Sonic 4 - Episode 2 PS3 Game Review

Sonic 4 - Episode 2 PS3 Game Review

Released by SEGA
Platform: PS3

Sonic's back and carrying on as normal in the gaming style which made him so popular way back in the 1980s.

Basically, in this extended game and sequel to Sonic 4, Dr Eggman is alive again and Sonic, along with his pal Tails, set out to stop him.

It's the usual style for Sonic - you rush around collecting rings, avoiding baddies and beating end of level bosses. To be honest, it's a little of the formulaic if it's not broke, don't fix it mentality - and to be fair to the gaming, that's no bad thing.

You don't play Sonic for heaps of storyline - you play it for the vicarious thrill of speeding through the worlds, marvelling at the bright backgrounds which defy gravity and physics as you zip through the worlds. And this latest, isn't exactly much deviation from that - though it is eye poppingly good and playable enough.

You get to team up with Tails as he joins forces with you to either combine to make a super speed combo or latch onto Sonic's back and lift him out of danger. Each level brings a new combination potential and more chances to soar above the skyline.

With boss and bonus levels, there's certainly relatively enough to be getting on with - and there are no major bugs as you bound around the screen, bumping into baddies and collecting rings here and there - so it's playable enough fare.

The question with Sonic 4 Ep 2 is whether it's enough to keep you going back and forth for more gaming and I have to say while it's good to kill an hour or so, there's not heaps of repeat plays in this latest game; it's pleasant enough for a bit of fun and a brainless gaming experience but for my money, last year's Sonic Generations is the better and more fun game.

Rating:

Sorcery: PS3 Game Review

Sorcery: PS3 Game Review

Released by Sony Computer Entertainment
Platform: PS3

Pity the PS Move tool. It's like the little brother who lives in the shadow of the older over achiever and lurks in the background.

It's been somewhat neglected of late (the MOVE toy that is, not the brother - that's an issue for another time) so it was with some interest that I received Sorcery, a game that really relies on the rather deft integration of it throughout the unfolding game.

Basically, it's upto you to save the world from the dark magic nipping at its door.

You play the role of young sorcerer's apprentice Finn who has to master the arcane arts to protect his homeland from the Nightmare Queen who's threatening to overcome the land with hideous creatures and evil. Along with magic cat Erline, you have to negotiate your way through the dark Faerie Kingdoms to save the land.

This game's been a little while in the making - first shown off at E3 in 2010 and tinkered with by The Workshop to make sure it's right, it's certainly fed expectation as it waited on the sideline.

The whole crux of the game is using the Move as a magic wand. It's really that simple and that's clearly what the designers had in mind for this title. It's not just the Move which gets used as you also have to guide Finn around the worlds using either a DualShock or Nav controller; if you're not used to the format then it takes a wee bit of time to get used to and co-ordinated but the moment you do, then it's all go.

And here's the thing with Sorcery - it plays exactly as a game involving a magic wand should. While that may seem like a silly thing to say, the fact you can flick the MOVE and cast spells/ fight baddies/ repair things throughout the Faerie Kingdom shows that really, the game has done exactly what it wanted to for the genre. It's also something that's not really been done before - even the likes of the Harry Potter games (Lego and otherwise) relied on your pressing of the X or O to cast rather than making it intuitive.

But it's not just flicking spells, using the MOVE tool as a telekenesis toy and banishing baddies - there's a learning element to Sorcery which may be more appealing to some than others (certainly there's a younger element who'll get a lot of fun of continually casting away). Gradually as you make your way through the worlds you learn more spells which take more skill and time to master giving you a level of reward from bearing with it, opening chests, collecting gold and tokens throughout.

The world that's been created within Sorcery looks reasonable if a little basic but it's playable and ultimately as many gamers will tell you that's all that matters at the end of the day. Sure, it's pleasant enough fun with a reasonable storyline running through it but it immerses you so well into the world of magic that you'll forget you're playing with 2 controllers and flicking away - it's also a smart little game for all the family to play together as well which is rare these days.

