Here is a link. Click and watch the brief trailer.
So a few years back, some friends and I gathered around a television set, poured ourselves an obscene amount of alcohol, and watched a DVD I had picked up earlier that day, titled Machine Girl. Machine Girl was about a Japanese schoolgirl who had her arm cut off, so she found a couple of kindly auto mechanics to build her a new one. Only instead of an arm, they gave her a giant machine gun.
It featured a ridiculous amount of violence and campy kung fu, all culminating in a fight with the wife of the mobster we thought would be the villain, whose breasts had been replaced with power drills. Machine Girl was a movie with no shame or remorse, and it was one of the finer B movies I've ever seen.
And now, the series' creator Noboru Iguchi has teamed up with special effects designer Yoshihiro Nishimura (whose cult hit Tokyo Gore Police reportedly used 4 tons of stage blood) to produce RoboGeisha.
Some movies are so bad and ridiculous that they come out on the other end of the spectrum and become sublime. With enough alcohol, this is exactly what Machine Girl did. After watching the RoboGeisha trailer, I fear that this movie may pull that exact stunt, and then keep going, crossing the spectrum to crappy all over again. All the same, I will expect everyone to gather around a television and watch this with me, because I am TOTALLY buying the DVD. Totally.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Zeno Clash
So for $10 today you can buy a game called Zeno Clash. I mentioned the demo a while back, and with this price cut, I went ahead and bought it.
The first thing I'll say is that most of what I said before about the combat stands. It's good, but not superb. What I didn't really get into before, because I somehow missed it during the demo, is that the artwork is some of the finest I've ever seen. It's delightfully surreal in a way I won't bother trying to explain. To offer just a few examples of how very bizarre this game is, I present the following three articles, which you will see if you play the game:
- A man wearing a tea kettle on his head
- An omniscient man-panther struggling to solve a Rubix Cube
- A blind assassin, who specializes in sharpshooting, riding atop a brontosaurus, throwing squirrels with parachutes and barrels of TNT tied to their backs.
In short: First person, fantasy punk, some shooting but mostly hand-to-hand brawling, REALLY good artwork.
The game is very short, clocking in at about 4 hours if you don't count all the little combat challenges you can do on the side. However, at $10, it's not a bad deal. You'll get about half an hour per dollar, and a lot more if you find you enjoy the gameplay and decide to take on the gauntlet sidequest thing.
If it's still Sunday and you're reading this, I strongly recommend downloading the free demo. Unless you absolutely loath the combat mechanic, then the game is worth the ten bucks just for the artwork.
The first thing I'll say is that most of what I said before about the combat stands. It's good, but not superb. What I didn't really get into before, because I somehow missed it during the demo, is that the artwork is some of the finest I've ever seen. It's delightfully surreal in a way I won't bother trying to explain. To offer just a few examples of how very bizarre this game is, I present the following three articles, which you will see if you play the game:
- A man wearing a tea kettle on his head
- An omniscient man-panther struggling to solve a Rubix Cube
- A blind assassin, who specializes in sharpshooting, riding atop a brontosaurus, throwing squirrels with parachutes and barrels of TNT tied to their backs.
In short: First person, fantasy punk, some shooting but mostly hand-to-hand brawling, REALLY good artwork.
The game is very short, clocking in at about 4 hours if you don't count all the little combat challenges you can do on the side. However, at $10, it's not a bad deal. You'll get about half an hour per dollar, and a lot more if you find you enjoy the gameplay and decide to take on the gauntlet sidequest thing.
If it's still Sunday and you're reading this, I strongly recommend downloading the free demo. Unless you absolutely loath the combat mechanic, then the game is worth the ten bucks just for the artwork.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
You Conduit! You Conduit all Night Long!
I deliberately ignored all the hype leading up to Conduit. Electing not to have my expectations colored by advertising campaigns, I preordered and bought the game on faith alone. My reaction so far has been mixed, but more positive than not.
