Xeno Review — Batsugun

Posted by bulletcurtain1 on May 16, 2013
Posted in: Posts Sorted by Media, Uncategorized, Video Games, Xeno Reviews (Product Reviews). Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment

As anyone who’s aware of my taste in gaming can attest, I’m a huge shooter/STG/shmup fan. For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, shmups (shoot-em-ups) or STGs (shooting games) are the “space shooters” you remember seeing in arcades. Back in the 80′s, shmups were all the rage, so nearly everyone, regardless of how hardcore they are, has at least some experience with them. For the last decade and a half, shooters have become fairly niche, but live on in a fairly strong way thanks to companies like Cave and G.Rev that continue to churn out shmups of the highest caliber. Companies like Cave have wisely embraced iOS, so shmups have gained a certain amount of popularity recently thanks to their accesibility on smart phones and tablets. Meanwhile, shmups, like fighting games, are one of those genres that all video game collectors eventually stumble on. The beauty of them is that they age really well, so they provide many of the best old school gaming experiences. Furthermore, shooter fans are willing to pay top dollar for a really quality game, so shooters often place near the top of the most valuable games on any system. Thus, the increased popularity in video game collecting as of late has led to many new shmup fans.

Batsugun Saturn Toaplan 15

Witness Batsugun’s legendary firepower.

Since this is my first shooter review on this site, I should probably let any any shmup fans know what kind of shooter player I am. I’ve spent the last 6 years lurking the shmups.com forum, so I know just how important it is for me to show off my penis size before we get down to business. Like many more recent shooter fans, I played the odd shooter as a kid, but I got sucked into the genre in a big way after playing the GameCube release of Icaruga. Since then, I’ve gone on to purchase maybe 100 or so shooters. As far as genres go, they definitely dominate my collection. That being said, I am definitely not a 1CC player. Other than the odd easier game, I’m just not patient or skilled enough to 1CC most games. Instead, I’ve developed my personal “3-credit rule”. My feeling is that if you limit yourself to 3 credits, you still have to memorize a game, and will definitely get your money’s worth, but you won’t be constantly pulling your teeth out over an end boss that just won’t quit. Also, if I was trying to 1CC each game, I’d have a lot less time for this site! Essentially, I’m fairly knowledgeable about shooters; my Saturn and Xbox 360 are Japanese, but don’t expect me to impress you with any amazing strategies or high scores. Also, my favorite part of shooters are the incredibly detailed, usually pixellated visuals, which don’t require any particular skill to enjoy.

Batsugun Saturn Toaplan Cover Saturn

Gotta love that logo.

Batsugun
Developer: Toaplan, Gazelle (Saturn port)
Publisher: Toaplan (Arcade), Banpresto (Saturn)
Platforms: Saturn (Featured), Arcade
Release Dates: 1993 (Arcade), 1996 (Saturn)

Batsugun Saturn Toaplan 14

One of the game’s challenging boss fights.

Released in arcades in 1993, Batsugun was the final shooter developed by the now defunct Toaplan. For anyone in the know, Toaplan used to create some of the best shooters around. Of particular note to sci-fi fans were Truxton (Tatsujin in Japan), Hellfire, Grindstormer (V・V in Japan), Vimana, and the infamous Zero Wing, which was responsible for the “all your base are belong to us” meme. Along with Konami, Irem, and Technosoft, Toaplan‘s shooters rank near my favorites from the 16/32-bit era. Batsugun could be considered the final swansong to Toaplan‘s line of shooters. It exemplifies everything that was so excellent about their games: fast gameplay, a balanced difficulty progression, badass powerups, a reasonable but fair challenge, really smooth programming, and solid visuals.

Batsugun Saturn Toaplan 18

As all good shooters should be, Batsugun is plenty colorful.

Batsugun is remembered for two reasons: it was arguably the definitive game that inspired the bullet hell/danmaku sub-genre, and it has some of the most gratuitous firepower of any shmup. To address the first point: in my opinion, the regular version of Batsugun doesn’t feel like a bullet hell shooter. Your hitbox is way too big, there aren’t enough bullets onscreen, and almost all the enemy bullets shoot really quickly, and are aimed directly at you (kind of like in a Raiden game). That being said, you can definitely see the framework being established. Compared to other early 90′s shooters, their are hell of lot more bullets being fired by bosses, and your giant firepower means you spend an equal amount of time dodging as firing.

Batsugun Saturn Toaplan 6

This is the only shooter I can think of where you start underwater and then make your way above land.

Speaking of your firepower, Batsugun has a really innovative powerup system. As you collect powerups, an experience bar at the bottom of the screen slowly charges up until you gain a level. There a maximum of 3 levels, each of which increase the spread and power of your weapons. When you die or use a credit, you still maintain your level, which is refreshingly forgiving. Any experience that you’ve accrued within your current level improves your firepower to a small degree. When you die, you lose this experience, so there is a small penalty for death. Each of Batsugun’s three ships fire a completely different, but equally impressive, wall of bullets or lasers at the highest powerup level.

Batsugun Saturn Toaplan 2

The excellent Beltiana. Notice the characters on the right side of the column? Those can only be selected  by player 2.

Being that Batsugun‘s console version was never released in North America, its plot is difficult to discern for non-Japanese speakers. Forgive me if this isn’t accurate; I’ve had to rely on translations from various internet sources. In the distant reaches of the universe, a man named Renoselva Gradebaran has plans for a project that will transport humans away from their motherworld, which he’s certain will soon face environmental catastrophe due to overpopulation. The government rejects his plans, so Renoselva retaliats by revolting. His revolutionary army, dubbed the “Epsilon Project”, slaughters 10 million civilians, and overthrows the government in 9 days. Unbeknowst to the Gladebarans, an  undersea hanger of state-of-the-art jet fighters has gone unnoticed. Six courageous pilots take to the skies to overthrow the oppresive Gladebaran regime. The six pilots are: Jeeno and Schneider, who pilot the Type-A ship, Beltiana and Alteeno, who pilot the Type-B ship, and Iceman and Olisis, who pilot the Type-C ship. Schneider, Alteeno, and Olisis can only be chosen by player 2, meaning that to select them on the Saturn version, you need to plug a controller into port 2. The Type-A and Type-C ships have a massive spread fire, whereas Type-B has a powerful but narrow beam. Personally, I play as Type-B (Beltiana), because I find I’m able to take down enemies much faster than with the other ships. The disadvantage is that because your bullets cover less surface area, you need to have enemy patterns better memorized so that you know where you need to be at any one time. From looking at high scores lists, it seems that the overwhelming majority of players also choose Beltiana.

Batsugun Saturn Toaplan 3

This starting area exhibits the most detail you’ll see in the game.

Scoring in Batsugun is typical of the relatively simple systems of the early 90′s. There’s no chaining, bullet grazing, or whatever other conventions are now commonplace. Instead, you need to manually collect medals that appear when you shoot down enemies and buildings. If you complete a level with a bunch of collected medals, you get a nice bonus. That being said, you lose all your medals every time you die, so getting a good score in Batsugun requires that you survive each boss without dying. If you plan to beat the game without using many credits, you’ll want to get the medal bonus on each level so that you reach the first extend. Extends are fairly rare in Batsugun; even without dying once, you’ll likely only get the first extend in the second last level. As far as I can tell, the only other scoring mechanic involves milking bosses and larger enemies for points. As in any shooter, watching a video of someone actually accomplishing these milking tactics is really impressive, because it requires you to expose yourself to danger for an inordinately long time.

Batsugun Saturn Toaplan 20

These screens are all from the arcade version, which looks essentially identical to the Saturn game.

As far as difficulty is concerned, Batsugun‘s arcade mode sits somewhere near the middle of the shooter spectrum. It’s not as easy as some of Toaplan’s earlier games, like Fire Shark, but it’s not nearly as hard as the games it inspired, like Dodonpachi or Battle Garegga. Essentially, the number of bullets on screen is fairly reasonable, but a lot of them are lighting fast, and tend to be aimed directly at you. Like in later shooters, there are waves of popcorn enemies that fire directly at you, but you’ll never feel as overwhelmed as in the previously mentioned games. The bosses are challenging, but their patterns are relatively easy to memorize. Overall, I find Batsugun‘s diffiuclty to be perfectly suited to my skill-level. Within a week, I was able to beat the game on two credits, which is unheard of me for me when it comes to newer shooters. There are several difficulty settings that can be chosen. Personally, I couldn’t figure out the difference between Normal and Easy, they seemed almost identical.

Batsugun Saturn Toaplan 17

One of my favorite tropes in shooters: the gigantic flying fortress.

