Apparently to be called Avengers Assemble now, but like...no
I think Hulk looks pretty sweet despite the recast as the lovely Mark Ruffalo, but I can't help thinking of this films as WOAH Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, Thor and two people who would just die...
But those two people are Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner so I'll let it slide
So for many, Valentine's Day was a chance for romantic dinners, snuggling on the sofa, crying yourself to sleep finding your independence, but for the people that really matter; 14-02-2012 was the day that Bioware gave us a little taste of what was to come in the end to the Mass Effect trilogy where Commander Shepard would be called once again to save Earth and the rest of the galaxy. Now, my experience was tainted somewhat by the Playstation Network in Europe not getting hold of the demo until Wednesday evening, but I spent this morning playing the demo three times through and it was definitely worth the wait, in some ways.
So you start off with the option to play through the demo in an action orientated or story orientated mode, I guess for those who are more interested in how the combat works than the role-playing side of it and visa-versa. Saying that, even when choosing the story based mode, there wasn't much plot interaction bar a few conversation instances. This is understandable, however, as for those who know anything about the Mass Effect series; Bioware are making an insane amount of effort to make sure that how you played the first two games will have consequences, big or small, on how the plot pans out in ME3. So for a demo which asks very basic questions at the beginning so as not to waste time, you can't expect too much in terms of plot twists or anything like that, simply because the information from your previous game play-throughs won't have been uploaded. So, yes, you may be slightly disappointed in the role-playing aspect of the demo, but I am certain that you won't be disappointed when the full version hits the shelves in the early days of March.
The combat seems to have improved, although I haven't played through Mass Effect 2 recently. The addition of grenades and more destructive melee attacks are certainly welcome, although as a soldier class I only really used the melee attacks to see how they worked rather than actually needing to - my assault rifle was more than capable of dispatching foes, though I'm sure there will be more instances to use it as the game progresses. The cover system works well, and though nothing has really changed in terms of companion commands it's still satisfying to annihilate a certain foe by having Liara lift them up into the air and Garrus follow through with a concussive round while you dispatch whoever remains. I didn't get the chance to play through the multi-player mode which has been viewed rather sceptically by fans so far - reviews on IGN and such have had positive things to say, but it will likely be an afterthought for me. I'm much more interested by character interactions.
(EDIT) I managed to give the multi-player mode a go today, and I have to say it's pretty good. Most of the time it was hard to get a 4-person team going, but when it worked, it worked pretty well. The mode I played was essentially a survival mode - defeat waves of enemies of increasing difficulty and so on. Instead of a map, you have the ability to always see a shining silhouette of your allies and when there's only one enemy remaining it'll let you know where it is so you aren't running around the map looking for the last soldier. I played as two classes - the Sentinel and the Soldier, though I concentrated on the Soldier class and eventually unlocked a Krogan which meant there was a very satisfying close-quarters attack that decimated any enemy who got too close, but the price for such power was that I couldn't do any of the dives and rolls to avoid enemy fire. So, you can presume that each class and, later, each race will have their own perks to unlock so it'll fit well with any play style. There wasn't the chance for any PvP playing, though I'm not sure how that would fit in to the Mass Effect storyline; with the co-operative play you can see how it makes sense; a group of soldiers is fighting off reapers or Cerberus while Shepard is elsewhere. But yeah, the point being, the multi-player is pretty fun and doesn't damage the game in any way. Woop.
So all in all, the demo was good if not a little teasingly short, and Mass Effect fans surely have a lot to look forward to in the next month.
Mass Effect 3 is on the horizon, and what I think most people are excited about is not how the story will end in terms of the major plot point, but rather what will be the role and fate of each of the characters that have popped up since the Normandy first soared onto our screens. The first game’s success was down to creating a group of characters made up of aliens from sexy to menacing that you actually cared about, and you were directly responsible for their fates. In the second outing, the majority of this crew were dispersed across the galaxy on the presumption that you had died, and so you created a new team of equally fascinating characters to help you combat the impending doom to befall the galaxy. Again, we found favourites and made bonds, and again, our actions could decide whether a full team would join you at the end, or if a few coffins would be blasted off into space. It’s hard to create a game that gets you so invested in sub-characters like this, and although my personal favourites of Garrus, Wrex, Mordin and Miranda will be of particular interest to me when ME3 hits the shelves, every other Normandy crew member will appear on screen as an old friend and you can be confident that the relationships that you built by jetting across the galaxy will have its due rewards. And also, Seth Green as Joker? Yeaaaaah!