The conduit is definitely something new. It plays at many times like a rail shooter, only without the rails. The aiming is absolutely spot-on. Your hand will eventually get tired of trying to be held steady in the air for so long, but that really goes for a lot of the Wii's better material. This is really Conduit's strong point- it's a first person shooter where you point the controller at the screen and shoot the bad guys. It's what we were expecting since we first heard about the Wii, and a game like this has been conspicuously absent up to this point. But better late than never, and High Velocity Software delivers the goods here.
The play control is about as good as it could possibly be. This is particularly aided by the single greatest effort I have ever seen committed towards giving the player control over the control. When you go into the options screen to edit the controls, it's no mere "pick your buttons and controller sensitivity," oh no. When you go to edit the controls, the game unpauses and starts playing again, and lets you edit all the various aspects of the game's play control while the game is running, allowing you to instantly see the results of your control scheme. When you're doing things like setting the sensitivity, the wii remote dead zone, and how far your character will crane his neck before he starts actually turning around, this is something that control freaks will definitely appreciate. It sounds minor and will be minor to many people, but it's a really nice effort and I applaud the designers for going that extra mile.
The gameplay and shooting mechanic flow like water, but only if you can ignore the rather bland graphics. We all knew that this was a Wii game and the graphics would suffer a downgrade, but I think this will turn some people off. Personally, I don't think that the graphics are bad enough to distract from the gameplay experience, but others may disagree. The screenshots more or less do the game justice, so if you want to know what it looks like go look at them. A solid effort is made to use coloration, artwork, and level design to compensate for the weak resolution, and I'll say that it works just fine for me.
Another problem along the same lines is that the Wii can't handle much in the way of a physics engine either. The environment is almost 100% static. If you've been spoiled by Havoc and Source physics, it bothers you when large explosions fail to so much as knock over a chair. Once again, this does not stop you from enjoying the game unless you let it, but it's a drawback all the same.
I confess that this is a first reaction and I am only a little more than halfway through the game, but far I have to say that I don't think any significant effort went into this story at all. The game begins with our faceless protagonist receiving a phone call from a man whose voice positively radiates malevolence. Mr. Ford, the FBI/special ops/soldier/agent person we assume control of, quickly confirms that since it knew the secret government handshake, this evil voice must be totally trustworthy, and he picks up his guns and heads to the airport where a supposed terrorist attack is under way. When security and FBI agents opened fire on me (as I walked into an airport carrying a 45 pistol and an MP5) the evil voice comes on again and informs me that the terrorists are apparently using some kind of mind control, and I have to kill the FBI agents. "Okey dokey" is the apparent reply from our protagonist, and so it's off to slaughter us some of DC's finest. The story devolves from that point into a mindless conspiracy-fest complete with at least two big secret shadow organizations, mind control gas, aliens, and more than a couple Xanatos Gambits all seemingly centered around a floating robot eye that can hack computers and translate graphiti. As a compelling and interesting story, I'd say it falters; As a campy little sci-fi romp, however, it entertains well enough and provides all the excuse I need to run around shooting people with laser guns.
I don't expect Conduit to set the world on fire, but it's done a couple of things really, really well, and it doesn't fail enough in any particular area to rob itself of it's due and proper. I don't regret buying it, and I recommend at least renting it if you own a Wii and you like shooters. You'll finish the main story quickly enough, and if you like the MP, you can decide if you want to buy it.
If you're waiting for that Magnum Opus that single-handedly vindicates buying the system three Novembers ago, however, this probably isn't it. But Red Steel 2 and Metroid:OM might be.
The conduit is definitely something new. It plays at many times like a rail shooter, only without the rails. The aiming is absolutely spot-on. Your hand will eventually get tired of trying to be held steady in the air for so long, but that really goes for a lot of the Wii's better material. This is really Conduit's strong point- it's a first person shooter where you point the controller at the screen and shoot the bad guys. It's what we were expecting since we first heard about the Wii, and a game like this has been conspicuously absent up to this point. But better late than never, and High Velocity Software delivers the goods here.
