll see it at the bottom of the post. The band is a bit of a local group for me, based out of Austin TX. I wouldn’t mind seeing them live, but I highly doubt I ever will.
Pros: Well orchestrated and composed, good lyrics, easy to listen to over and over.
Cons: Songs get stuck in your head, the music seems to change tune in the middle of the song without it being a new song, which I find kind of annoying.
I give this 9.5 Hadoukens outta 10. (score edited for site guidelines –ed)
If you would like to sample the music, a quick Google search for Man Factory will make it happen. If you want direct links or something reply to the post and I’ll hook you up.
Spikey Wrists, Bogus Hips, and Rapid Kicks…I’m lovin’ it.
*EDIT* Some of you were asking for the link to download the album, so here it is. http://manfactory.bandcamp.com/album/street-fight-round-one *EDIT*
Review: Buzz Quiz World
Ah, trivia, how do I love thee?
Let me count the ways.. 1-8, that’s how.
It comes with 4 buzzers.
Buzz Quiz World is the follow-up to last year’s Buzz Quiz TV. Many of the inherent problems have been rectified, and the best part is that it uses the same dlc question packs that Buzz TV did, meaning you can have just about neverending quizzes. The box set comes with over five thousand questions, and I played TV a LOT, never hearing the same question twice. When you add in the fact that you can make and download your own quizzes online for free, it’s never-ending trivia fun.
Gameplay: If you are playing locally, the game supports up to 8 players using the special bluetooth buzzers that come with the game. Four come with the game, but the buzzers are NOT sold separately. Your best bet is to try to pick up Quiz TV (I got one for $20) if you plan on using all 8. Each player selects an avatar, most of them absurd, and then the game progresses through 5 rounds of various question games, with the last portion being the elimination round called ‘The Final Countdown.’ And yes, it sports the song, and yes, it will get stuck in your head. The differing game types are inventive and challenging. Many of them reward the person who buzzes in the fastest on the colored keys, so knowing where the colors are is imperative to your Quiz success. Oddly, the giant red BUZZ button at the top is hardly ever used. It will take you a few times to get used to the different rules for the different events, but it is pretty easy to pick up.
TV had some problems with online integration; in that you couldn’t take multiple people on your home system vs. other players online, it would consolidate you into one representative. Unfun. World fixes all that, and you can have up to 8 players online in a game, no matter how many people you have on your system. It’s amazingly fun, and actually seems to change the dynamic of the games, as people begin cooperating to beat the people on the other system. It’s truly a couch-vs-couch experience.
Plusses: Fast, frenetic trivia fun. If you like trivia, you’ll love this experience.
Minuses: Sometimes hard to hear Buzz give the rules; you’ll need to memorize where the colored buttons are and be fast at hitting them; only four buzzers come with the game, if you want 8 players locally, you’ll have to find a cheap copy of Buzz Quiz TV to get the extra four.
Answer first, and gain control of whom the pie is thrown at. Pied twice and you're done.
Presentation: One word: Slick. They’ve basically given it a real gameshow look and feel, almost reminiscent of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in it’s sleek set design. Buzz loves to taunt people who get questions wrong, and that’s half the fun. Audio is top-notch, the announcer has a clear and understandable voice, and Buzz’s antics are usually amusing. There are plenty of polished visual techniques as if you were truly watching a quiz show being broadcast. And while the entire game is very tongue-in-cheek, you won’t see any of that in the production values.
Plusses: Clear visuals, great audio, good-sounding crowd. Visual effects and fireworks are well-done.
Minuses: Sometimes difficult to hear Buzz. It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes he’s giving instructions and you just don’t hear him as well.
The Final Countdown.
Final Verdict and Summary:
If you’re looking for a trivia game that you and all your friends, or perhaps your entire family can play, then look no farther. With kids’ packs of DLC questions that integrate right into the game, no matter how young or old, if trivia is your thing, then this is your game.
With fun, animated characters in a well-produced TV-type quiz show, you will lose hours to Buzz’s myriad questions and categories whether playing against those in your house or against other families online. Not only is this a great party game, it’s a great anytime game. The ability to download new quiz packs on top of the ability to create and download your own quizzes online means that if you desire, you will NEVER run out of new and challenging questions. While certain small things need to be addressed (as explained throughout above), this is a VAST leap ahead over Buzz Quiz TV, and should be in every trivia-lover’s collection.
9/10
Heavy Rain Review
Madison.
Let me start by saying that this will be an ‘anything significant’ spoiler-free review. And that, in itself, is a challenge.
You see, part of the challenge in giving a review for this game is like trying to explain the movie the Sixth Sense. You want to explain it, but you don’t want to ruin it. You don’t want to rob someone of that ‘first time’ experience.
And that is VERY difficult to do with Heavy Rain: talk about it and still preserve the entire story. So I will skirt around everything I would consider integral other than the who, what, where, etc.
Gameplay: The game uses a context-sensitive sequence of button presses to not necessarily mimic the characters’ actions, but to give you a control scheme. For example, if you need to open a car door, you might make a push to the right, then a half circle right-to-down-to-left on the analog stick to do so. When you need to bend down to look at something, you push down on the stick. In another instance, down may be mapped to some other action. All in all, it works pretty well, and you get the hang of it quickly. R2 walks whatever direction you are facing, and the left analog stick lets you look any direction you like.