In addition to the original arcade game, the Saturn release also includes the Special Version edition, which Toaplan developed at the end of their life cycle, but was never released in arcades. We’re able to play this version thanks to the Toaplan-offshoot company Gazelle, who coded the Saturn ports of both versions. Immediately, the Special Version looks different than the original because all the colors have been swapped. In addition, the gameplay feels fairly different because your hitbox is quite a bit smaller, your bombs are more powerful, and you get a one-time shield every time you die or level-up. If you’ve mastered the arcade version, the Special Version will feel quite a bit easier; that is, until you get to the second loop. I wasn’t expecting the game to continue after finishing the final boss, so the second loop truly threw me for a loop (*lame*). On the second loop, the enemies fire bullets more quickly, and release suicide bullets when killed. The suicide bullets make the game almost twice as difficult, and are downright ridiculous at times. Even inanimate objects fire suicide bullets when killed. After the finishing the second loop, you’re thrown into the third loop, which has even faster and more plentiful suicide bullets. Finish that, and you’ll face the final loop. Each loop contains one less stage than the previous one, so you don’t have to beat each stage four times to fully complete the Special Version. My hat goes off to anyone who accomplishes this feat. With the default 8 credits, I was able to make it to the third loop, but it was all too insane for me to try again. For anyone who calls Batsugun a bullet hell shooter, you’re totally right, but only if you’re referring to the additional loops of the Special Version.

Batsugun Saturn Toaplan 9

Apparently the arcade version has more slowdown, meaning the Saturn game is slightly harder.

I’ve saved the video game element that I value the most for last: the visuals. Batsugun looks… Pretty good. The backgrounds and enemies are fairly detailed, and there’s plenty of attractive color onscreen in the form of your massive firepower. Perhaps my biggest gripe is that the environments are pretty dull. The opening underwater level is interesting, but the next two levels have washed out beach backgrounds. The fourth stage is one of your typical cloud levels, and has some really impressive scrolling, but it’s essentially the same repeating sequence. The bosses are mainly giant airships, and look really big and impressive. Also, their weapons are all nicely detailed and animated. The overall design of Batsugun is about as traditional as sci-fi themed shooters get, which isn’t really a bad thing. Don’t expect anything really creative like the underwater theme from Darius, the bio-metallics of R-Type, or the Moai head wastelands of Gradius. Even as far as traditional themes are concerned, other Saturn shooters (which in all fairness were released later) like Battle Garegga, Dodonpachi, and Soukyugurentai have more detailed art assets. Overall, Batsugun is still a great looking game, and definitely ranks among the medium to upper tier of Saturn shooters in terms of visuals.

Batsugun Saturn Toaplan 11

Most enemies can be dispensed with quickly by using bombs, which are found abundantly. However, as with any shooter, finishing the game with a good score means conserving bombs.

I still haven’t mentioned Batsugun‘s music, mostly because it’s pretty underwhelming. It’s not bad, but compared to other shooters, it’s all fairly bland and not particularly memorable. One nice feature of the Saturn game is that you can choose to play with the arranged soundtrack, which is a nice improvement over the original.

In summary, Batsugun is a really important game in the history of shooters, both because it was Toaplan‘s last game, and because it was a huge inspiration to the next evolution of the genre. Some of Toaplan‘s staff apparently still lives on at Cave (although I don’t know if this is still the case), which is really great, because the small teams that made these games have an insane amount of talent. If you have a Saturn that’s capable of playing Japanese games, you really need to have this in your collection. For everyone else, I hope you enjoy the pretty sci-fi sprites that I’ve included with this post.

 

Clicking any of the following thumbnails will open a gallery of Batsugun-related images

 

 

Xeno Review — Panzer Dragoon

Posted by bulletcurtain1 on May 5, 2013
Posted in: Posts Sorted by Media, Video Games, Xeno Reviews (Product Reviews). Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment

Looking back, Panzer Dragoon was one of the integral series that solidified my identity as a “hardcore” gamer. Unlike many fans of Panzer Dragoon, I caught the bug at the end of its life span. Unfortunately, I never owned a Saturn back when it was current, so my early (and brief) memories of the series were from playing it at a friend’s house. Several years later, I got an Xbox, and a subscription to the Official Xbox Magazine. In one particular issue, there was a game that blew the writers away; that game was Panzer Dragoon Orta. The screens in the magazine looked incredible, and being in the midst of an obsession with all-things Japanese (which didn’t go away for a very long time), I knew the game was a must-have. Suffice to say, it was a religious experience. Although it was a mere on-rails shooter, I was in awe of the rich science fantasy universe. I say that Panzer Dragoon solidified my hardcore gamer status (I hate that term), because it was one of the first games I can remember where I actively sought out as much concept art as possible. Included as a bonus feature in Orta was the entire original Panzer Dragoon (albeit the PC version). Although the regression from Orta’s beautiful graphics to the original game was fairly jarring, the gameplay was similar, and as the years have passed, I’ve really come to really enjoy it in its own right.

panzer dragoon

If you have a choice, I recommend picking up the Japanese version of the game. It features artwork by the legendary Jean “Moebius” Giraud.

Panzer Dragoon
Developer: Team Andromeda
Publisher: Sega
Platforms: Saturn (Japanese version featured), PC, Xbox (unlockable in Panzer Dragoon Orta), PS2 (Sega Ages enhanced port)
Release Date: 1995

Panzer Dragoon -- Sega Saturn 6

This might look a lazy summer day, but in fact this is the most difficult stage in the game.

I have a real fondness for sci-fi that sets in the incredibly distant future. The reason for this is because it gives the creators carte blanche to throw any present-day taboos and moral norms out the window. Furthermore, creators are free to eschew modern design sensibilities; as far as the visuals are concerned, the sky’s the limit. Panzer Dragoon takes place thousands of years in the future, in a post-apocalyptic landscape that has been devastated by human-made bioweapons. Post-apocalyptic settings are fairly common in Japanese entertainment, and thankfully, they are rarely a mere copy of Mad Max, as is often the case in modern, North American post-apocalyptic settings.

Panzer Dragoon -- Sega Saturn 1

This beautiful sunken city provides a great intro to the game’s mechanics.

In Panzer Dragoon, humans have started to form factions to rebuild society, but are constantly at the mercy of dangerous creatures that roam the Earth. One of these factions, the Empire, have found an ancient weapons stockpile in a large black tower. Harnessing the weapons, they create a militant regime that enslaves their populace. Meanwhile, in an FMV that appears at the outset of the game, a lone hunter named Keil Fluge gets separated from his hunting party, and witnesses a rider on a large blue dragon get killed by a black dragon. The blue dragon approaches Keil, telepathically telling him that the black dragon can’t be allowed to reach the black tower. Keil mounts the blue dragon, thus taking on the quest of the deceased rider. The Empire seeks to kill the blue dragon, meaning that as Keil, you spend the game’s seven episodes hunting the black dragon, while thwarting the Empire’s countless gunships.

Panzer Dragoon -- Sega Saturn 4

Sega proving that it’s games are still the fastest in town. This corridor level is lighting quick.

Panzer Dragoon‘s graphics might be archaic by today’s standard, but in 1995, a console shooter that took place in a fully 3D environment was cutting edge. Those of us who were gaming when consoles made the leap from 2D to 3D remember how exciting the experience was. That being said, even at the time, the Saturn wasn’t known for having particularly impressive 3D visuals, especially compared to later games that were released for the PSX and N64. In 1996, Panzer’s graphics may have been impressive, but now, many of the game’s smaller enemies look like polygonal smudges. The large airships and other bosses look decent, as do the environments, which are fairly basic, but make nice use of the available color palette.

Panzer Dragoon -- Sega Saturn 10

The Dune influence is pretty obvious here.

If you’re willing to look past the dated graphics, Dragoon’s visual design and mood are one of a kind, at least in the world of video games. Borrowing from classics like Miyazaki’s Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Moebius’ Arzach, and Frank Herbert’s Dune, Dragoon’s style wasn’t totally unique, but it was, and still is, quite different from most video game sci-fi design. The game presents a mix of primitive technology with super advanced tech. The bedouin-inspired clothing and turn-of-century airships juxtapose with the high-tech remnants of the pre-apocalypse civilization. Speaking of the airships, instead of looking like cylindrical zeppelins, they come in strange conical shapes. Takashi Iwade, the lead character designer, said in an interview that instead of drawing inspiration from typical sci-fi anime, he looked at things like industrial revolution-era mechanics, myriapods, marine mollusks, and ammonite for inspiration. This creative approach to design has always been my favorite aspect of the series. Every stage has its own unique environment, ranging from a sunken city, to an underground labyrinth.

