Thor Trailer Reactions

So, hopefully you've all watched the Thor trailer a few times and digested it a bit before they took it off the web. Let us know what you're reactions were and what you think it's all about. But before that, let's check what the stars of the film had to say after seeing the trailer. Natalie? Chris? Ken?



And here's the little snippet we've got on the Thor video game:



A serious teaser there with no gameplay or anything. Well, io9 shows some of the scenery art from the game and tries to guess what it might be all about.

I don't know about you 'clubbers out there, I was hopeful that this movie would be awesome, but now I am psyched to see this!

As far as superhero movies go, Make Mine Marvel!

Unfairly Judged: Darksiders is NOT “The Legend of Zelda”

Like War, the heavily armored Horseman of the Apocalypse in Vigil’s game “Darksiders”, I found myself caught between the factions of Heaven and Hell, not quite sure who to believe. The arguments were sounded from both sides, like Poseidon's great horn calling forth the Kraken. Those against exclaimed: “It’s too much like Zelda!!” or “It’s a God of War rip-off!!” While those for, boasted: “It’s a solid action adventure game dammit!!” or “Joe Mad is my hero, and he made the best game in the universe!!”



And as War rendered his final judgment upon those who opposed him, I too must follow suit to exclaim proudly: Darksiders is a hell of a great game, Zelda be damned. Filled to the brim with intense action, solid voice work and unique, thrilling character design, the game is a visual feast for any player longing to witness the Apocalypse up close and personal. The controls are tight, if a bit clunky at times (the dodge could have used a bit more fine tuning) but they don’t detract from the overall experience.

Joe Madureira brings his unmistakable talent to create some of the coolest digital creatures, whether you consider yourself a fan or not. Demons, Angels and everything in between look fantastic. Major kudos must be given to Vigil’s animation team. The denizens of Darksiders are beautifully animated and as a result the in-game dialog scenes are a blast to watch. It’s as if Don Bluth, in full on “Secret of Nimh” mode, were given the keys to a demonic 3D kingdom, the animations have that wonderful life to them. If you plan on playing the game, please pay special attention to Vulgrim, the demon merchant. Vulgrim is brought to live so vividly that he oozes greed and treachery. He’s a fantastic character and just one of many visually stunning beasts you’ll encounter.

The game also gives you a healthy amount of collectibles and upgrades, but they never overwhelm. I’m big on that. We don’t need everything AND the kitchen sink. The chances of me buying every single sword upgrade AND learning the textbook set of moves required to use them, is probably never going to happen. There’s a perfect balance struck in Darksiders that gives you just enough. I’m also a big fan of how Darksiders utilizes a single button prompt to finish off an enemy. We’ve all been trained by God of War to be on the edge of our seats when it comes to finishing off a baddie after a series of well timed button prompts (which takes a few tries to master, am I right friends? C’mon, be honest!) Darksiders simplifies this perfectly. When you see the “B” button (I’ve played the Xbox360 version), simply press it once, and you’re treated to a wonderfully gory in-game animation of War dispatching his foe. Personally, I loved this! Not only does it take off some of the stress when battling multiple enemies, it makes you look like what a Horseman of the Apocalypse should look like: A bad ass! When you swing the Chaoseater from monster to monster for a quick kill, It helped propel the combat forward like a steam engine. More importantly, it was FUN to do.

I’m a little unsure as to why a game that’s been compared to the Zelda series should be looked at like it’s the mutant twin we need to lock away in the attic when we have company. Since when did Legend of Zelda corner the market on dungeon exploration and puzzle solving?? Who says other IP’s can’t delve into the same territory? Darksiders is able to do this successfully while creating a world that feels expansive and fresh. It takes situations that we’re all familiar with and makes them its own. Why is that a such crime? Shouldn’t we be celebrating the fact that a game like Darksiders has successfully integrated these ideas into a world worth visiting?