So far, all I’ve covered is the control scheme… The gameplay itself is hard to categorize in that you are playing an interactive movie. Yes, some might argue that the game is one long quicktime event, but I would counter that it is deeper than this because you do have choice about what to do and when to do it. Fight scenes? Yes, QTE (Quick Time Events) all the way. But the rest of the game; not so much. You can go here and choose to do one thing, or go do something else. They all use button presses and directionals on analog sticks, true, but it is more of an ingrained reflex after the first few hours of the game. Most of the time, it works the way it should.
Shaun and Ethan, respectively
Plus, the control scheme does make you work a little; to do difficult things, it has you press and hold difficult sequences of buttons to simulate the stress of repeating those actions. Sometimes you are tapping buttons, sometimes you are pressing, holding and releasing buttons. Overall, it’s a system that works pretty well.
Plusses: In most situations, the controls handle well. The icons are large so that many people across many age ranges will be able to tell what is what. After a very short amount of time, what to do becomes a very fluid experience. There is a difficulty setting that removes some button presses for novice players who may not be familiar/used to the Playstation controller.
Minuses: Sometimes the camera obscures options from you. Hell, sometimes the characters themselves obscure it from you. That can make the difference between you analyzing a clue and walking right by it. Also, the ‘tap’ icon should have been a different color. Many times as I was playing finger-twister to do something complicated, the tap icon would appear, and I was so intent on getting the presses, that it looked similar to the hold icon; I would fail and have to start the chain again.
Norman Jayden - One Man CSI Show.
Story: This is, by far, Heavy Rain’s strongest suit. The Quantic Dream team have crafted and deliver a well-thought-out and intriguing adult drama. And when I say adult, I mean the target audience is cognizant, self-actualized people. Yes, there is sex, nudity and violence in the game, but this is written for the cerebral audience, and the games more intimate moments are captured and presented in a respectful and sincere manner.
And that last sentence can sort of be used to describe the entire story: sincere. The team isn’t trying to bludgeon you over the head with the fantastic. Instead, they are trying to engross you in situations that you can completely relate with. And therein lies Heavy Rain’s greatest success. You cannot play this game and not create emotional attachments to the characters. It is a triumph that you not only care about the characters, but you also develop an urgency to push the story forward; to find out what happens next.
The story CAN be cliched at times, but for the most part, it is forgivable. You can’t do any sort of cop drama without playing on themes that have been well trampled by the 21 seasons of Law and Order. And those do show through; but the game triumphs in much smaller things, like a father and son playing in the park; a husband and wife sharing an intimate moment in the kitchen; a private investigator showing a moment of compassion for a woman down on her luck.
The central theme of the story involves four individuals (Ethan, Madison, Norman and Jayden, pics of whom you’ve seen so far throughout the story) and is essentially a murder mystery involving the Origami Killer; a serial killer who kills children by drowning them and then placing their bodies on a wetland. The action/story jumps between the four individuals showing different perspectives of the case.
Scott, the P.I.
Plusses:
Dramatic, emotive story that forces emotions out of you. I actually burst into tears (yes, I am a 30-something male strong-type) because of something my character did. I have NEVER had that kind of experience with a game, ever. The ’small moments’ really get it right, and the pacing is perfect. You get a ‘feel’ for the characters through the (unsignposted) tutorial in the early part of the game, and the pain and transformation of the characters as they grow and make choices is tangible.
Minuses: There are a lot of breaks for loads; it seems like more streaming technology could have been used to keep the action flowing a little more. The breaks are fine, in my opinion, when switching from one character to another; giving the player time to center themselves in the mindset of the character they will be playing momentarily (it shows you who’s section is next with a giant closeup of their face in hi-res), but sometimes I would load with the same character just to change location. Sometimes it really did feel like inter-related cutscenes instead of a narrative or seamless story. Minor, but it could have been improved.
Presentation: Heavy Rain is categorically excellent across the board in terms of presentation. The game looks fantastic. The graphics are superb, with realistic lighting. Some people might complain about too many browns and greys, but this title is almost a ‘mood-noir’ in that it depicts a depressed city during a prolonged storm. Think slightly cheerier than Seattle.
The musical score is good, and the cues generally work well with the story. One point of contention, however, is the voice acting. I am a polyglot, and I have keen ears. When I hear someone speaking English as a second language, it’s like someone ringing a fireman’s bell behind my head. It happens a LOT in this game. That’s not to say the voice acting is bad; because it’s not. But there are quite a few things that sound a bit odd during the course of normal conversation. Why they did not hire American voice actors, I do not know. I do have to say that through the course of the game, I did tend to like the voice actors for each character; it ‘fit’ for the most part.
Plusses: Great, hi-res, beautiful graphics. Faces, eyes and lipsynching were generally spot-on. Good score to help set mood. Fantastic animation for just about everything. It all looks extremely natural.
Minuses: Some sporadic ESL (English as a Second Language) pronunciations and phrases in dialog, some low-res objects that you interact with; and hands still don’t look quite…natural.
Summary and Verdict: This game is not for everyone, but it should be. Kids and people addicted to first-person shooters are not going to find the scratch to cure their itch here. But what you will find is an engaging and engrossing story, a game that will make you feel something towards the characters you control and an experience that you won’t soon forget. No matter how you slice it, despite small complaints on various pieces of the game, the whole is a delicious entry into the games world that pushes the boundary of the games versus art debate. Quite simply, this is a game that should be experienced.
10/10