Ultimately, Sorcery is a big win for the MOVE tool and shows that when utilised properly, there is a real market of potential waiting to be tapped for the tech rather than sending it somewhat prematurely to the scrap heap.

Rating:

The Deep Blue Sea - Movie Review

The Deep Blue Sea - Movie Review

A look at the movie The Deep Blue Sea, starring Rachel Weisz and Tom Hiddleston.

Cast: Rachel Weisz, Tom Hiddleston, Simon Russell Beale
Director: Terence Davies

Somewhere in 1950s London, a quiet haze of desperation is setting in.

In a repressed world just out of the Second World War and in a flat in a boarding house, Hester Collyer (Weisz) is on the edge of desperation. As she puts a towel under the door to block it and turns the gas fire on full, it's clear what she intends to do.

But her suicide attempt is unsuccessful and suddenly through a series of flashbacks and current events, the ramifications of what she's tried to do and what's led her to that point are gradually revealed.

The Deep Blue Sea is a terrifically stifled and repressed film - the whole thing reeks of claustrophobia and desperation as flashbacks reveal the reasons for Hester's despair. Trapped in a loveless marriage to a British High Court Judge (Simon Russell Beale) who adores her but is older and clearly aware this is a society marriage, it's obvious that Hester will fall for fly boy Freddie (a brilliant Hiddleston) and find her passion reignited.

However, it's a tragedy that the passion cools for Hester and Freddie because of his post traumatic stress disorder and his (understandable) comfort in living in the past.

As the threads start to tie together, you begin to realise that there's only really been two actors on screen for the duration of this and that the intensity of their performance is intoxicating. Hiddleston is initially all "chocks away" and flyboy bravado, but the bitter frustrations of a repressed age from long ago push his performance more into the slightly monstrous whilst still managing to keep you engaged.

Rachel Weisz is very good as Hester; every frustration and pain is etched on her face as she tackles the unthinkable and the melodrama unfolds through a series of flashbacks. Sure, you can argue that this film reflects its 1952 play origins but it takes a talented cast to make the script rise up; throw in an occasionally over the top violin score at key moments and this adds to the melodramatic feel of the whole thing.

Bathed in gloriously repressed English stiff upper lip sensibility and drab browns and greys of the era, when Freddie boils over, it's a seething mass of anger and a frightening level of frustration for Hester, who's trapped between two worlds and soaked in depression.

The Deep Blue Sea isn't exactly a joyous film which will leave you feeling a fuzzy after glow as it ends; but with some great performances from Weisz and Hiddleston, it becomes the kind of film that gets under your skin.

Rating:

Hobbit world premiere set for Wellington

Hobbit world premiere set for Wellington

In news that will surprise no one who's ever seen the impact of the Lord of the Rings franchise here in New Zealand, details have been revealed of the Hobbit premiere....and it's in windy Wellington in November.

Below is the full release...

THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY,” THE FIRST FILM IN PETER JACKSON'S EPIC ADAPTATION OF THE TIMELESS BOOK, TO MAKE ITS WORLD PREMIERE ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28,

IN WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND

            Burbank, CA, June 5, 2012--Gearing up for the global release of “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” the epic adventure will have its world premiere on November 28, 2012 in Wellington, New Zealand.  A production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is the first of two films from filmmaker Peter Jackson, the Academy Award-winning director of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, who shot the films concurrently on locations across New Zealand. 

From Academy Award^®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” the first of two films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien.  The second film will be “The Hobbit: There and Back Again.”  Both films are set in Middle-earth 60 years before “The Lord of the Rings,” which Jackson and his filmmaking team brought to the big screen in the blockbuster trilogy that culminated with the Oscar^®-winning “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.” 

Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf the Grey, the character he played in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, and Martin Freeman in the central role of Bilbo Baggins.  Also reprising their roles from “The Lord of the Rings” movies are: Cate Blanchett as Galadriel; Ian Holm as the elder Bilbo; Christopher Lee as Saruman; Hugo Weaving as Elrond; Elijah Wood as Frodo; Orlando Bloom as Legolas; and Andy Serkis as Gollum.  The ensemble cast also includes (in alphabetical order) Richard Armitage, John Bell, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Billy Connolly, Luke Evans, Stephen Fry, Ryan Gage, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, Barry Humphries, Stephen Hunter, William Kircher, Evangeline Lilly, Sylvester McCoy, Bret McKenzie, Graham McTavish, Mike Mizrahi, James Nesbitt, Dean O’Gorman, Lee Pace, Mikael Persbrandt, Conan Stevens, Ken Stott, Jeffrey Thomas, and Aidan Turner.

The screenplays for both “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” and “The Hobbit: There and Back Again” are by Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson & Guillermo del Toro.  Jackson is also producing the films, together with Carolynne Cunningham, Zane Weiner and Fran Walsh.  The executive producers are Alan Horn, Toby Emmerich, Ken Kamins and Carolyn Blackwood, with Boyens and Eileen Moran serving as co-producer. 

Under Jackson’s direction, both movies are being shot consecutively in digital 3D using the latest camera and stereo technology.  Filming is taking place at Stone Street Studios, Wellington, and on location around New Zealand. 

Among the creative behind-the-scenes team returning to Jackson’s crew are director of photography Andrew Lesnie, production designer Dan Hennah, conceptual designers Alan Lee and John Howe, composer Howard Shore and make-up and hair designer Peter King.  The costumes are designed by Ann Maskrey and Richard Taylor.  The score is being composed by Howard Shore.

Taylor is also overseeing the design and production of weaponry, armour and prosthetics which are once again being made by the award winning Weta Workshop.  Weta Digital take on the visual effects for both films, led by the film’s visual effects supervisor, Joe Letteri.   Post production will take place at Park Road Post Production in Wellington.

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” and “The Hobbit: There and Back Again” are productions of New Line Cinema and MGM, with New Line managing production.  Warner Bros Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international television licensing, being handled by MGM.

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” will be released beginning December 13, 2012.  The second film, “The Hobbit: There and Back Again,” is slated for release the following year, beginning December 13, 2013.

E3 news - hot new titles unveiled

E3 news - hot new titles unveiled

Well, the legendary E3 is now underway and some hot hot new gaming titles have been unveiled.

Here's a round up of some of today's news:

Assassin's Creed Liberation - coming to PS Vita

Ubisoft announced that Assassin’s Creed III Liberation will be released on October 31 exclusively for PlayStation^® Vita, bringing the full Assassin’s Creed experience to a handheld device for the first time.

Assassin’s Creed III Liberation includes key pillars of the franchise that fans of the series know and love, including combat, free-roaming navigation and a rich story full of intrigue and twists, delivering a true Assassin’s Creed experience to PS Vita.

Gamers play as the series’ first female protagonist, Aveline. A woman of conviction, Aveline is fighting for freedom in 18^th century New Orleans – a city on the brink of a rebellion as the Spanish Empire imposes its new rule.

Assassin’s Creed III Liberation also features PS Vita-specific controls, making the most of the system’s front and rear touch panels, cameras and gyroscope. These include distinctive combat, character interaction, deciphering and traversal controls – all delivering an immersive handheld Assassin’s Creed experience. Assassin’s Creed III Liberation will also bring a unique multiplayer experience to the series exclusively tailored for PS Vita.

Assassin’s Creed III Liberation will launch October 31^st in stores and on PlayStation^®Network for PS Vita.