The play control is about as good as it could possibly be. This is particularly aided by the single greatest effort I have ever seen committed towards giving the player control over the control. When you go into the options screen to edit the controls, it's no mere "pick your buttons and controller sensitivity," oh no. When you go to edit the controls, the game unpauses and starts playing again, and lets you edit all the various aspects of the game's play control while the game is running, allowing you to instantly see the results of your control scheme. When you're doing things like setting the sensitivity, the wii remote dead zone, and how far your character will crane his neck before he starts actually turning around, this is something that control freaks will definitely appreciate. It sounds minor and will be minor to many people, but it's a really nice effort and I applaud the designers for going that extra mile.
The gameplay and shooting mechanic flow like water, but only if you can ignore the rather bland graphics. We all knew that this was a Wii game and the graphics would suffer a downgrade, but I think this will turn some people off. Personally, I don't think that the graphics are bad enough to distract from the gameplay experience, but others may disagree. The screenshots more or less do the game justice, so if you want to know what it looks like go look at them. A solid effort is made to use coloration, artwork, and level design to compensate for the weak resolution, and I'll say that it works just fine for me.
Another problem along the same lines is that the Wii can't handle much in the way of a physics engine either. The environment is almost 100% static. If you've been spoiled by Havoc and Source physics, it bothers you when large explosions fail to so much as knock over a chair. Once again, this does not stop you from enjoying the game unless you let it, but it's a drawback all the same.
I confess that this is a first reaction and I am only a little more than halfway through the game, but far I have to say that I don't think any significant effort went into this story at all. The game begins with our faceless protagonist receiving a phone call from a man whose voice positively radiates malevolence. Mr. Ford, the FBI/special ops/soldier/agent person we assume control of, quickly confirms that since it knew the secret government handshake, this evil voice must be totally trustworthy, and he picks up his guns and heads to the airport where a supposed terrorist attack is under way. When security and FBI agents opened fire on me (as I walked into an airport carrying a 45 pistol and an MP5) the evil voice comes on again and informs me that the terrorists are apparently using some kind of mind control, and I have to kill the FBI agents. "Okey dokey" is the apparent reply from our protagonist, and so it's off to slaughter us some of DC's finest. The story devolves from that point into a mindless conspiracy-fest complete with at least two big secret shadow organizations, mind control gas, aliens, and more than a couple Xanatos Gambits all seemingly centered around a floating robot eye that can hack computers and translate graphiti. As a compelling and interesting story, I'd say it falters; As a campy little sci-fi romp, however, it entertains well enough and provides all the excuse I need to run around shooting people with laser guns.
I don't expect Conduit to set the world on fire, but it's done a couple of things really, really well, and it doesn't fail enough in any particular area to rob itself of it's due and proper. I don't regret buying it, and I recommend at least renting it if you own a Wii and you like shooters. You'll finish the main story quickly enough, and if you like the MP, you can decide if you want to buy it.
If you're waiting for that Magnum Opus that single-handedly vindicates buying the system three Novembers ago, however, this probably isn't it. But Red Steel 2 and Metroid:OM might be.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Not a game review for once
So I've been watching a lot of Buffy and Angel episodes lately, and I've decided that I am a total Whedon fanboy.
I came to know of the works of Mr. Whedon in a sequence quite opposite to their release dates. First, I saw Serenity with my family- they all hated it, and I didn't know what was wrong with them. It was stylistic, unpredictable, and had some absolutely awesome dialogue. Years later, I was sitting on a friend's couch, and flipping through the pithy offerings of basic cable. After Comedy Central and Spike failed me, I went to my old standby, the network-formerly-known-as-SciFi. I wasn't entirely sure what this show I was watching was, but it really reminded me of this one movie I'd seen a couple years ago. I also liked it, quite a bit. Fast forward a little less than a year, and a friend informs me that in fact that show was Firefly, and that apparently the movie was a continuation of the story. Holy crap.
