The Orange Box is the most overrated game...ever. You want to know why? Well, you're reading my blog, so I'll assume you do. Here are the reasons. The Orange Box, at first, looks like a great deal. It has five games in one, how could you possibly lose? Well, it has a bunch of games you've already played. So we have Half-Life 2, with Episode 1 & 2, Team Fortress 2, and Portal. Well, first off, Half-Life 2 came out in 2004, which already cost $50. Episode 1 has also been previously released, in 2006, but I'm unaware of the cost. Episode 2, the first new game! What a concept. Except, it's not a full game, it doesn't have say, 8 hours of game play that games should have. Team Fortress 2, a multiplayer action game. Well, if that's all you want to do, that's fine, play this for hours on end. Then we have Portal. Oh yes, the game everyone says is great. Well, why is it so great? It can't be because it has a whole lot of game play, more than 2 hours of that and your previous meal would be on the floor, or your monitor. Original? No, I remember using portals in Prey. Ok, so there must be another game mechanic that makes it great. Well, what? So, if you haven't played Half-Life 2, and really want to, maybe this is the game for you. But all-in-all, I think it's just a way for Valve to get a little more money out of everyone's pockets.
Score
4/10
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Guitar Hero III Review
Neversoft has sent the Guitar Hero franchise for a ride on the highway to hell.
Guitar Hero II was an extremely fun game, so when I heard Guitar Hero III was coming out, I thought it was going to continue down that path. I was wrong. First off, the game should not be titled "Legends of Rock". If you want to name a game that, get REAL legends! In this game there was very few. Also, I was curious as to where the guitar solos went. Only about half the songs in it had guitar solos in them. Even the Rolling Stones' song: Paint it, Black had no solo. And then, when you weren't bored out of your mind with them, you were struggling to keep your arm from falling off. Another flaw in the game was all the chords. Why so many chords? There were many more chords than were in the actual songs. It seems they just put them in there for fun. Sure it makes it harder, you know why? Because it's not meant to be played like that! I still have not beaten this game on expert and probably never will, because it's simply just not fun to fail all the time. As soon as you get to the last tier of songs, they turn to impossible mode. So that leaves me at a quagmire at what to rate the difficulty as. And yet another flaw, is that Guitar Hero III looks almost exactly like Guitar Hero II. I remember watching an interview with one of the people working on Guitar Hero III and they said they wanted to keep similar things because that's what makes the game what it is. Well that's fine, but I'd like to know what they actually changed. Overall, I think Neversoft ruined a very fun franchise, with some terrible bands, lack of guitar solos, and lack of guitar legends.
Score
5/10
Guitar Hero II was an extremely fun game, so when I heard Guitar Hero III was coming out, I thought it was going to continue down that path. I was wrong. First off, the game should not be titled "Legends of Rock". If you want to name a game that, get REAL legends! In this game there was very few. Also, I was curious as to where the guitar solos went. Only about half the songs in it had guitar solos in them. Even the Rolling Stones' song: Paint it, Black had no solo. And then, when you weren't bored out of your mind with them, you were struggling to keep your arm from falling off. Another flaw in the game was all the chords. Why so many chords? There were many more chords than were in the actual songs. It seems they just put them in there for fun. Sure it makes it harder, you know why? Because it's not meant to be played like that! I still have not beaten this game on expert and probably never will, because it's simply just not fun to fail all the time. As soon as you get to the last tier of songs, they turn to impossible mode. So that leaves me at a quagmire at what to rate the difficulty as. And yet another flaw, is that Guitar Hero III looks almost exactly like Guitar Hero II. I remember watching an interview with one of the people working on Guitar Hero III and they said they wanted to keep similar things because that's what makes the game what it is. Well that's fine, but I'd like to know what they actually changed. Overall, I think Neversoft ruined a very fun franchise, with some terrible bands, lack of guitar solos, and lack of guitar legends.
Score
5/10
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Top Ten Movies
Alright, here's my top ten favorite movies of all time. I'm only doing it this way because some of my favorite movies are old...er. So this way, I can review them, without looking like I'm behind the times. So, let's start with number ten and go from there.