Personally, I celebrate the more darker territory the game mines. I’m a bit tired of hearing that a story and/or dialog may be trite because “we’ve seen this all before.” Isn’t the main crux of almost every Zelda game the quest to rescue Zelda from Gannon? I mean, c’mon Zelda, time to dummy up. I think you’ve been hanging around Princess Peach a little too long! Mario and Link are TIRED, man! In all honestly though, when it comes to story there’s A LOT we’ve ALL seen before. “Nothing is created from the void” and almost everything is inspired by something else, oftentimes successfully. At times it falls flat on its face, but at the very least you have to admire the fact that someone tried, no? I don’t think it’s fair to grab the torches and head to the Monster’s Dark Castle screaming for its head JUST because a game shares similarities with others.

You can tell that a lot of hard work went into Darksiders by folks just like us. During my time with the Darksiders I didn’t connect what I was doing at any time with game property A or game property B. I just enjoyed the experience. I simply saw that the people over at Vigil LOVE games just as much as I do. They’re gamers through and through that wanted to make something fun and epic for all of us to share, and I for one, am glad they did.

At the time of writing this, NPD posted a “behind the numbers” for January 2010 with Darksiders taking the 10th spot with 171.2K units sold. I’m happy to hear that Darksiders is selling decently, despite the overly critical response it’s gotten. It’s an original property that deserves to be expanded upon and solid sales will only help give the Darksiders team a chance to do that. As we’re all aware, a successful game affords the developers that opportunity to take those gambles that they may have wanted to do initially, but were hesitant to. Those of us who enjoyed the game will benefit as a direct result. With such a solid first outing by Vigil, I’m beyond excited to see what they’ve got in store for us in Darksiders 2!

Until then I’ll have the Chaoseater at the ready. Razor sharp, glowing red with enhancements, and hungry for the souls of the damned: Demonic and Angelic alike. The other three Horseman ready to ride by my side, weapons unsheathed and ready for battle!

Please, please, please check out this game if you haven’t already. It truly deserves your time.

Cheers,
Mooch

Game Club: Female Icons of Video Gaming!

Hey All,

In honor of Women’s History Month here on the newly formed "Girls Club," Game Club will be taking a look a few of the coolest female characters to ever grace the Video Games world. Boot up your favorite console and get ready to play!




Samus Aran: “The Metroid Series”
Arguably one of the first female heroines seen in console gaming, Samus Aran caught the gaming world by complete surprise when the ace bounty hunter removed her helmet to reveal a shock of long blonde hair. Video games were irrevocably changed for the better. No matter what iteration Samus and her adventures have taken, she’s never been denigrated to the world of pin-up eye candy. She’s a kick-ass warrior with the coolest abilities who can wield an arm cannon in a sweet symphony of destruction. Metroid's BEWARE!! She’s also got the most iconic set of armor games have ever seen, The "Zero Suit": Often imitated, but never duplicated. A true original, just like Samus.






Chun-Li: “The Street Fighter Series”
The reigning Queen of all female fighters in "versus" games, Chun-li captivated player after player with lightning fast kicks and devastating helicopter twirls. The only female fighter in Street Fighter II, adept players found she was a force to be reckoned with as she went toe to toe with the best male fighters in any version of the SF series. Chun-li remains a fan favorite to this day, a powerful and whimsical whirling dervish of destruction. If you listen carefully, you can still hear her out there kicking ass and taking names with her battle cry sounded:"Spinning flying kick!!"






Bayonetta: “Bayonetta”
As discussed in my debut game review on Write Club, Bayonetta has become somewhat of a model for a modern female character that can decimate foes with a flick of her wrist (or ankle for that matter) and own her sexuality like no other in the genre. Some would argue that she’s still the creation of a male mind and thus falls into similar trappings that less notable female game characters have suffered through, and while that is true in certain respects, the end result still can’t be denied. Bayonetta is a bad ass, and is always in command of every situation she finds herself facing. She’s sass and over the top camp all rolled up into a crimson bullet with your name carefully engraved on it. Get in her way and they’ll still be cleaning up pieces of you from the floor tiles.






Lara Croft: “The Tomb Raider Series”
Without a doubt one of the most popular and recognizable female game characters of all time. While it’s a sad fact that most of the attention was paid to her “assets” when she first exploded onto the gaming scene, no one could deny that the world Lara Croft carved for herself was rock solid and uniquely hers. Lara was tough, a fighter, born of royalty and riches, and had a hunger to follow in her parents footsteps as an archeologist and treasure hunter. Eidos had successfully created their own version of a pulp novel icon, an Indiana Jones for the digital world.