Wonderbook: Book of Spells

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. today announced Wonderbook™: Book of Spells from SCE London Studios in collaboration with J.K. Rowling. Wonderbook: Book of Spells is the first title to be published which uses the innovative new PlayStation®3 peripheral, Wonderbook, and will transform the world around you with the next step in reading and augmented reality gaming. It is also the first product to result from Sony’s partnership with Pottermore, J.K. Rowling’s unique and free-to-use website that builds an exciting online experience around the reading of her hugely successful Harry Potter™ books. 


Featuring exclusive new and original writing from J.K. Rowling, Wonderbook: Book of Spells comes to life as you read, allowing you to cast spells with your PlayStation®Move Motion Controller which becomes your own magic wand. Go on a fantastic journey to read and learn the secrets of wizardry and the art of spell-casting, just like a student at Hogwarts™, when it is released in November 2012 in Europe and December 2012 in North America. Wonderbook: Book of Spells will also be coming to other countries and regions following this window. 


Beyond:  Two Souls™ 
Announcing the next title from the acclaimed developers of Heavy Rain, Quantic Dream, starring Academy Award winner, Ellen Page.


PlayStation All Stars Battle Royale 
PlayStation Vita version has been announced and two NEW characters revealed: Nathan Drake (Uncharted franchise) & Big Daddy (Bioshock franchise).


PlayStation Plus
Starting this week, there will be an Instant Game Collection of 10 games to choose from ready to download and play as part of the newly updated PlayStation®Plus subscription, with at least three being updated monthly. The amazing launch line-up includes the brand new Virtua Fighter 5™: Final Showdown, as well as Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD, Renegade Ops™, Chime Super Deluxe, Outland™, Darksiders and Warhammer 40,000®: Space Marine®.

Far Cry 3 exclusive DLC announced




Finally, content is king and both acclaimed developers, Naughty Dog with The Last of Us, and Santa Monica Studio with God of War:  Ascension, wowed the crowd with live game play demos of their highly anticipated PlayStation 3 exclusives.

First Iron Man 3 image revealed

First Iron Man 3 image revealed

The first official Iron Man 3 image has been unveiled today....and it certainly looks like Tony Stark's bringing a few new friends to the party.

Here's the official word from the Marvel team:

"Following in the footsteps of the record-breaking Marvel Studios’ release “Marvel’s The Avengers,” production on the highly anticipated film “Iron Man 3,” directed by Shane Black, has commenced production in Wilmington, North Carolina. The production schedule will also include locations in Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina, Miami, Florida and China.

Based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series, first published in 1963, “Iron Man 3” returns Robert Downey Jr. (“Iron Man,” “Marvel’s The Avengers”) as the iconic Super Hero character Tony Stark/Iron Man along with Gwyneth Paltrow (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2,”) as Pepper Potts, Don Cheadle (“Iron Man 2”) as James “Rhodey” Rhodes and Jon Favreau (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2”) as Happy Hogan. Set for release in the U.S. on May 3, 2013, Marvel’s “Iron Man 3” marks the second feature to be fully owned, marketed and distributed by Disney, which acquired Marvel in 2009."

Intriguingly though there's also a set shot which reveals that the bad guys in the new Iron Man 3 flick could be techno terrorist group AIM...

(image from Comic Book Movie)

Prometheus Movie Review

Prometheus Movie Review

A film review of Ridley Scott's much anticipated movie Prometheus, starring Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender

Cast: Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Logan Marshall-Green
Director: Sir Ridley Scott

I think it's entirely fair to say that the movie Prometheus is one of a trio of this year's most hotly anticipated movies.

Early on, little was known about the plot or story of the film and thanks to one of the best viral marketing campaigns (the Happy Birthday David viral is one of the smartest teases I've seen in a while) it was onto a winner from the start. But then there was such a deluge of information, Prometheus clips (including Charlize Theron as Vickers) and so many new Prometheus images that you started to wonder if the actual film had any surprises left.

So, does the full length film Prometheus deliver?