7) Star Wars: The Original Trilogy (1977, 1980, 1983)
Now, am I cheating putting three movies at number 7? Oh, most definitely. But all three of these movies are classic. And I feel it's a shame they were tarnished with the special editions. (Thanks a lot, George Lucas) But, if you haven't already seen these movies, and are into science fiction movies, or the like, I suggest you go to you're local retail store, and buy them. Or rent, if you want to. I'll admit, these movies aren't for everyone. I'm sure there are plenty of people that hate them, but I love them, and that's why they're at 7!
6) The Prestige (2006)
This is a fantastic movie. I remember my brother got this, and he kept telling me, "you have to watch it, you have to watch it!" But I remembered the previews, and it didn't look like a stellar flick, to me. So I put it off, until recently. Filled with twists and turns, this movie keeps you guessing. And it's about magic tricks! Who doesn't want to watch a movie about those? Huge Jackman and Christian Bale (I told you he'd be on this list a few times) both put on great performances. And it, also, has Michael Caine. Enough said.
5) The Wind that Shakes the Barley (2006)
First off, go get this movie, it's fantastic! Although it might be hard to find in the U.S. When I first saw this movie I was blown away. Set in the 1920's, the movie is set around the struggle in Ireland to breakaway from England. It's an independant movie, so for all the people that didn't get paid, they all put on great performances. Cillian Murphy, from movies like Batman Begins and Sunshine, he puts on the best performance I've ever seen from him. So, as I said, go get it!
4) The Boondock Saints (1999)
I remember first watching this movie. I was obsessed! Well, I still am. I think I can quote the whole movie all the way through. Now, due to the Columbine shooting back in the day, this movie never got the theatre time it deserved. Filled with classic lines, plenty of violence and comedy, this movie is a must see. So if you haven't...DO IT!
3) Donnie Brasco (1997)
This is probably the most overlooked movie ever. This is, by far, the greatest performance by Johnny Depp. With a supporting cast of Al Pacino, Michael Madsen, and Anne Hech, it's phenominal. When you watch this movie, you can feel what the characters are going through. You can see the inner torment of both Depp and Pacino's characters. I don't want to tell you too much, because that would spoil the whole thing for you. So here's what I suggest, go buy it! And if you've seen this movie and think it's no good, forget about it!
2) The Departed (2006)
I must say, it's about time the academy awarded Martin Scorsese for his directing! This is definitely the best Scorsese picture I've seen, and I've seen some good ones, including, Goodfellas and Gangs of New York. The acting was incredible too. Although, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jack Nicholson both didn't do a Boston accent that well, but I'll look past that. Only minor problem I have with it, is that it's three hours. I'm not a big fan of long movies, but I'll make an exception for this one.
1) The Godfather (1972)
What can I say about this movie that hasn't already been said? Phenominal! If you haven't already seen this movie, you should be ashamed of yourself. It's a classic! Marlon Brando's performance is unforgettable. Now I'm not going to say too much about it, because you've probably heard plenty yourself. But I will say, if you don't own this movie, buy it now!
Well, there you have it, the top ten movies in my eyes. Now, I know these aren't the most enlightening reviews, but they tell it like it is. These are all great movies, and should be watched, immediately.
10) Batman Begins (2005)
I feel it's only fitting to start the top ten with a movie that has "begins" right in the title. But really, Batman Begins is a great movie. Christian Bale, who you will see more of on this list, yet again, did a great job. When I first heard Bale was going to be Batman, I thought, no way! Because at that time, the only movie I saw him in was Shaft, where he plays a racist millionare, if I remember correctly. And then of course, there's Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson, and Michael Caine. Enough said. I have great hopes for the next installment in the new batman movies, The Dark Knight, which comes out this summer.
9) V for Vendetta (2005)
The first thing I'll say about V for Vendetta is, they could have got a better actress to play Evey. Now, with that out of the way, let's continue. Our movie begins, as movies often do, with a young up-and-coming politician. Oh, sorry, just quoting a little be of the movie. I don't think that there could have been anyone better for the part of V than Hugo Weaving. Equiped with a voice that is very recognizable, not to mention cool, he suits the part perfectly. This movie is full of action, mixed in there with some drama, and if you have a sort of twisted sense of humor, like me, it has some comedy in there as well. I would recommend this movie to anyone actually reading this. That's why it's on this list.