So I borrowed this friend's DVD collection, never to return it. I have watched that series at least half a dozen times by now. I love the way it had all these actors I'd never heard of, and yet each of them were so well-suited to the role (or vice-versa) that it quite simply was not ever apparent that I was watching people pretending to be other people. The dialogue was witty and impacting, and yet so casual. The word I'm looking for here is "flow." The characters flow seamlessly through their conversations and adventures, and it all just seems so naturally. I buy into it in a way I don't buy into most stories.
Dr. Horrible was... different. It didn't have the same kind of awesomeness Firefly had; it had a different kind of awesomeness. It was silly. It made me laugh, and I've seen that movie about as many times as I've seen Firefly.
And now, finally, I'm watching Buffy and Angel. Seasons 1-3 of the former and the first season of the latter are on Hulu, and now I'm watching the DVDs (thank you, Netflix) of Buffy season 4. Now I'm back to the Firefly kind of awesomeness, with that incredible way that the actors, again, seem to have been created for the sole purpose of playing these roles (or, again, vice versa) and they do it perfectly. I crane my head and go "d'awww" every time Willow pouts. I get moody and depressed every time the show reminds us that Angel will never be happy and exists only to suffer. The show is one of three movie/TV things that have ever actually brought a physical tear to my eye, the other two being Star Trek and the Futurama episode with Fry's dog.
In other words, I am enjoying the works of Joss Whedon to an irrational degree. It makes no sense that a television show makes me this happy. It's weird. But you know what, it's a happy kind of weird, so I'm not going to worry about it.
Also, as much as I'm enjoying Buffy, I can't see myself rewatching it half a dozen times like I did Firefly. That would take a really long time.
On a side note: Windows media player really sucks at playing those DVDs. It is utterly random whether I will be able to use the rewind or chapter back/forward functions, and it is utterly random whether Media Player decides to use its "oh, I remember where you were the last time you put this disk inside me!" feature. Also, it sometimes the video doesn't kick in during the first couple minutes. When that last glitch happens, the rewind decides it's not going to work, and media player decides to use that "remember your place" feature all a once, that means it is impossible to see the first couple minutes of an episode. I tried Media classic, but the picture gets all vertically shaky.
I came to know of the works of Mr. Whedon in a sequence quite opposite to their release dates. First, I saw Serenity with my family- they all hated it, and I didn't know what was wrong with them. It was stylistic, unpredictable, and had some absolutely awesome dialogue. Years later, I was sitting on a friend's couch, and flipping through the pithy offerings of basic cable. After Comedy Central and Spike failed me, I went to my old standby, the network-formerly-known-as-SciFi. I wasn't entirely sure what this show I was watching was, but it really reminded me of this one movie I'd seen a couple years ago. I also liked it, quite a bit. Fast forward a little less than a year, and a friend informs me that in fact that show was Firefly, and that apparently the movie was a continuation of the story. Holy crap.
So I borrowed this friend's DVD collection, never to return it. I have watched that series at least half a dozen times by now. I love the way it had all these actors I'd never heard of, and yet each of them were so well-suited to the role (or vice-versa) that it quite simply was not ever apparent that I was watching people pretending to be other people. The dialogue was witty and impacting, and yet so casual. The word I'm looking for here is "flow." The characters flow seamlessly through their conversations and adventures, and it all just seems so naturally. I buy into it in a way I don't buy into most stories.
Dr. Horrible was... different. It didn't have the same kind of awesomeness Firefly had; it had a different kind of awesomeness. It was silly. It made me laugh, and I've seen that movie about as many times as I've seen Firefly.
And now, finally, I'm watching Buffy and Angel. Seasons 1-3 of the former and the first season of the latter are on Hulu, and now I'm watching the DVDs (thank you, Netflix) of Buffy season 4. Now I'm back to the Firefly kind of awesomeness, with that incredible way that the actors, again, seem to have been created for the sole purpose of playing these roles (or, again, vice versa) and they do it perfectly. I crane my head and go "d'awww" every time Willow pouts. I get moody and depressed every time the show reminds us that Angel will never be happy and exists only to suffer. The show is one of three movie/TV things that have ever actually brought a physical tear to my eye, the other two being Star Trek and the Futurama episode with Fry's dog.