Panzer Dragoon -- Sega Saturn 12

The boss fights are really strong, and almost always  transform through multiple forms.

In terms of gameplay, PD introduced an on-rails attack system that has been emulated by several games since (Sin & Punishment and Rez come to mind). Essentially, you can hold the shoot button down to lock onto several targets and fire homing lasers, or you can repeatedly tap the shoot button to fire rapid volleys of weak projectiles. The system sounds simple, but allows for a deep level of mastery. Although it’s tempting to mostly use the lock-on attack, the rapid fire is required should you need to shoot down incoming enemy missiles. Also, as any PD fan knows, you’ll deal significantly more damage to bosses if you alternate to rapid fire during the few seconds while your homing attack cools down. In addition to the duel firing options, Keil can be rotated to face any one of four directions (front, sides, and rear). This adds significantly to the challenge, because if you aren’t careful you’ll find yourself being attacked from multiple directions at the same time. Luckily, an onscreen radar shows you where to expecting incoming enemies, and the game is programmed such that if you time the location of your attacks, you’ll never be fired on from two directions at once.

Panzer Dragoon -- Sega Saturn 11

The lock-on homing shot getting some play.

As with any shooter, the best defense is a solid offence. Surviving in PD means shooting down enemies before they can fire at you. Your character has a relatively small health bar, so you really need to stay on your toes to see the game’s ending. My biggest complaint with PD’s gameplay is something that was fixed in later entries. Basically, there are times when you’ll be facing the proper direction of incoming projectiles, but your aiming reticule is just out-of-reach. You can’t target the entire view screen, which is something I’ve found to be pretty annoying. You know a projectile is incoming, and you have plenty of time to react, but you just can’t seem to hit the stupid thing! Other than that, the game has a reasonable difficulty progression. Other than Stage 5, which is really difficult, the game is challenging, without being too punishing.

Panzer Dragoon -- Sega Saturn 8

Expect plenty of cutscenes that flesh out the story.

Panzer Dragoon’s visuals might seem primitive to modern gamers, but if there’s one element of the game that hasn’t aged since 1996, it’s the incredible soundtrack. When I say incredible, I mean: “one of the best video game soundtracks of all time” incredible. Seriously, it’s that good. Composed by Yoshitaka Azuma, it was his first video game soundtrack. The title track sounds like an Ennio Morricone song, and is comparable in tone to the title track of a Miyazaki film. Meanwhile, the rest of the songs have a more electronic, proggy sound. I’ve heard that Azuma was influenced by Tangerine Dream, so if you like their brand of ambient electronic music, you’re in for a huge treat. I’m not someone who owns many OST’s, but I’d place this near the top of my list of must-haves. In a game where you’ll inevitably die several times on the later stages, it’s nice to have a good musical accompaniment to your failure.

Panzer Dragoon might not be the prettiest game in the series, but considering it was the first entry, it established a truly unique setting and gameplay system. If you like on-rails shooters, PD is a classic example of the genre. This is a game that’s long overdue for an enhanced remake, and would probably find a receptive audience as a digital download, or as a physical release on a system like the 3DS.

Clicking this link will bring you to this product’s Amazon page. Should you choose to purchase it, I will get a small commission, which will then be reinvested into the site. Although I’m including this link, my review’s and opinions will never be influenced by the opportunity to make a commission. This site is a labor of love, but costs money to maintain, so think of any commissions as a donation to the site.

Clicking any of the following thumbnails will open a gallery of images from Panzer Dragoon

 

Xeno Review — The Colony

Posted by bulletcurtain1 on April 30, 2013
Posted in: Movies, Posts Sorted by Media, Xeno Reviews (Product Reviews). Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment

The Colony was one of those movies that crept up on me, hard. The first I heard of it was only about a month before release, which is kind of embarrassing for a guy who tries to stay somewhat informed when it comes to sci-fi. Furthermore, as I mentioned in my Oblivion review, hard sci-fi is a movie genre that’s actually fairly undersaturated, at least compared to other mediums, so my ignorance was inexcusable. Anyways, The Colony‘s trailer had me fairly optimistic. It had a desolate setting and a small crew, which is always a good recipe for sci-fi horror, and it stars Bill Paxton and Laurence Fishburne, each of which are legendary for sci-fi. The last time I remember seeing Fishburne in a sci-fi was Predators, a cameo that was the biggest highlight in what I thought was an excellent movie. Judging from the trailer, I knew The Colony was obviously made on a tight budget, which is fine for this sort of movie. Another movie that was made on a tight budget, and took place in a similar environment, was John Carpenter’s The Thing, my second favorite sci-fi horror anything of all time. Going into The Colony, all I could think was: “please, please let this be like The Thing“. My head was swimming in fantasies of deep cold body horror.

The Colony Poster

So far so good.

The Colony
Director: Jeff Renroe
Writers: Jeff Renroe (main), Svet Rouskov
Producers: Paul Barkin, Matthew Cervi, Pierre Even, Marie-Claude Poulin
Stars: Laurence Fishburne, Kevin Zegers, Bill Paxton
Studios: Alcina Pictures, Item 7, Mad Samurai Productions
Distributor: eOne
Country: Canada
Release Date: April 19, 2013

The Colony -- Laurence Fishburne Bill Paxton 4

The lighting in the move is excellent, as evidenced by these photos.

The year is 2045, and humans have been living in bunkers underground due to environmental catastrophe. To combat climate change, humans built giant weather manipulating machines, but the machines backfired, sending the planet into a man-made ice age. As Sam (Kevin Zegers), the lead character, describes, “one day it just started snowing, and it never stopped”. Sam’s colony is led by Briggs (Laurence Fishburne), and Briggs’ fellow veteran and friend, Mason (Bill Paxton). Conditions in the bunker have gotten so bad, that anyone who catches a cold or flu is quarantined, lest they infect (and subsequently kill) others. If they don’t recover after a certain period of time, they have a choice between death, or a trek through the snow. Mason has become trigger happy, killing the sick rather than letting them take the trek; his increasing militarism serves as a point of tension throughout the movie. Partway through the film, Sam’s colony gets a distress signal from a neighboring colony. Briggs leads Sam and another young adult to investigate the situation at the second colony. The second colony has been eradicated; blood coats the walls. Eventually, Sam and crew encounter the menace, and the remainder of the movie is spent in heavy-duty survival mode.

The Colony -- Laurence Fishburne Bill Paxton 1

One of the only “future-tech” designs in the movie, the weather machines are really neat looking.

The Colony has a light pro-ecological message, which I’m always happy to see, but it’s really nothing to write home about. As any sci-fi fans know, ecological destruction is an incredibly common theme in science fiction. So common in fact, that I’m 90% sure that every Japanese RPG and anime of the 90′s took place in a setting where humanity had screwed up the environment. Maybe I’m just too engrossed in the genre, but is human-induced environmental catastrophe actually a unique concept for the average moviegoer? To be honest, I’m not especially surprised or impressed that the movie tackles this real-life issue. Perhaps if the movie had gotten into the real science involved, and been slightly more educational, I’d have been impressed, but as it stands, The Colony‘s take on climate change is too brief to qualify as a cautionary tale. It’s like when people say, “dude, this band is deep, they write about politics and real-world stuff”. Sorry buddy, but even the most uninformed people can tackle real-world issues; I won’t be impressed unless it’s done well.

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Sam’s girlfriend Kai, as played by Charlotte Sullivan, is an interesting character who I wish had gotten more screen time.

For horror fans, The Colony is shamelessly unoriginal. I say shameless, because this movie had so much potential. The acting is good, the screenplay is bland but solid, the special effects are decent, and the mood, atmosphere, and directing are all pretty good for a low-budget movie. So what ruins The Colony, at least for me? I’ll call it the Pandorum-effect. 2009′s Pandorum was one of those movies that had everything going for it. Like The Colony, I had high hopes for it, and everything was going great, that is, until the villains were introduced. Pandorum‘s villains were the worst kind of dull; they were essentially undead humans, although technically they weren’t undead. They jumped around and hissed like any good Gollum-reject should. I can understand the incentive to use cannibals; they’re cheaper to pull-off than more elaborate monsters or aliens, they’re guaranteed to be creepy, and they appeal to the never-ending hordes of zombie fans. However, for me, they’re about as dull as movie menaces can get. My two favorite sci-fi horror villains are xenomorphs, and the thing. Both are extremely original and well-designed. Cannibals in a sci-fi movie, on the other hand, are a sure sign of moviemakers that are afraid to take a risk, or are devoid of originality. If you haven’t yet surmised from my rant, The Colony‘s antagonists are of the cannibalistic variety. Remember the possessed forces from Ghosts of Mars? Well, The Colony features a nearly identical, but considerably more boring group of foes.