And yes, he was actually funny
The Fellowship of the Ring
In this I guess I’m referring to Frodo as the main character, and the eight other companions that make up the Fellowship as his team. In a way, I guess you could argue that this team isn’t actually very good, because it splits up midway through the adventure and lets its main character take on the harrowing journey more or less on his own. But each character doesn’t then just give up and go home, they continue on to look out for each other and give Frodo the chance to destroy the Ring. You have Aragorn, who with the help of the slick elf Legolas and sturdy dwarf Gimli rally a kingdom against the armies of Saruman and defend the free people of Middle-earth. Merry and Pippin, who selflessly allow themselves to be captured by Uruk-hai in Frodo’s stead for what would be certain death if not for their cunning that allows them not only to escape their doom but organise Saruman’s defeat with the help of fricking trees and, in Merry’s case, contribute to the defeat of the Witch King. Boromir, who falls to the power of the Ring but redeems himself by sacrificing his life to defend two of the hobbits, felled by three arrows when most would die by one. Gandalf, who comes back from the fricking dead to bring hope the fragmented Fellowship, arriving precisely when he means to. Finally, Samwise Gamgee, the true hero of the Lord of the Rings, who accompanies Frodo and stays true to him throughout, taking on as much punishment as the journey to Mount Doom can throw at him and even remaining faithful to his friend from the Shire after being left to fend for himself. What better friends could you ask for?
Final Fantasy VII’s Team or AVALANCHE
Most of the Final Fantasy teams are pretty solid, and most of them could have been placed here, but the diversity of and interest behind each of the characters in this game are why they hold a place in my heart. To accompany the moody hero Cloud, you have some of the most memorable characters to grace the old Playstation way back when 3d graphics were still a new thing. Barret, the foul mouthed hulk of a man who fought against the odds to create a better world for his young daughter. Tifa, the cute but tough barmaid from Cloud’s youth who keeps the team grounded. Aeris (or Aerith), the sweetheart flower girl who you felt compelled to depend and who was central to probably one of the biggest shocks in game history. Red XIII, a wise beyond his years endangered wolf-dog-thing, and Cid, a cussing pilot who dreams of heading into space. Vincent, probably my favourite character, a cool and mysterious gunman who has a dark and tormented past which often manifests itself in powerful transformations, and Yuffie, who might be as annoying as hell but at least she’s has the whole ninja thing going. And then there’s Cait Sith who...um...
Luke’s companions
The original Star Wars trilogy is Lucas at his best; an epic saga of space battles, lightsabers, aliens, and a range of characters still present in pop culture today. Luke Skywalker may have been a new hope for the good guys, but he’d have been scraping sand from his boots if it wasn’t for the friends he made along the way. Old Ben Kenobi, the wise hermit neighbour who turns out to be a Jedi general, and who introduces Luke to the ways of the Force. R2-D2 and C-3PO, a pair of droids, both of whom prove vital to the fight against the Empire (R2 more than C-3PO really) so much so that they earned a place in the prequel films. Princess Leia, who turns the role of damsel in distress on its head when she gets a blaster in her hand and is ready to go to great lengths to serve the Rebels and save her friends. And of course, Han Solo and Chewbacca, the coolest duo in sci-fi history, a daring space smuggler and his walking carpet of Wookie muscle who begrudgingly are there to save everyone’s asses despite having a notorious gangster on their heels. Later, there would be the entire Rebel Alliance behind them. Fans will know the names of Wedge, Lando, Ackbar, Nien Nunb (maybe), and of course, the great Jedi Master Yoda. Who needs the Force when you have these badasses by your side?