In other words, I am enjoying the works of Joss Whedon to an irrational degree. It makes no sense that a television show makes me this happy. It's weird. But you know what, it's a happy kind of weird, so I'm not going to worry about it.
Also, as much as I'm enjoying Buffy, I can't see myself rewatching it half a dozen times like I did Firefly. That would take a really long time.
On a side note: Windows media player really sucks at playing those DVDs. It is utterly random whether I will be able to use the rewind or chapter back/forward functions, and it is utterly random whether Media Player decides to use its "oh, I remember where you were the last time you put this disk inside me!" feature. Also, it sometimes the video doesn't kick in during the first couple minutes. When that last glitch happens, the rewind decides it's not going to work, and media player decides to use that "remember your place" feature all a once, that means it is impossible to see the first couple minutes of an episode. I tried Media classic, but the picture gets all vertically shaky.
Does this look Infected to You?
After a very brief (but nifty) opening cinema, I had control of my character. Within the first few minutes, I jumped twenty feet into the air, grew giant claws and skewered several soldiers, jumped into the air and ripped a helicopter in two, ran up a building, backflipped off the wall, flew down the road, and then I beat up a tank. The thing is, I was only trying to cross the street. I thought to myself, "if I ever figure out how to do all that stuff on purpose, I'll be having a lot of fun."
Prototype is a game lacking any restraint whatsoever. Within the first fifteen minutes, you are punching tanks and jump-kicking helicopters, and the situation only escalates. The game keeps a running tally of your performance, and after two days of gaming I have apparently wiped out approximately three battalions of marines. I mentioned in my Red Faction review that I found myself questioning if I might actually be the bad guy rather than the hero. I don't have the question here- it's quite clear that I am the bad guy. The military is thoroughly amoral in the execution of their duties, but at least they ostensibly are trying to do a good thing on the balance. In other words, the big evil military organization is willing to commit all kinds of atrocities and horrors so that, in the end, they can keep the nation on the whole safe. I am committing all kinds of atrocities and horrors because it's fun. Oh, and it is indeed fun.
The game's "protagonist," being a protagonist in that there is a problem he is presented with, and he mutilates said problem over the course of the story, is Alex Mercer. At the outset of our tale, Alex wakes up in a hospital with no memory of who he is or what's going on, and before he can figure it out a bunch of army guys show up and shoot him to death. It doesn't quite take, however, and Alex jumps back up, hurdles a 9 foot wall, and outruns them. He's apparently been infected with a supervirus that gives him all these crazy powers. Not terribly new, as plots go, but it's as good excuse for a murderous romp through Manhattan as I need.
The controls take a long time to master but once you are comfortable with them you will have a blast parkouring all over Manhattan The game features a movement system that resembles Assassin's Creed on crack. You can not only run faster than a car, but you can do it straight up a wall. Whenever you're running, you will automatically hurdle cars, debris, and other small obstructions. If you hit a large obstruction, like a building, you will turn 90 degrees and run straight up it. While running up a building, you will still be carried by momentum and can get thrown off course when you hit uneven terrain. It's awkward, but after a while you learn how to stop trying to bend the controls to your will, and let the game's parkour system handle a bit of the navigation. You basically have to stop trying to compensate for the game's movements, and let it play itself a little bit. It sounds weird, I know, but once you get the hang of it the system really is smooth and well-designed.
The combat system is nothing terribly new, but it is very polished and fun. Alex Mercer is able to mutate his arms into scythes, claws, tentacles, shields, giant hammers, and larger arms, and he uses all of these things to slaughter the good people of New York, the marines who try to protect them, and the infected monstrosities (himself excluded) that are trying to kill them. The enemy comes at you with tanks, infantry, and helicopters, and different approaches are required in different situations. Claws will shred the infantry in short order, but tanks require something heavier, like giant hammers. Helicopters are suckers for a good karate kick, when you're close enough, but until you develop the power to lasso them with a tentacle, a taxi-cab fastball brings them down right quick. As the game progresses, the military steps up their offensives and many new challenges come into play; it's all rather well paced, really.