The Colony -- Laurence Fishburne Bill Paxton 5

The ferals. Although they’re mindless, they use weapons, which is kind of cool, I guess.

I’m giving The Colony a hard time, because like I said earlier, it had a lot going for it, but the cannibals were a huge let-down. If you’re the sort of person who really digs zombie movies, you might not be so put-off by this factor, but even then, many zombie movies have done this scenario much better. The problem with The Colony, is that for a movie that is primarily horror, the action and scares are way too short-lived. The movie could’ve used an extra 10 minutes of action and violence. Unfortunately, the brief thrills never manage to create much tension. There are two memorable scenes that sent a light chill down my spine (you’ll know what I’m talking about), but they were only just enough to wet my appetite.

The Colony -- Laurence Fishburne Bill Paxton 6

Bill Paxton’s acting has definitely improved since his Aliens days.

I’ve spent an awful lot of this review highlighting what I thought were The Colony‘s shortcomings. The thing is, it’s not a bad movie; far from it. It’s exceedingly average, which is too bad, because it could have been much more. No one element of the movie is handled poorly, but on the flip side, there are few standout moments. For all I know, the movie might be more enjoyable to viewers who haven’t seen much sci-fi or horror, but I really doubt my audience fits that description. This is a worth a rental if you liked movies like Pandorum, Ghosts of Mars, 30 Days of Night, or The Descent, and you’re okay with a duller example of the same concept. The sci-fi in this sci-fi movie is basically non-existent, so if you’re looking for a pure sci-fi experience, you’ll be disappointed. The Colony‘s problem is that it’s a decent film experience, but every concept has been borrowed from better movies.

 

Xeno Review — Oblivion

Posted by bulletcurtain1 on April 19, 2013
Posted in: Movies, Posts Sorted by Media, Xeno Reviews (Product Reviews). Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 3 comments

When it comes to film, science fiction is somewhat of a confused genre. For the most part, this confusion can be attributed to the genre’s origins in cinema history. Early sci-fi movies were primarily of the pulp variety, meaning that audiences could expect an entertaining popcorn flick that was fun, but largely devoid of intellectual merit. Around the same time, authors in the world of sci-fi fiction were using the genre as a platform to explore complex philosophical concepts. With 2001: A Space Odyssey, this brand of cerebral sci-fi was brought to the cinema masses. Since then, certain filmmakers have used science fiction as an intellectual avenue, whereas others have continued the tradition of providing candy coated action flicks that are easy on the eyes and the brain. I don’t mean to imply that one avenue is better than the other; each has their place, and each can be equally enjoyable given the right circumstances. Director Joseph Kosinki’s movie Oblivion falls somewhere between the two camps. For those who remember, this was the guy who brought us Tron: Legacy, a movie that was drowning in eye candy, but relatively light on introspection and substance. Regardless, hard sci-fi movies (especially good ones) aren’t as common as the average person seems to believe, so I went into Oblivion with nervous enthusiasm.

Oblivion - Tom Cruise Cover

Tom Cruise looking pensive near his amazing aircraft.

Oblivion
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Writers: Joseph Kosinski, Karl Gajdusek
Producers: Joseph Kosinski, Peter Chernin,Ryan Kavanaugh, Dylan Clark, Barry Levine
Stars: Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko
Studios: Radical Studios, Chernin Entertainment, Relativity Media, Ironhead Studios, Truenorth Productions
Distributors: Universal Pictures
Country: USA
Release Date: April 19, 2013

Oblivion -- Tom Cruise 4

More of that amazing aircraft.

One of Oblivion’s strengths is a narrative that constantly keeps you on your toes. For the benefit of my readers, I’ll keep this review as spoiler-free as possible. As can be surmised from the trailer, Jack Harper, played by Tom Cruise, is one of the few remaining humans on Earth. His task, along with his lover and communications officer Victoria (Andrea Riseborough), is to protect several giant devices that are mining the Earth of its remaining natural resources. These natural resources are being sent to Saturn’s moon Titan, where the remaining human population resides. It’s the year 2077, 60 years after an alien invasion by the scavs (scavengers). The scavs destroyed the moon, which then altered the Earth’s gravitational pull, causing massive natural disasters and the loss of half the Earth’s population. Following the disasters, the scavs invaded, but were narrowly defeated by humanity. Pockets of scavs still roam the Earth, which is why Jack and Victoria remain behind to keep watch. Flying attack drones patrol the planet, thwarting any would-be threats to the resource extraction. Floating above the Earth’s atmosphere is a massive structure called the Tet, which acts as a mission control; feeding daily instructions to Jack and Victoria. As we see in the trailer, Jack discovers that a mysterious group of humans still reside on Earth, and things are not what they seem. “Things are not what they seem” is an effective descriptor of Oblivion’s screenplay. Although I’ve refrained from giving away any details, the later revelations are one the movies biggest selling points.

Oblivion -- Tom Cruise 3

One of the mystery humans. Gotta love that mask.

As with TRON: Legacy, Oblivion is a beautiful movie to look at. Expect never-ending panoramas of pristine vistas, à la Lord of The Rings. I’d love to see which of the two spent more money on helicopter rentals. Most of the movie was shot in Iceland; the environments are impressive enough that I can’t imagine a better travel brochure. Apparently, Kochinski intentionally filmed most of the movie in bright daylight to the oppose the dark mood that is typical in sci-fi. I can safely say that this plan was a success, and that Kochinski manages to create an oppressive atmosphere even in plain daylight. In fact, the two main living spaces in Oblivion are almost obnoxiously open to sunlight.

Complimenting the cinematography, the costume, environment, and mechanical designs are excellent. Thanks in part to modern video game concept design (Mass Effect, please stand up), sci-fi concepts in film have gotten considerably better in the last five or so years. In particular, the Tet and resource harvesters look like they’re pulled from the pages of Mass: The Art of John Harris. They’d fit right in on the cover of even the hardest of hard sci-fi novels. Jack and Victoria’s clothing, equipment and living spaces have a light, clean design (think 2001: A Space Odyssey), whereas the mystery humans wear dark, rugged clothing and harsh respirator masks (think Mad Max). Finally, my favorite piece of design is the small, personal aircraft that Jack pilots. For me, the most memorable scene in the trailer was the one in which we saw the aircraft in free-fall. As a space shooter fan, my immediate reaction was: “damn, that would make a great ship for the next Cave shmup!”

Oblivion -- Tom Cruise 1

The massive resource gatherers in the distance. This is a great shot.

Complimenting the sexy visuals is the equally sexy soundtrack. Throughout the entire movie, I couldn’t stop asking myself: “was this also done by Daft Punk“? For anyone who liked Daft Punk’s soundtrack for TRON: Legacy, Oblivion’s is so similar that I had difficulty distinguishing the difference. Expect plenty of synth melodies interspersed with “epic” orchestral sections. After some quick research, I discovered that French group M83 was responsible for Oblivion‘s soundtrack. This name should instantly ring bells for any electronic music fans, and to be honest, I think their ambient sound is probably better suited to film than a group who are known for catchy dance tracks. My biggest complaint with the soundtrack is that it often overwhelms each scene. For example, a simple scene involving Jack and Victoria swimming in a pool has to be accompanied by sweeping camera angles and music so epic it would put Braveheart to shame. Kosinski is so good at drenching viewers in style that he seems unable to tone it down, even when it’s completely unnecessary. The first 30 minutes of the movie involve Jack performing fairly mundane tasks to a never-ending background of larger than life music.

Oblivion -- Tom Cruise 5

The monolithic Tet.

The performances in Oblivion are all top-notch. Regardless of your feelings on Tom Cruise’s personal life, he’s a really solid actor, and his portrayal of Jack is suitably empathy-invoking. Actress Andrea Riseborough, who I must admit I’d never heard of, provided my favorite performance of the movie in her role as Jack’s partner Victoria. Her character nature is such that you’re never quite certain of her motives, but she seems so likable that you feel guilty for doubting her. Without delving into spoiler territory, a second female character is introduced (Olga Kurylenko), and creates something of a love triangle. The two are so likable and respectable that I kept thinking: “Jack for chrissakes, please keep both of them with you, I don’t want either of them to get less screen time”. Both are great examples of strong female characters, which I’m always really happy to see in any movie. Finally, Morgan Freeman makes a minor appearance as, well, himself. Morgan Freeman is great, and we all love him, but I always suspect that one day we’ll find out that every movie he’s ever appeared in is canonically related, given that he plays the same character in each one.