The Serenity crew
I’ve already posted something about why each the characters in Firefly are kick-ass, so you can go search for that if you wish, but Whedon just has a way of making character groups work and have a chemistry that you really care about.
Team Buffy
Buffy’s earlier seasons reek of nineties humour, in a good way, but also in a sort of ‘gosh, were we like that?’ kind of way. Buffy, a vampire slayer, but also a teenage girl, had to take on the scores of evil manifestations that plagued her little town, and she couldn’t do it without accumulating a fair share of companions to kick vampire butt to dust with her. Some came and went, but the favourites have to be Willow; the shy, smart girl who later turned out to be pretty badass, Xander; the nerdy, wisecracking fool with unquestionable loyalty, Giles; the wise father figure with Buffy’s best intentions at heart, and Spike; the awesome of all awesome bad-guys-turned-good. Yes, okay, some of the other characters that popped up to help out were slightly less awesome (in my opinion, I mean, Dawn? Whiniest kid in the world) but while Buffy was the centre piece of the series, it was her friends that really made the show.
The 108 Stars of Destiny
I can't even remember who the main character is...
I only really mention these game because there were 108 characters to help you. 108. You might think that’s ridiculous, and it sort of is, but by god would you find all 108 of them! I only got to play Suikoden IV and V – pretty decent RPG’s, and the wealth of characters and ways to interact with characters did make it interesting. The 108 Stars of Destiny, as they were called, weren't simply an extra person who could do some damage, because to be honest by the time you got all of them you already had your favourite bunch. No, they joined you in your personalised castle or ship and made you feel like you had an actual army behind you, and you knew all of them. They weren’t blank faces, they had back-stories and relationships with one another, and even if you wouldn’t take them out to battle with you, you’d be sure to talk to them in your spare time and see what they had to say. Anyone who played this game was likely to have scoured the internet forums for the special circumstances needed to talk to a certain member, as with this many people on your team, you sure as hell wanted to get the most out of them.
Ron, Hermione, and the House of Gryffindor
Harry Potter might have been the boy who lived or whatever, but he wouldn’t have made it out of the little room under the stairs if it weren’t for the wizards and witches behind him. Now, I’m not really a fan of the films, but the books were great and, as to be expected, the characters are substantially more present because it’s easier to read an adventure than translate it to be watched through every sentence on the big screen. You of course had the duo of Ron and Hermione who were at Harry’s side through every encounter with werewolves, giant snakes, and murderous villain. But, you also had the majority of his Gryffindor form group, and a few others in the years above and below him. I, for one, know that if I was in a form group with a celebrity who seemed determined to poke his nose everywhere, piss off murderers and generally do anything other than schoolwork, I’d have smuggled a Muggle weapon in halfway through second year and...well maybe not killed him, but at least slowed him down with a shattered kneecap. But no, the house of Gryffindor seemed more than happy to befriend the troublesome teen, and, in the end, even lay their lives on the line for him. I would have quite happily been in Ravenclaw and when stuff started to go sour, stayed at home somewhere, and hid my wind far into the recesses of the attic.
Ash’s original Pokemon
Pokémon was a good game, but it was the anime show that really kicked off the craze for many people. Now there’s all these ventures into different regions with ludicrous amounts of different Pokémon to catch, but when Ash Ketchum first turned up on our screens, we followed him in collecting together the best ever team of Poké-pals a trainer could ask for. Each little monster was either rescued or at some point formed a heart-warming bond with the plucky little hero from Pallet Town, and whenever he’d face off against another trainer or Team Rocket you’d be hoping for your favourites to be released, and even if they weren’t you would be satisfied with the substitute. There was of course Pikachu, the mascot of the series. Bulbasaur and Squirtle, reliable members to thwart foes who would be expected to outclass them. Caterpie, who eventually evolved into Butterfree and who was part of one of the most emotional episodes ever. Pidgeotto, the flying type who didn’t get much attention but was used often enough in Ash’s early days, eventually leaving Ash to protect its own kind. There were many others who briefly joined Ash on his journey before he seemed to trade out his whole team for the new Pokémon of different regions, but my personal favourite will always be Charmander; rescued from a neglectful trainer, evolving eventually into a disrespectful Charizard who only came to appreciate Ash much later in the series. I’ll always think this was his most powerful Pokémon, even if I could never really understand why it decided to stop obeying its loving master. Maybe months inside a tiny ball takes it out of you.