It stars Noomi Rapace as Dr Elizabeth Shaw, one of the 17 strong crew of the ship Prometheus, which is on the way to the outer reaches of the stars to discover the potential interstellar origins of life on earth.

When the planet believed to be the start of life on earth is reached, the crew is awoken by synthetic human David (played with aloof brilliance by Michael Fassbender) and set out to explore the world of LV-223.

However, what they discover is devastating in more ways than one - and soon, the crew of the Prometheus is in a fight to the death....

Okay, here's a warning - there's a few spoilers ahead so if you're hoping to head into this completely untouched by the hand of Scott, here's your chance.

Still here?

Right, so Prometheus is an Alien film - of sorts. It's full of echoes of the previous films and life forms but as Ridley Scott's said, it's more about the strands of Alien's DNA as it explores the "Space Jockey" rather than a direct return to the screen for the brilliant Xenomorphs.

Granted, its scale is epic - the spaceships, the opening shots of our world as the camera rolls over mountains, hills, waterfalls, the CGI star maps and digital tech as well as the underground world of LV-223 are truly incredibly impressive. Not just in some of the CGI work but in the fact that Scott's chosen to build sets and construct a massive alien world for his actors to explore, giving it depth and a reality which is much needed for projects like this.

And there are some big, meaty questions hinted at here too - where did we come from, what is our purpose and what happens when we die; faith and mortality are all mainstays of the movie; from Shaw's lapsed religious believer who hopes to get closer to her gods through answers to Guy Pearce's Weyland who funded the mission to find answers himself, the strands of our place in the universe are never far from Scott's mind. Although, to be honest, as ever with these kinds of films (sequel anyone?) hardly any answers are forthcoming.

But here's the thing - it's just not as frightening or terrifying as it should have been as it leaps around from sequence to sequence. Sure, it's occasionally nervy watching as it descends into B movie body horror and frights (one scene where Shaw's forced to undergo an emergency piece of surgery is as tense, scary and horrific as anything in the original run of films) but there's less tension in the second half of the film which can't match the heightened anticipation of the opening acts which take the crew underground. As the mystery starts to peel back, this onion of a film may leave you crying a little inside.

Of the central cast, Fassbender is once again the stand out (can this guy do no wrong?). He's nailed the creepy, untrustworthiness of David, a creature who's destined to be superior to his creators but destined to be their downfall because of his attitude; thanks to his nicely presented shiftiness and a bit of character development early on, you really get to understand what's going on in his head. Likewise, Rapace, while not as ballsy as Ripley (she never could be) is a good foil to what's befalling the explorers. She mixes intelligence with frailty; fear with hidden courage. Idris Elba also deserves commendation too for his captain, a solid trustworthy guy who gets to do the right thing when it counts. Charlize Theron does a solid job of a relatively thankless role as the cold hearted bitch Vickers, who's there to fund the quest and has a hidden agenda.

The rest of the cast fare less well as they're simply there to exist to be killed; and when they do get bumped off, you very rarely care or miss them when they're gone. In fact one sequence where two of them get it is lacking in any real tension as you can see what's coming a mile off. It's unfortunate that there's not the level of engagement you'd quite hope for as the B movie horror sets in.

If all of this seems dismissive of Prometheus and its intentions, it's not quite as simple as that.

When analysed as a movie going experience, Prometheus is still a very solid, entertainingly, well put together and perfectly envisioned slice of sci-fi which some fans of the genre will love (even down to its fanboy pleasing final shot). It's a perfectly adequate scary horror in space style flick.

To this fan's mind, Prometheus falls short on what I had hoped it would deliver; it's a compelling watch but if you're after a return to the halcyon days of Alien, you won't get that (and probably could never have).

All in all, Prometheus is not an unmitigated disaster by any stretch of the imagination - it's a technically impressive visual marvel of a film which has a great start, some promising ideas but badly executed and then fudges all notion of suspense and tension it as it hurtles towards the end.

Rating:


Check out the new Prometheus trailer below!