Oblivion -- Tom Cruise 2

Unintentional base-jumping.

My biggest criticism with Oblivion is that the storyline wraps up way too cleanly. Nothing is left unexplained, which is a shame because, as viewers, we’re not encouraged to formulate any of our own conclusions. In my opinion, the best cerebral sci-fi movies leave enough clues that the storyline may be surmised, without explaining every last detail. In Oblivion, you’re explicitly told what’s going on long after you’ve already figure it out on your own. Furthermore, as a result of creating a clean and tidy ending, the last third of Oblivion feels way too rushed, and relies on an implausible plot device to reach a conclusion. I wish I could explain exactly why the ending wasn’t plausible, but sadly I’d be forced to wade into spoiler waters.

Overall, Oblivion is a really decent movie, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to literally anyone. The nice thing about sci-fi movies, as opposed to books, comics, and video games, is that everyone goes to see them, even your mom. Although Oblivion has its flaws, I doubt they’d prevent anyone from having a fun movie experience. As for us sci-fi fans, this is definitely a must-see, but unfortunately it comes oh-so-close, but just slightly out of reach of true classic status. You will have seen every story concept elsewhere, but to its credit, Oblivion repackages them in a nice chocolate coating.

 

 

Xeno Review — Rogue Trooper: Tales of Nu-Earth 01

Posted by bulletcurtain1 on April 13, 2013
Posted in: Comics, Posts Sorted by Media, Xeno Reviews (Product Reviews). Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 2 comments

Britain’s classic comic anthology 2000AD has treated comic fans to a consistent flow of science fiction-themed series since its inception in 1977. Thanks to the popularity of Judge Dredd, 2000AD is relatively known here in North America, but unfortunately it doesn’t seem to get the attention it deserves. Sure, everyone’s heard of the classic comic icons who got their start thanks to 2000AD, like Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, and Grant Morrison, but they’re remembered more for their contributions to American comics than for their original works. Unfortunately, I fall into the camp of people who are aware of the magazine’s existence, but have little to no experience with it other than through Judge Dredd. Luckily, the rise in popularity of trade paperbacks has made many of these series available to us ignorant Canadians and Americans. Being the fan of military sci-fi that I am, I immediately bought the first compilation of 2000AD‘s Rogue Trooper series when I saw it on store shelves. Admittedly, my first introduction to Rogue Trooper was when the 2006 spinoff video game was released. I distinctly remember my reaction being: “what’s with this blue guy – he looks pretty lame”. Now that I’m older and wiser, I still think Rogue looks pretty lame, but luckily his character design doesn’t reflect the quality of the comic. I’ll be approaching this review from the perspective of a Rogue Trooper newbie, so you’ll probably get more value from this post if you’re also new to the series.

Rogue Trooper Tales of Nu-Earth 01 -- Cover

You might recognize this layout from the Judge Dredd Case Files trades.

Rogue Trooper Tales of Nu-Earth 01
Publisher: Rebellion
Volume: 1
Originally Serialized: 2000AD Issues 228-317 (1981-1983)
Main Writer: Gerry Finley-Day
Guest Writer: Alan Moore
Illustrators: Dave Gibbons, Colin Wilson, Cam Kennedy, Brett Ewins, Eric Bradbury, Mike Dorey
Release Date: May 2012

Rogue Trooper Tales of Nu-Earth 01 -- Colin Wilson 3

Rogue Trooper Tales of Nu-Earth 01 — Colin Wilson

Rogue Trooper: Tales of Nu-Earth 01 collects the first 89 issues of Rogue Trooper, as originally released in volumes 228-317 of 2000AD. Each issue is about 5 pages long, meaning the compilation has roughly 400 pages of content. 400 pages is pretty massive for a comic, so at the retail price, this compilation packs quite a bit of value. The quality and presentation are very similar to Marvel’s Essential or DC’s Showcase Presents trade paperbacks. The edition that I own is the May 2012 North American release, but there was also a UK release of the same trade back in 2010. 2000AD used to release their trade paperback in North America courtesy of DC, however, the recent North American 2000AD trades have been published by Rebellion, who are also known for developing the AVP FPS games (weird huh?). I find the quality significantly better than the DC editions. The covers are better, the paper quality is better, and there’s less of a guessing game as to what each compilation contains. As far as packaging and presentation are concerned, Rogue Trooper: Tales of Nu-Earth 01 is excellent, and a step above similar types of compilations (Essential and Showcase Presents).

Rogue Trooper Tales of Nu-Earth 01 -- Dave Gibbons

Rogue Trooper Tales of Nu-Earth 01 — Dave Gibbons

Rogue Trooper was originally serialized starting in 1981, and tells the story of a genetically altered super soldier called Rogue Trooper who is entangled in a perpetual war on the far future planet of Nu-Earth. Nu-Earth is so devastated by war that toxic chemicals clouds permeate its atmosphere. Thus, the average human must always don respiration masks, except when in sealed domes. Rogue Trooper’s enhanced abilities make him impervious to the lethal air, as well as to other means of chemical warfare. Two factions fight for supremacy of Nu-Earth: the Southers, and the Norts. Technically, Rogue Trooper fights for the Southers, but as a result of an ambush that killed all his fellow super soldiers (called genetic infantrymen), he has gone rogue in an effort to track down and kill the traitor who was responsible for leaking information that lead to the ambush. Thus, the entire story arc in Rogue Trooper: Tales of Nu-Earth 01 follows Rogue’s exploits as he tracks down the traitor, and finds himself continuously aiding Souther troops along the way. Rogue’s only companions are the “personalities” of three of his dead squadmates. When a genetic infantryman dies, his consciousness may be placed in a “biochip”, which can then be installed into an infrantyman’s gear. The Southers have technology that can take the consciousness from these biochips, and implant them back into a physical body. Thus, Rogue’s three squadmate’s are technically still alive, however, the only abilities they have are that they can speak, and they can manipulate the article of equipment that they inhabit. These three squadmates are Helm, who inhabits Rogue’s helmet, Gunnar, who inhabits his rifle, and Bagman, who inhabits his backpack. Although Rogue could potentially have his companions resuscitated at any time, he’s dead set on tracking down the traitor first, which seems pretty selfish if you ask me. Rogue Trooper is a comic, and thus you have to suspend your disbelief when it comes to some of the more nonsensical plot points. Why doesn’t Rogue Trooper make it a point to resuscitate his comrades? Put simply, it’s because the main premise of the comic is that you have a soldier with talking gear.

Rogue Trooper Tales of Nu-Earth 01 -- Colin Wilson 2

Rogue Trooper Tales of Nu-Earth 01 — Colin Wilson

Rogue Trooper is the brainchild of writer Gerry Finley-Day, who is an excellent “ideas man”. Other than the awesome artwork, Rogue Trooper‘s biggest strength is that each issue contains some of the most original concepts you’ve ever seen in military sci-fi. For the first 30 or so issues, each story is relatively self-contained, and features the introduction of a new type of threat that Rogue must thwart. Among the concepts are gigantic blackmare tanks, flying decapitators, kashar drill probes, nort cavalry raiders, hard arrow rain, sealbursters, snow troopers, hallucinogen-spraying dream weaver commandos (my personal favorites), militant computers, bio-engineered ape warriors, the paragliding sun legions, and many more. Don’t worry if you don’t know what any of that means, what matters is that each enemy sounds cool. The creativity is really fun, and manages to feel somewhat gritty, but in a lighthearted way. To be honest, the tone reminds me quite a bit of the original G.I. Joe comics, albeit with much more death. For whatever reason, I was expecting the same level of graphic content from 2000AD as you would expect from Heavy Metal, but I was mistaken, because Rogue Trooper skews quite a bit younger. The violence is a step above your average American comic from the early 80′s, but there’s almost no blood, and there’s definitely no nudity. I would imagine the target audience was teenagers.

Rogue Trooper Tales of Nu-Earth 01 -- Colin Wilson 4

Rogue Trooper Tales of Nu-Earth 01 — Colin Wilson

Although Gerry Finley-Day’s ideas are great, the narration is about as old-school as they come. Every single action has to be explained either through dialogue or monologue, and to be honest this style was a big deterrent for me. Expect a lot of: “to thwart this bad guy I’ll need to reach into my tool belt and fetch my mines”. The degree to which you enjoy Rogue Trooper will really depend on how well you can stomach this style of writing. Personally, I can (sort of) handle it because I’ve read many comics from the 60′s and 70′s, but if you’re fairly new to comics, you’ll likely find the writing pretty impenetrable. Furthermore, the self-contained stories make it really difficult to get invested in the overall plot. We know the traitor is the main bad guy, but it’s hard to feel all that much animosity towards him, because we don’t know who he is or if he even exists. If anything, Rogue seems like the real monster for not reviving his squadmates! Not that you’ll care for them too much, because every character is extremely one-dimensional. Gunnar is reckless and violent, but Bagman and Helm have virtually no personality, and are completely interchangeable. As the series progresses, the story arcs start to become longer and more interesting, but don’t expect to feel involved until at least two-thirds of the way into the book. To re-iterate, the concepts in Rogue Trooper are really fun, but the storyline is very straightforward, even compared to other comics of the early 80′s.