The combat, movement, and open-world environment are the primary selling points here, but one other thing that simply must be mentioned is the consumption mechanic. When Alex grabs hold of a live victim, he can consume them; in addition to providing a health boost, this allows Alex to absorb their body and minds. Alex instantly gains access to all of their memories, and he can perfectly mimic their physical appearance and mannerisms. With the right disguise, you can infiltrate secure facilities, order artillery strikes, or even accuse another poor grunt of being the real monster, prompting the hapless leatherneck's comrades to gun him down. Another interesting use of the consumption mechanic is that you can absorb everything your victim ever knew or experienced. Eat a helicopter pilot, and you instantly know everything he did about operating one. Eat a base commander, and you can pass through voice and retinal scanners guarding the base. This allows Alex to reach certain areas undetected and acquire useful new skills.
It is through this mechanic that the game's storyline is unfurled. As I said before, it's your standard military viral cover-up, worthy of a sci-fi original. However, the method of telling is interesting. Scattered throughout the city are random New Yorkers who happen to have some tidbit of knowledge that will help you to dig deeper into the military cover-up behind the outbreak. When Alex gets near one, he will recognize him or her, which marks them for you. After you consume them, you are treated to a brief cinema that offers you just a small scrap of information; this may be a piece of a conversation overheard by a military escort, or a recalled conversation between two scientists about how the virus worked. Usually, the memory will feature another potential target, who can now also be found wandering the streets of New York. These targets aren't necessary to complete the game, but they will fill in gaps in the story and foreshadow certain events. It's an interesting storytelling method, and while not exactly epic in its presentation, it's something I haven't seen before and it works.
The bottom line: Prototype is just a nice cathartic murder-go-round, but it's an extremely polished and creative one. I had a blast with it.
Oh, and speaking of horrible flesh-eating viruses: I got my tests back without any unpleasant surprises. Happiness!
Prototype is a game lacking any restraint whatsoever. Within the first fifteen minutes, you are punching tanks and jump-kicking helicopters, and the situation only escalates. The game keeps a running tally of your performance, and after two days of gaming I have apparently wiped out approximately three battalions of marines. I mentioned in my Red Faction review that I found myself questioning if I might actually be the bad guy rather than the hero. I don't have the question here- it's quite clear that I am the bad guy. The military is thoroughly amoral in the execution of their duties, but at least they ostensibly are trying to do a good thing on the balance. In other words, the big evil military organization is willing to commit all kinds of atrocities and horrors so that, in the end, they can keep the nation on the whole safe. I am committing all kinds of atrocities and horrors because it's fun. Oh, and it is indeed fun.
The game's "protagonist," being a protagonist in that there is a problem he is presented with, and he mutilates said problem over the course of the story, is Alex Mercer. At the outset of our tale, Alex wakes up in a hospital with no memory of who he is or what's going on, and before he can figure it out a bunch of army guys show up and shoot him to death. It doesn't quite take, however, and Alex jumps back up, hurdles a 9 foot wall, and outruns them. He's apparently been infected with a supervirus that gives him all these crazy powers. Not terribly new, as plots go, but it's as good excuse for a murderous romp through Manhattan as I need.
The controls take a long time to master but once you are comfortable with them you will have a blast parkouring all over Manhattan The game features a movement system that resembles Assassin's Creed on crack. You can not only run faster than a car, but you can do it straight up a wall. Whenever you're running, you will automatically hurdle cars, debris, and other small obstructions. If you hit a large obstruction, like a building, you will turn 90 degrees and run straight up it. While running up a building, you will still be carried by momentum and can get thrown off course when you hit uneven terrain. It's awkward, but after a while you learn how to stop trying to bend the controls to your will, and let the game's parkour system handle a bit of the navigation. You basically have to stop trying to compensate for the game's movements, and let it play itself a little bit. It sounds weird, I know, but once you get the hang of it the system really is smooth and well-designed.