The X-Men
I’m going to admit, most of my knowledge of the X-Men comes from the films and that really cool cartoon show with the catchy theme-tune...if I remember I will link it here. And yes, I’m sure you can probably pick more awesome comic-based teams like The Avengers or The Justice League, but I like the X-Men gosh-darnit! Also, I am aware that the X-Men roster is huge over the span of decades of comics, so I’ll undoubtedly miss out a few fan-favourites but, this isn’t about you, this is the ones that I liked okay? Okay?! Anyway. Obviously, Wolverine was badass. Nightcrawler – awesome. Cyclops, a little annoying at times but still great. Storm –gotta love her power. Beast – fascinating. But my favourite has to be Gambit – I didn’t really understand his outfit and all that, but he was as cool as it gets and horribly represented in the Wolverine film. I kind of hope they’ll redo him in the X-Men: First Class series that is sure to develop after the success of the first film, but I doubt that will match up with what has already occurred. Oh well.
George Lucas retirement and equality in the film industry
So, in further support of the world ending this year, it would seem that George Lucas, the man behind Star Wars and Indiana Jones, is retiring from major films. Now, for some Star Wars fans this may actually be a relief – many are still scarred by Jar Jar Binks and the magical appearance of Hayden Christensen in Return of the Jedi – and to many others this won’t even cause a stir – mainly the people who have no idea who Binks is and only know what a Jedi might be from YouTube – but to me, a die-hard fan, this is sombre news. But, another thing emerged from the build up to this announcement during Lucas’ range of interviews in promotion for his new film hitting screens in the USA in the near future; Red Tails. The claim that ‘Hollywood won’t support black films’.
This comes from George Lucas’ apparent self funding of Red Tails, which follows the story of a squadron of African-American pilots who were kept grounded during World War 2 until the time that their country needed them. Starring Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard, and Ne-Yo – with the exception of Ne-Yo, the actors have pretty solid CV’s, so why was Lucas funding the film on his own? According to Lucas, it was because studios were not willing to back a film with no major white star. Oh dear. Why is this? Do people really believe that the only people fighting in the wars of the 20th century were white? I doubt it. So why aren’t there more films portraying ethnic diversity in the events that changed the course of history?
It’s both interesting and depressing to think that there still is this lack of faith in other ethnic groups in the entertainment industry. I’m willing to bet that most people would be able to name ten highly recommended white actors, but would have difficulty in naming black actors. Could you argue that there just aren’t as many reputable black actors? Idris Elba has won a Golden Globe for the BBC series Luther, Forest Whitaker won an Oscar for The Last King of Scotland, Don Cheadle was nominated for his role in Hotel Rwanda. The talent is there, but is it recognised? Are there films that promote black heroes or main characters universally, not just to minority communities? There were rumours that perhaps Idris Elba could have taken the Bond role, and there was a great opportunity to have a black actor play the role of the Green Lantern; a recent superhero film adapted from DC comics. But, as we know, Daniel Craig was chosen for Bond (and he is amazing) and Green Lantern had the usually hilarious Ryan Reynolds in what was a lacklustre and pitiful film. I’m not saying that having black actors in these roles would make the films better or worse, I’m just wondering why there seems to be a fear of having a black lead or a black majority. Is there really the fear that white audiences won’t see the film because they don’t feel it is ‘targeted’ to them, or more importantly, is this fear grounded in any way?
You can say that being politically correct sometimes gets in the way of entertainment, and that fear of offending people has every film, show, comedian and celebrity treading on eggshells, but this isn’t trying to exaggerate a real issue. For all I know, Red Tails could be absolutely awful (and I look forward to seeing it and sharing my thoughts with you), but the film deserves as much chance to be awful as recent white dominated endeavours like Green Lantern, the Twilight series (yeah I said it!) and most films coming out of the mind of Adam Sandler.