Rogue Trooper Tales of Nu-Earth 01 -- Dave Gibbons 7

Rogue Trooper Tales of Nu-Earth 01 — Dave Gibbons

Fortunately, the artwork is fantastic. The first few issues were illustrated by Dave Gibbons, who you might remember for a little-known comic called Watchmen. I’ve always loved his line art. Everything looks so tight and crisp. The proportions, perspective, shading, and actions are all excellent. In addition to his technical prowess, I really dig his character designs. Expect plenty of gas masks and interesting military outfits. That being said, I really don’t like Rogue’s design. The shirtless look is unoriginal, his helmet looks way too big and dorky, and he has a lame mohawk, which I guess was slightly more novel in 1981. This might be the only comic where every character looks better than the protagonist. In addition to Dave Gibbons, artists Colin Wilson and Cam Kennedy are also featured prominently. Somehow, they manage to match, and maybe even exceed Gibbon’s illustrations. Their style is so similar to his that it’s almost difficult to tell them all apart. I still can’t believe how much talent they managed to cram into these issues, and I’d rather not have to choose a favorite artist out of the three. Lets just say that if you’re visually oriented, and you like military sci-fi, Rogue Trooper is a treat for the eyes. Featured to a lesser extent are Brett Ewins, Eric Bradbury and Mike Dorey, all of whose art is also good, but less memorable due to their more limited contributions.

Overall, Rogue Trooper: Tales of Nu-Earth 01 is a series that you will either really love, or find really boring. The degree to which you enjoy it will depend on how much you like the pacing of silver age comics, and how much you love lighthearted military sci-fi. By today’s standards, this is a fairly shallow comic, but the art is amazing, and the creativity is overflowing. If you were a fan of the series back when it was originally serialized, this a great edition, and a no-brainer if you’re looking for a nostalgia trip. The storyline was starting to get much more interesting by the end of the series, so I’ll personally be keeping a look-out for Tales of Nu-Earth 02 when it eventually hits store shelves. Despite my criticisms, this is probably the best bang for your buck if you’re looking for a military sci-fi comic.

Clicking this link will bring you to this product’s Amazon page. Should you choose to purchase it, I will get a small commission, which will then be reinvested into the site. Although I’m including this link, my review’s and opinions will never be influenced by the opportunity to make a commission. This site is a labor of love, but costs money to maintain, so think of any commissions as a donation to the site.

Clicking any of the following thumbnails will open a gallery of images from Rogue Trooper: Tales of Nu-Earth 01

 

 

 

Xeno Review — Hard Boiled

Posted by bulletcurtain1 on April 7, 2013
Posted in: Comics, Posts Sorted by Media, Xeno Reviews (Product Reviews). Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , .

Ever wondered what would happen if Blade Runner went on a drug-fueled nightmare rampage? Look no further than Frank Miller’s miniseries Hard Boiled, an early 90′s twist on Philip K. Dick’s classic novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep. If there’s one term I wouldn’t associate with 90′s comics, its subtlety. For the most part, everything was big, in your face, and edgy; Hard Boiled is certainly no exception. That being said, HB is clever with its edginess. If anything, it reads like a satire of violence and sexual imagery in modern pop-culture. Either that, or Frank Miller just really gets off on good old ultraviolence. Complimenting Frank Miller’s writing is the amazing artwork of Geof Darrow. Darrow’s artwork is easily some of the most detailed line-work I’ve ever seen; it’s pretty incredible. Combined with colorist Claude Legerist, the art looks like a fusion of Moebius, with the most detailed manga technology concepts you’ve ever seen (think Battle Angel Alita).

Hard Boiled -- Cover

Hard Boiled — Cover

Hard Boiled
Writer: Frank Miller
Artist: Geof Darrow
Colorist: Claude Legris
Letterer: John Workman
Editor: Randy Stradley
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Country: USA
Featured Edition: Dark Horse TPB 1993
Original Release Dates: September 1990 – March 1992 (3 issues)

Hard Boiled -- Frank Miller Geof Darrow 11

There’s an unwritten rule in Hard Boiled that every panel must include at least one item of real-world (or semi-real-world) merchandise.

Set in a near-future, albeit clearly dystopic, Los Angeles, Hard Boiled tells the story of an “insurance investigator” called Carl Seltz who seeks out various target individuals. Within the first few pages of the comic, we realize that Carl Seltz must be a cyborg, or perhaps an android, and that he actually works for a major corporation. Carl Seltz lives in an ideal suburban home with a wife, two kids, and a dog. To add to the general vibe that there’s something “off” about Seltz, we see him sleeping with his wife while his kids stand nearby, and then the kids proceed to dope him with some random narcotics… Typical suburban stuff, right?

Hard Boiled -- Frank Miller Geof Darrow 4

I could go for a mermaid massage about now.

As I mentioned in the intro, HB makes no pretenses at subtlety. The future vision of Los Angeles is clearly cyberpunk-inspired, and therefore rampant commercialism and evil corporations ooze out of every frame. Every panel is literally packed to the brim with variations of real-world products and brands, albeit with a satirical twist. For example, in one scene, a medical apparatus appears to be powered by baby fetus’, M&Ms, Snickers, and Baby Ruths. Perhaps I’ve been jaded by the dozens of cyberpunk movies, books, comics, and games that have been released since 1990, but the overabundance of brand parodies in Hard Boiled was almost too gratuitous for my tastes. We get it, the future will be overwrought with rampant, hopeless advertising and disposable pop culture, but do you really need to include a Coca-Cola can in every second panel? Then again, Hard Boiled seems to intentionally revel in exaggeration and tackiness.

Hard Boiled -- Frank Miller Geof Darrow 9

If you look really closely, Waldo is snuggled halfway between a prostitute and drug addict.

Carl Seltz/Nixon might not be a superhero, but he sure takes a beating like one! Hard Boiled is about 10% dialogue, and 90% action. Of the action scenes, nearly all of them feature Nixon either being thrown through a building, bus, or subway, or throwing another character through one of the aforementioned inanimate objects. I thoroughly enjoyed the action in HB, but we warned, it’s pretty damn violent. I’m fairly desensitized to fictional violence (but not to real-world violence, those are two very different things), and even I found the comic hard to stomach at times. Hard Boiled manages to fit more dismemberment and gore into its panels than almost any other comic. Frank Miller and Geof Darrow clearly set out to raise the bar for comic violence as high as they possibly could.

Hard Boiled -- Frank Miller Geof Darrow 13

In the time it must’ve taken to draw this splash page, other artists probably could’ve illustrated an entire issue of a comic.

Hard Boiled -- Frank Miller Geof Darrow 7

It wouldn’t be cyberpunk without plenty of riot police.

As if the violence wasn’t enough, nearly every second panel is chalk full of random sex and nudity. Within the first few pages, Nixon is smashed through a building in the “Pleasure Sector” of town. Nearby is a cage full of debauchery; as spectators watch, couples have sex, all while dominatrix-like women walk around with chainsaws and dismember the couples. What I love about HB is that every splash page is so full of detail that numerous stories are implied through events in the background of each scene. I’ve seen Geof Darrow’s artwork aptly described as being like a Where’s Waldo book; the only difference is that most of HB’s denizens are either naked or taking drugs. Although Hard Boiled is short, you can easily spend ten minutes per page absorbed in details.

Hard Boiled -- Frank Miller Geof Darrow 1

This is a good look for Harrison Ford.

My favorite comics are able to tell a story visually without having to rely heavily on monologues or dialogue. Hard Boiled does an excellent job in this regard. There’s actually very little text, but the narrative is able to flow nicely thanks to clever angles and visual cues. Frank Miller is an excellent visual storyteller, and he only includes as much text as is absolutely needed. This was nice and refreshing, especially after the last comic I read, which felt the need to explain every little detail.

Hard Boiled -- Frank Miller Geof Darrow 14

Nixon’s probably in need of an oil change about now.