Today Lara has evolved from game to game, becoming more realistic in proportions while maintaining everything that made the character so great from the outset. Currently, the Tomb Raider series is seeing another reboot, with Lara again at the receiving end of what’s probably her most realistic look yet. One that aims to tap directly into the strong and intelligent character she is and, hopefully she'll permanently leaving the days of fanboy fantasy far behind.






Faith Connors: “Mirror’s Edge”
The fastest “Runner” on two legs (think Spider-Man as an information broker), Faith leapt from her stark and sterile cityscape straight into the consciousness of gamers everywhere. Rebelling against a Totalitarian government and fighting to clear her sister’s name for a crime she didn't commit, Faith proved to be as persistent a detective as she was at scaling and leaping from skyscrapers. When Mirror’s Edge was announced, Faith received a lot of attention as she was one of the first lead video game characters to be of Asian descent. Slight in build with baggy clothing to support maximum movement, and sporting the coolest set of jet black tattoos, Faith could outrace any opponent that was unlucky enough to cross her path. Faith remains an uber-cool parkour soldier, a silent, watchful guardian perched forever on the ledges of ivory towers everywhere.






Alyx Vance: "Half-Life 2 Series"
Alyx Vance is usually the "go to" game character when an avid player is asked to point out when the female character finally evolved. Alyx Vance was a fully realized PERSON when players met her within the first few hours of Half-Life 2. Whip-smart and humorous, her design intelligent, tasteful and respectful, Valve created a character so three dimensional it was hard not to feel connected to her by the games end (and each subsequent chapter after). While the story has yet to draw to a close, Alyx will always remain that benchmark character. A strong, intelligent woman who could solve any task at hand, and who fought back against alien hordes so vile, Ripley herself would cringe:) Alyx remains an important character in video games and a very welcome addition to the Half-Life series. The gaming industry wouldn't be the same without her.


Cheers,
-Mooch-

Game Club: Power to the Pixels!

Hi All!

Just a small update on the games that are gracing my iPhone (and eating up my time) at the moment.



Canabalt:

So I've finally jumped on the Canabalt train, or should I say, jumped out of a window onto a collapsing building, while avoiding falling rockets, train. I'm loving the basic "run as far as you can" gameplay and I'm a HUGE fan of the simple yet cleverly designed look. Major style points awarded! Canabalt has tons of personality wrapped around a very simple play mechanic. I have to admit though, I suck pretty hard at the game so far. I think my top score is only a paltry 3260 meters. I took a look at the best world runs and saw that a fella called Superswede had a distance of 82750 meters. How he accomplished this feat completely boggles my mind. I envision him hooked up to some kind of machine that's funneling gallons of Red Bull into his system while holding his eyelids open similar to Malcom McDowell in "A Clockwork Orange". Oh, yeah, the music in Canabalt is aces too!




Angry Birds:

Slowly making my way back through the levels earning my 3 stars. So far so good. Some of the levels, even though I've beaten them the first time 'round, continue to vex me. They laugh in my face like those little green pigs who stole my eggs. But I'm a patient avian, and I shall continue to squawk "Death From Above!!" as I rain my feathered bodies down upon them! Angry Birds is a great, fun game that I keep coming back to week after week. Think "Boom Blox" with a kamikaze twist:)





ColorBind:

Picked up this wicked little puzzle game because I was immediately drawn in by its minimalist design. Deceptively simple yet challenging to the extreme, you drag lines of paper across the screen to capture colored dots. The way to achieve victory from level to level becomes increasingly harder as you unlock each puzzle. I wish all games had this level of challenge mixed with simple, high tier design. If I had one wish though, it would be for music. The addition of some atmospheric background music would just about be the icing on the best birthday cake in the world. And yes, I mean Cookie Puss.






Point and Click Adventures:

It's a great time to be an iphone/ipod touch owner these days. Old school point and click adventures have been making their return on the device like I never could have anticipated. Point and click adventures were my virtual bread and butter when I was a wee tyke, and one of my finest moments as a young gamer was besting "Maniac Mansion" with my Pops. God, what a great game! Currently I've got "Beneath a Steel Sky" and "Broken Sword" on my iPhone and I get nostalgic every time I pop into these unique worlds to play and puzzle solve. All we need now is "The Dig", "Loom", "Fate of Atlantis" and some other old classics to make the journey over and I could die happy. I wouldn't mind seeing a bit of the more modern P&C's, like "A Vampyre Story" or "The Longest Journey" make it there at some point as well. Hell, if they ever give me a portable version of "Another World" I'm going to have to name my first born child "Iphone Apple McGraw".