Just a few of the videogames already being yearned for this year; in particular the games that I am excited about, which is why there may be a Playstation bias...sorry!
Mass Effect 3 – The end of a space-opera trilogy, we join Commander Shepherd and his loyal crew in the defence of Earth and the rest of the universe! Featuring immersive storytelling and impressive action, definitely one to watch – and if you haven’t already, go and play the first two and fall in love!
Far Cry 3 – What with Modern Warfare and Battlefield both having released their hyped up third games, Far Cry 3 can swoop in and throw another satisfying and well paced shooter into the mix.
The Last Guardian – IF this game actually comes into fruition despite the creator leaving, we can hope to look forward to another game of the calibre of the classics; Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. Here’s to hoping it all stays on track for 2012.
Grand Theft Auto V – Another game sure to cause controversy and sure to have underage consumers lining up at midnight at GAME stores, sure to be another hit.
Street Fighter VS Tekken – Or the other way round, I can’t remember. Either way, the two major fighting franchises, if implemented properly, should be a big hit. Especially if online gaming allows seamless matchups between Chun Li and Yoshimitsu. Or others...you can choose.
Bioshock Infinite – An amazing trailer to what should be an amazing game if the previous editions are anything to go by. Probably a candidate for game of the year.
Halo 4 – Apparently another one on the way; sure to have a massive following as one of the most popular online shooters out there, I just hope the series is able to keep fresh.
Tomb Raider – Lara Croft is back and probably looking better than ever. The original games were amazing, but there have been some disappointing follow-ups. Let’s hope this one keeps Croft in competition with the Uncharted games.
Playstation Vita – Not a game, but the next gaming handheld to come from Sony. Looks powerful and intuitive without being gimmicky, but will people buy it?
Max Payne 3 – Slow motion jumps through the air shooting pistols at baddies? Yes please.
Just quickly, you know what I don't want? Another Pokemon game with another 150 Pokemon to catch. Seriously, enough is enough, and the last Pokemon outing had an icecream as a monster...an icecream. Gone were the days of Charmander and Squirtle.
Hey, happy new year and all that. Apparently we're all meant to die this year (we really aren't) but luckily we'll be seeing the universe off with a bang with some kick-ass films on the schedule. But before they arrive, let's take a look one of last years blockbusters.
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
You gotta love Tom Cruise. He can jump on couches and give weird interviews only out-crazyfied by Charlie Sheen, but he sure does know how to give us good action. Mission Impossible films are the films that we all have to love. Mindblowing stunts, car chases, kick-ass fight scenes, Tom Cruise running, hot women, cool gadgets, Tom Cruise running, explosions and everything else that keeps spy films popular. And Tom Cruise running.
Ghost Protocol has Ethan Hunt (Cruise) jetting across the globe again in an attempt to stop a madman from starting some sort of global catastrophe. He's joined by three other agents, played by the hilarious Simon Pegg(Hot Fuzz, Paul), the up-and-coming Jeremy Renner (Hurt Locker, The Avengers), and the hot, hot, HOT Paula Patton (Precious). For one reason or another, the team are out on their own and can only rely on each other to get the job done. There were a fair share of typical memorable moments; scaling the tallest building in the world, escaping a Russian prison and a fight in a multi-storey car-park come to mind, but the film never strayed into ridiculous. And it was funny - it's been a while since I've seen the Mission Impossible films, but there seemed like there was more humour in this one, without turning the whole thing into a farce. The fight scenes were top notch, and the pacing wasn't too fast or too slow. There weren't major twists, but the ones that were there were surprising enough to raise an eyebrow. The only real thing that bugged me as I left the cinema is I still didn't really understand why the villain of the film wanted to do what he wanted to do...it didn't really make sense to me at all, and there wasn't much time spent on him. In the previous films, we were given the chance to really hate the villains, whereas in this we saw very little of our main baddie - but I suppose it's better than hearing the same old 'let me tell you my plan before you die' sort of cliché. If you like Mission Impossible films, you will like this film, and if you like action films, you will like this action film, and just in general its a tense and well thought out couple of hours.