Overall, I would highly recommend Hard Boiled to anyone who’s interested in cyberpunk (duh), or anyone who appreciates experimental storytelling in comics.The average sci-fi fan will definitely appreciate the artwork, but the extremely graphic content might turn-off even fairly hardcore genre fans. HB is unforgiving with its gratuitous display of sex, drugs, and violence, but these acts are never glamorized. Instead, the story serves almost as a cautionary tale against overindulgence in these vices. There’s nothing particularly sexy about an enormously fat man being massaged by naked android mermaids (yes, that actually happens). I wouldn’t go so far as to say that Hard Boiled’s political message is especially clever; every cyberpunk tale cautions against the overabundance of various vices. Also, it could be argued that Hard Boiled revels a little too deeply in the content that it parodies. Regardless, the readers of this blog can probably handle HB’s hardcore content, so I recommend reading it if you haven’t done so already.

Clicking this link will bring you to this product’s Amazon page. Should you choose to purchase it, I will get a small commission, which will then be reinvested into the site. Although I’m including this link, my review’s and opinions will never be influenced by the opportunity to make a commission. This site is a labor of love, but costs money to maintain, so think of any commissions as a donation to the site.

Clicking any of the following thumbnails will open a gallery of images from Hard Boiled

Xeno Review — StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm Collector’s Edition

Posted by bulletcurtain1 on March 28, 2013
Posted in: Posts Sorted by Media, Video Games, Xeno Reviews (Product Reviews). Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment

I vividly remember a discussion on a gaming podcast a few years ago about how the overabundance of collector’s editions has gotten ridiculous, and that it makes absolutely no sense for the first game in a series to get a special edition release. According to the hosts of the podcast, a franchise should have to prove itself before it can be deemed worthy of a collector’s edition release. Well, if any series is more than deserving, it’s StarCraft. Personally, I love collector’s editions, albeit only when they’re done well. Since they’ve become the norm, it isn’t uncommon for publishers to make a quick cash grab by releasing a sub-par package with a bloated price. Thankfully, this isn’t the case with the StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm Collector’s Edition. Unlike many recent special editions that feature unique but forgettable trinkets, HotS plays it safe by including the standard special edition fare. Specifically, you get a behind-the-scenes DVD/Blu-ray combo, a soundtrack, an art book, a mouse pad, and a few exclusive digital avatars. As far as I’m concerned, the art book and soundtrack alone are worth the price of admission. HotS also has a digital special edition: the Digital Deluxe edition. If you’re looking for the most bang for your buck, I recommend the collector’s edition. The digital deluxe edition is nearly the same price, but only includes the digital avatars. This review will make frequent mention of Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty, so if you haven’t done so, I recommend reading my review of it here.

Starcraft II Heart of the Swarm Collector's Edition

The mousepad has a nice cozy spot on my desk at work.

StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Platforms: PC (Featured), Mac
Release Date: March 12, 2013

Starcraft II Heart of the Swarm 8

Kerrigan’s detailed facial expressions really add to the believability of her character.

If you still haven’t played StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, you might want to avoid this spoiler heavy paragraph. WoL ended with Jim Raynor teaming up with Valerian Mengsk, and then successfully using an ancient artifact to turn Sarah Kerrigan back into a human. HotS starts shortly after the events of WoL. Raynor and Kerrigan are still on Char, and Valerian Mengsk is testing whether Kerrigan still has the ability to control the swarm (hint: she can). Soon enough Arturus Mengsk crashes the party with a battalion of troops intent on killing Raynor and Kerrigan. Kerrigan escapes and manages to meet up with the Hyperion, only to find out that Raynor has supposedly been killed. Devastated, she summons the zerg swarm to destroy Arcturus Mengsk.

StarCraft II Heart of the Swarm Art Book -- Peter Lee

StarCraft II Heart of the Swarm Art Book — Peter Lee

Starcraft II Heart of the Swarm 26

No other game gives you control of an alien force in as gratifying a way StarCraft.

It isn’t exactly a secret that HotS has you playing the bad guy (or more accurately, the bad girl). Mengsk might be an evil dictator, but Kerrigan goes to extreme lengths to see him dead. To amass an army large enough to kill Mengsk, Kerrigan must unleash the zerg on countless planets, at the expense of millions of civilian lives. Although I’ve never seen this scenario explored in a video game, the original Dune books had a protagonist who was responsible for at least as much bloodshed. I find this angle more interesting than your standard good vs. bad scenario, but I’m still unsure of how I feel about Kerrigan as a character. I don’t tend to like the “badass chick” archetype who’s always in a bad mood and scowling, and Kerrigan definitely fits this mold. On the flip side, Kerrigan is about as strong  a female lead as they come, and to be fair, she has a reason to be pissed. Every once in a while, we see a hint of her soft side; it was these scenes that made me feel sympathetic towards her struggle, and did the best job of developing her as a multidimensional character. Unfortunately, these scenes were too few and far between, and I feel like Blizzard fell just short of creating a truly unique video game protagonist. Don’t get me wrong, Kerrigan is still one of the deeper video game protagonists, but I feel like she wasn’t explored to her full potential. Like it or not, Kerrigan appears as a playable character in nearly every mission, so prepare to spend a lot of time with her.

StarCraft II Heart of the Swarm Art Book -- Luke "Mr. Jack" Mancini

StarCraft II Heart of the Swarm Art Book — Luke “Mr. Jack” Mancini

Starcraft II Heart of the Swarm 4

HotS has plenty of lovely assets.

Like in WoL, you spend downtime between missions hanging out on your ship. This time around, your ship is a massive living organism called the Leviathan, and your crew is a hodgepodge of alien misfits. Your crewmates show up one by one throughout the game, meaning that the ship is a fairly boring place for the first dozen missions. Initially, I found the ship sections much less interesting than in WoL, but as time wore on, and more characters appeared, it became nearly, but not quite, as interesting as WoL’s Hyperion. The Hyperion had more rooms to explore, and more objects and people to interact with, but HotS’s alien freak show has its moments. Among the new cast is a creature called Abathur who creates new zerg mutations. Abathur quickly became not only my favorite new character in StarCraft, but one of my favorites in all of video games. He’s basically an unwittingly sinister version of Data from Star Trek: Next Generation. Although he’s essentially emotionless, he often becomes jealous of foreign zerg mutations that he’s incapable of creating himself. As always, Blizzard‘s character have superbly written dialogue, which is well delivered by their voice actors. Perhaps by biggest complaint is that spending so much time with the zerg really diminishes their mysteriousness, and the fear factor. The zerg are no longer scary, which I guess was inevitable.

StarCraft II Heart of the Swarm Art Book -- Luke "Mr. Jack" Mancini

StarCraft II Heart of the Swarm Art Book — Luke “Mr. Jack” Mancini

Starcraft II Heart of the Swarm 11

This giant swarm host is one of Hots’s excellent boss battles. Pausing to take a screen cap nearly resulted in Kerrigan getting fried in alien bile.

For fans of violent alien swarms, no other game puts you in the hot seat quite as nicely HotS. Nearly every one of HotS’s 27 missions has you amassing at least a hundred units and then wreaking havoc, which is as satisfying as it sounds. Like in WoL, Blizzard does an awesome job of providing unique mission scenarios, most of which subtly introduce you to a new zerg unit. Overall, the difficulty felt more challenging than in WoL, which seemed appropriate given that many gamers have been playing StarCraft II for over two years now. One mission in particular does an excellent job of showing off just how skilled Blizzard are at their craft. The mission is essentially a boss rush; giving you control of Kerrigan and a small band of zerg as she tackles three massive bosses. The bosses are super challenging; forcing you to memorize attack patterns and utilize every ability in Kerrigan’s arsenal. This mission does a great job of showing off just how well individual units control; in fact, you feel like you’re fighting a boss in World of Warcraft.

StarCraft II Heart of the Swarm Art Book -- Luke "Mr. Jack" Mancini

StarCraft II Heart of the Swarm Art Book — Luke “Mr. Jack” Mancini

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One mission has you controlling the Hyperion in a fun mini-game-like space sequence. I really appreciate that Blizzard takes the time to incorporate all kinds of unique gameplay elements in the single player that can’t be experienced online.

In the review I wrote for WoL, I mentioned that although I thought the art design was mostly really good, the cartooniness was a little bit much at times. In HotS, the design is as cartoony as ever,  but I think I’ve started to embrace it. HotS’s colorful pallete is actually fairly refreshing compared to the muted greys of many modern military sci-fi games. Actually, HotS’s pre-rendered cut-scenes (which are as excellent as always) are much darker and grittier than the in-game engine, and look a lot more like the aforementioned games. Maybe it’s because the game features fewer humans, but there are a lot less soul patches and cycling shades this time around. That being said, Zeratul still looks like a reject from a kids fantasy cartoon.