Cheers!

-Mooch-

Game Club: Bayonetta Blazes!

Bonjour Fellow Write Clubbers! Welcome to the first official entry of “Game Club”, our video game review and discussion group here on the site! Mooch Rex logged in and reporting for duty! I’ll be your guide as we look at some of the white hot games burning up the charts during any given month across any and all viable platforms. In our premiere entry, we’re turning our giant, flame rimmed eye towards Sega’s Wonder Witch “Bayonetta”, which is available on both the Xbox360 and PS3 gaming consoles. Demos for the game can be downloaded for free if you want to experience the madness for yourself.

For those not in the know, here’s a quick story breakdown: Bayonetta is a Witch who has lost her memory. She wields four pistols and casts sick magic spells using her hair as the conduit. She’s got a sassy attitude. She slays Angels. You’ll have to actually play the game to find out why. Having finished it twice I can firmly state that I believe I’ve witnessed a gaming masterpiece.

I know, I know. Lofty praise to heap upon a video game, right? But once you get past all of the hip swaying, half clothed swagger and orgasmic fueled moans of the main character, there’s an action game of unparalleled imagination at work here. I’ll be damned if the game hasn’t had me laughing out loud at all of the ridiculously cool things that have been unfolding on my TV screen. Want to race at breakneck speeds across an impossible stretch of highway, dodging angel bombs, flipped cars and exploding tractor trailers? This game has got it. Want to fight bosses so colossal and utterly strange they make your acid fuelled nightmares look meek by comparison? This game gives it to you. Want to witness unique cut scenes that are full of weird and wonderful character dialogue and interaction? Look no further. It’s got a dance off contest between Bayonetta and her doppelganger for Christ’s sake!! Why are you still reading this?? Why aren’t you experiencing this game on your favorite console already??



A lot of flak has been hurled on both sides regarding the way Bayonetta acts during the game. Personally, I don’t have a big issue with the way Bayonetta is portrayed. Hell, I’m always game for a strong and sexy female lead for any type of original property. At times, I must admit, it can feel like I’m being beaten over the head with a baseball bat covered with lingerie, but I get it. Bayonetta’s sexy, she’s confident and she’s strength personified. Believe me, It’s coming across loud and clear without all of the ass shots ;) I do have to say though, that there’s something refreshing to be able to see a female game character that’s so brazen with her sexuality. She owns it, and flaunts it, and it’s powerful because she’s in complete control, wielding it like another weapon in her insane arsenal. I can’t remember a character quite like Bayonetta in all my years as a gamer, and there’s something rather wonderful about that. Her design doesn’t hurt either. “Modern Witch” was the design tenant given by Hideki Kamiya and I have to give major kudos to Bayonetta’s visual creator, Mari Shimazaki. The subtlety of her design speaks to the talented female hand behind it. It’s nice to see a character that possesses a fair amount of elegance in the way she holds herself, in her height, the length of her legs, etc., instead of just being a brick house with a full “Double-D” cup. Bayonetta is a fashion drawing come to life, in proportion and attitude. Bayonetta, with tongue firmly planted in cheek, is cheesecake personified. And I’m a big fan of cheesecake.



Playing Bayonetta is like experiencing a symphony of strangeness. It’s the id personified. It’s every wonderful thought that’s ever spilled from Hideki Kamiya’s warped mind and tempered into an action game that’s second to nothing. It takes the conventions of action video games, those cookie cutter creations that tend to bore after one play through, and shatters them with the precision of Shuraba itself. It’s what happens when a studio and development team are allowed to run wild and give us something so incredibly different it can’t really be classified. It ramps up the action to a crescendo that threatens to shake the skin right off of your already blistered fingers only to shatter the bone beneath.

We’ve been hungry for this experience ever since we’ve all been old enough to grasp a controller.

Bayonetta is that experience.