8) 3:10 to Yuma (2007)
Well usually, I'm not a huge fan of westerns. But that's not why I like this movie. Christian Bale, again, puts on an outstanding performance. In this movie he plays a crippled farmer who volunteers to take the prisoner Ben Wade to Contention, and put him on the 3:10 train to Yuma prison. Now, with that being said, I don't want to give the movie away too much, because I feel this is yet another good one for everyone. Well, maybe not children, but then again, I don't think any of the movies on this list are good for children.
7) Star Wars: The Original Trilogy (1977, 1980, 1983)
Now, am I cheating putting three movies at number 7? Oh, most definitely. But all three of these movies are classic. And I feel it's a shame they were tarnished with the special editions. (Thanks a lot, George Lucas) But, if you haven't already seen these movies, and are into science fiction movies, or the like, I suggest you go to you're local retail store, and buy them. Or rent, if you want to. I'll admit, these movies aren't for everyone. I'm sure there are plenty of people that hate them, but I love them, and that's why they're at 7!
6) The Prestige (2006)
This is a fantastic movie. I remember my brother got this, and he kept telling me, "you have to watch it, you have to watch it!" But I remembered the previews, and it didn't look like a stellar flick, to me. So I put it off, until recently. Filled with twists and turns, this movie keeps you guessing. And it's about magic tricks! Who doesn't want to watch a movie about those? Huge Jackman and Christian Bale (I told you he'd be on this list a few times) both put on great performances. And it, also, has Michael Caine. Enough said.
5) The Wind that Shakes the Barley (2006)
First off, go get this movie, it's fantastic! Although it might be hard to find in the U.S. When I first saw this movie I was blown away. Set in the 1920's, the movie is set around the struggle in Ireland to breakaway from England. It's an independant movie, so for all the people that didn't get paid, they all put on great performances. Cillian Murphy, from movies like Batman Begins and Sunshine, he puts on the best performance I've ever seen from him. So, as I said, go get it!
4) The Boondock Saints (1999)
I remember first watching this movie. I was obsessed! Well, I still am. I think I can quote the whole movie all the way through. Now, due to the Columbine shooting back in the day, this movie never got the theatre time it deserved. Filled with classic lines, plenty of violence and comedy, this movie is a must see. So if you haven't...DO IT!
3) Donnie Brasco (1997)
This is probably the most overlooked movie ever. This is, by far, the greatest performance by Johnny Depp. With a supporting cast of Al Pacino, Michael Madsen, and Anne Hech, it's phenominal. When you watch this movie, you can feel what the characters are going through. You can see the inner torment of both Depp and Pacino's characters. I don't want to tell you too much, because that would spoil the whole thing for you. So here's what I suggest, go buy it! And if you've seen this movie and think it's no good, forget about it!
2) The Departed (2006)
I must say, it's about time the academy awarded Martin Scorsese for his directing! This is definitely the best Scorsese picture I've seen, and I've seen some good ones, including, Goodfellas and Gangs of New York. The acting was incredible too. Although, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jack Nicholson both didn't do a Boston accent that well, but I'll look past that. Only minor problem I have with it, is that it's three hours. I'm not a big fan of long movies, but I'll make an exception for this one.
1) The Godfather (1972)
What can I say about this movie that hasn't already been said? Phenominal! If you haven't already seen this movie, you should be ashamed of yourself. It's a classic! Marlon Brando's performance is unforgettable. Now I'm not going to say too much about it, because you've probably heard plenty yourself. But I will say, if you don't own this movie, buy it now!
Well, there you have it, the top ten movies in my eyes. Now, I know these aren't the most enlightening reviews, but they tell it like it is. These are all great movies, and should be watched, immediately.
Some honorable mentions are:
Goodfellas
Indiana Jones
History of the World: Part 1
Gangs of New York
And a whole lot more that I'm forgetting.
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