The combat system is nothing terribly new, but it is very polished and fun. Alex Mercer is able to mutate his arms into scythes, claws, tentacles, shields, giant hammers, and larger arms, and he uses all of these things to slaughter the good people of New York, the marines who try to protect them, and the infected monstrosities (himself excluded) that are trying to kill them. The enemy comes at you with tanks, infantry, and helicopters, and different approaches are required in different situations. Claws will shred the infantry in short order, but tanks require something heavier, like giant hammers. Helicopters are suckers for a good karate kick, when you're close enough, but until you develop the power to lasso them with a tentacle, a taxi-cab fastball brings them down right quick. As the game progresses, the military steps up their offensives and many new challenges come into play; it's all rather well paced, really.
The combat, movement, and open-world environment are the primary selling points here, but one other thing that simply must be mentioned is the consumption mechanic. When Alex grabs hold of a live victim, he can consume them; in addition to providing a health boost, this allows Alex to absorb their body and minds. Alex instantly gains access to all of their memories, and he can perfectly mimic their physical appearance and mannerisms. With the right disguise, you can infiltrate secure facilities, order artillery strikes, or even accuse another poor grunt of being the real monster, prompting the hapless leatherneck's comrades to gun him down. Another interesting use of the consumption mechanic is that you can absorb everything your victim ever knew or experienced. Eat a helicopter pilot, and you instantly know everything he did about operating one. Eat a base commander, and you can pass through voice and retinal scanners guarding the base. This allows Alex to reach certain areas undetected and acquire useful new skills.
It is through this mechanic that the game's storyline is unfurled. As I said before, it's your standard military viral cover-up, worthy of a sci-fi original. However, the method of telling is interesting. Scattered throughout the city are random New Yorkers who happen to have some tidbit of knowledge that will help you to dig deeper into the military cover-up behind the outbreak. When Alex gets near one, he will recognize him or her, which marks them for you. After you consume them, you are treated to a brief cinema that offers you just a small scrap of information; this may be a piece of a conversation overheard by a military escort, or a recalled conversation between two scientists about how the virus worked. Usually, the memory will feature another potential target, who can now also be found wandering the streets of New York. These targets aren't necessary to complete the game, but they will fill in gaps in the story and foreshadow certain events. It's an interesting storytelling method, and while not exactly epic in its presentation, it's something I haven't seen before and it works.
The bottom line: Prototype is just a nice cathartic murder-go-round, but it's an extremely polished and creative one. I had a blast with it.
Oh, and speaking of horrible flesh-eating viruses: I got my tests back without any unpleasant surprises. Happiness!
Friday, June 19, 2009
I am a Consumer Whore
I have been convinced.
I now have to finish Tales of Symphonia 2, Conduit, Prototype, Penumbra, and Rainbow Six: Vegas (I believe I am on the final level in that one). Why would I drop another 50 bucks on a game that I don't even have time to play? I am a strange, irrational person.
I now have to finish Tales of Symphonia 2, Conduit, Prototype, Penumbra, and Rainbow Six: Vegas (I believe I am on the final level in that one). Why would I drop another 50 bucks on a game that I don't even have time to play? I am a strange, irrational person.
Heal Thyself, Physician!
Somebody needs to give Jessica Terry an award. Free medical care would do nicely. This girl has suffered for years from very painful stomach cramps that could often bring her to her knees, and doctor after doctor failed to come up with a prognosis.
Then, she figured it out. In her high school science class! She slid a sample of her own intestinal tissue (which a pathologist had assured her contained no irregularities) under a microscope, "and spotted an area of inflamed tissue called a granuloma, a clear indication that she had Crohn's disease."
This is evolution at its absolute finest.
Then, she figured it out. In her high school science class! She slid a sample of her own intestinal tissue (which a pathologist had assured her contained no irregularities) under a microscope, "and spotted an area of inflamed tissue called a granuloma, a clear indication that she had Crohn's disease."
This is evolution at its absolute finest.
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