StarCraft II Heart of the Swarm Art Book -- Peter Lee

StarCraft II Heart of the Swarm Art Book — Peter Lee

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Meet Abathur, my new favorite character in the StarCraft universe.

Included with the collector’s edition is a really impressive 140-page hardcover art book. I say it’s really impressive because I’ve never seen such a high quality art book included with a game. The cover has an embossed design, and the paper is nice and glossy. A grand total of 25 artists are featured, and surprisingly, the editors actually took the time to list which artists were responsible for each piece! As I’ve mentioned in previous art book reviews, it’s fairly rare for gaming art books to give proper credit to their artists.

StarCraft II Heart of the Swarm Art Book -- Joe Peterson

StarCraft II Heart of the Swarm Art Book — Joe Peterson

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Once you complete the single player, you can replay the missions with new added twists.

There are three sections in the art book: one for each race. As expected, Blizzard can afford to hire excellent concept artists, so the quality of each piece is top-notch. Because the game is centered around the zerg, they get the most attention. Since their inception, the zerg have really taken on a look that sets them apart from the creatures they were inspired by (xenomorphs and tyrannids). Increasingly, the zerg design has become less about organic goo, and more about armor plating, jagged teeth, spines, and claws. Essentially, the zerg have started to look more like dinosaurs, which isn’t a bad thing. My favorite part of HotS takes place on ancient world, where the zerg predecessors, called the primal zerg, roam free. The primal zerg are even closer in appearance to dinosaurs, and their world is composed of lush, prehistoric tropical environments. Artist Peter Lee’s illustrations of these environments are my favorite concepts within the book. Even his “rough sketches”, as they’re labeled within the book, look incredible.

StarCraft II Heart of the Swarm Art Book -- Brian Huang

StarCraft II Heart of the Swarm Art Book — Brian Huang

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Kerrigan facing her demons. Blizzard proves some of the best pre-rendered cutscenes in the industry.

Also included with the collector’s edition is the soundtrack to HotS. As I mentioned in my WoL review, StarCraft‘s soundtracks have always been excellent, and this is no exception. The soundtrack is composed of equal parts orchestrated segments, and equal parts moody electronic sections. I’ve never been a fan of big, bombastic orchestrated soundtracks, but as video games have gotten bigger, they’ve increasingly becomes the norm. Personally I prefer the ambient electronic portions, but I might be in the minority with that opinion. Either way, the soundtrack is really well done, and it’s gotten a fair degree of airtime in my car.

StarCraft II Heart of the Swarm Art Book -- Joe Peterson

StarCraft II Heart of the Swarm Art Book — Joe Peterson

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Seveon of the 27 missions are bonus “Evolution Missions”, that have you picking between one of two possible upgrades for a given unit.

In addition to the soundtrack, the collector’s edition also comes with a behind-the-scenes DVD/Blu-ray. If you’re expecting a full making-of HotS, you’ll be disappointed, but as a bonus it still has a certain degree of entertainment value. There are two featurettes that give you a glimpse of the making of the game: a section on the cinematics, and a section on the recording of the audio voice-overs. Both of these sections are of the same quality as any of the best making-of documentaries, which is too bad, because they left me yearning for more! Also included is a section on the eSports legacy of StarCraft, which is basically a fan-made swansong to the community, and an in-depth explanation of how to use the in-game map editor. Both of these segments were well done, but I would’ve easily traded them for more making-of. The video also includes your typical extras like trailers and production stills.

StarCraft II Heart of the Swarm Art Book -- Joe Peterson

StarCraft II Heart of the Swarm Art Book — Joe Peterson

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Meet the Leviathan’s crew. Although I can understand why Blizzard had to make the zerg more human, I think it would’ve been more fun had they been more evil.

Like I said in my WoL review, I’m a pretty average online player, so I can’t comment with any authority on the balance of HotS’s new online units. The protoss get three new air units: the Mothership and Oracle, which are both support units, and the Tempest, which is a long range attack ship. Terrans see the return of hellbats: flamethrower wielding mechs that deal splash damage, and the new widow mines, which are fast moving, mobile mines that are cloaked when set in the ground.  Zerg get vipers, which are air attack units with support abilities, and swarm hosts, which are units that spawn multiple, zergling-like units from crevasses on their back. Apart from the new units, the online experience hasn’t changed a whole lot since WoL. There are a bunch of new unlockable portraits and achievements, but other than that you’re looking at the same multiplayer options and interface from WoL. Some of these rewards are incredibly hardcore to achieve compared to the standards of other games; for example, the Queen of Blades character portrait requires that you win 1000 1v1 online matches. Also, a word of warning: although the online matchmaking is supposed to pit you against players who match your level of experience, everyone playing HotS had to start back at level 1, so expect to get your ass handed to you by scores of StarCraft II veterans.

Although HotS is an expansion, had this not been a Blizzard game, this could easily have been a numbered sequel. Blizzard likes to make massive leap forwards between numbered releases in their series, but the jump from WoL to HotS isn’t far removed from something like Gears of War 2 to Gears of War 3. In fact, this is almost a bigger jump, because you’re in control of an entirely different race and cast of characters than in the previous game. If you enjoyed WoL, you probably already own this game, but if you’re on the fence, I recommend it highly. Furthermore, the collector’s edition is worth the extra cash. The art book and soundtrack could easily have been stand-alone-releases. Like I said with my WoL review, if you’re into military sci-fi and you haven’t given StarCraft a chance, you’re really missing out. Even if you don’t care for the competetive experience, the single-player campaign is excellent, and provides plenty of replay value.

Clicking this link will bring you to this product’s Amazon page. Should you choose to purchase it, I will get a small commission, which will then be reinvested into the site. Although I’m including this link, my review’s and opinions will never be influenced by the opportunity to make a commission. This site is a labor of love, but costs money to maintain, so think of any commissions as a donation to the site.

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Xeno Review — Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty

Posted by bulletcurtain1 on March 19, 2013
Posted in: Posts Sorted by Media, Video Games, Xeno Reviews (Product Reviews). Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 3 comments

For anyone who was gaming in the 90′s, StarCraft was a cultural phenomenon that was near unavoidable. If for whatever reason you weren’t playing the game, you had at least several buddies who were, and who would talk about it endlessly. My favorite memory of SC happened when I was in junior high. A friend of mine and I were talking about StarCraft on a bus ride home, and were overheard by another friend who was sitting nearby. Our other friend was a hockey prodigy; a super jock. Overhearing us, he mentioned that he played Starcraft from time to time, and asked if we’d be interested in playing against him online. Furthermore, he encouraged us to team up against him. Neither of us had ever imagined that this sports hero had any interest in video games, so we thought it would be an easy victory. Later that night, he set up the match, and told us he wouldn’t attack until we were both 100% prepared. My close friend and I had one half of the map to ourselves, while he had his own half of the map. Finally we were ready to attack, and ventured into his half of the map. To our horror, his half was the ultimate zerg nightmare! After 20 minutes of play, he had managed to fill every single available space with the most perfect, symmetrical base I’ve ever seen, even to this day. Every square inch of space was filled with zerg structures, all laid out in perfect order. Obviously we were obliterated. Everyone was playing StarCraft, probably even your mom and/or dog.

I’ve often held that StarCraft is the most perfect, balanced competitive game of all time. Every race plays completely differently, but somehow there’s no one race that’s obviously overpowered. Announced back in 2007, StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty had the biggest shoes to fill. Personally, I was just happy the series was getting a sequel, but it was obvious that this game would face perhaps more scrutiny than any game ever. Due to my lack of a gaming PC back in 2010, when SCII:WoL was released, I was only able to play the campaign recently. Now, I’d like to emphasize that this post will be focusing mostly on the campaign, and from the angles that Xenomorphosis knows best: sci-fi horror and military sci-fi. I’ll leave the technical aspects of multiplayer to the thousands of pro players who undoubtedly know ten times more than me about the specific mechanics and subtleties of the game.

StarCraft II Wings of Liberty Cover

There are some really great variations of this cover floating around on the interweb.

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Platforms: PC (Featured), Mac
Release Date: July 27, 2010

StarCraft II Wings of Liberty 26

A massive battle featuring several new units, including titans and medivacs.

Four years after the events of StarCraft: Brood War, Jim Raynor, space cowboy, is still being hunted by Arcturus Mengsk, emperor of the dominion (the current government). Mengsk also happens to be the man responsible for betraying Kerrigan (Raynor’s love interest) to the zerg. Kerrigan was abandoned on a hostile planet by Mengsk, and was turned into a powerful zerg hybrid: the Queen of the Blades. Raynor is set on restoring Kerrigan to her former self, and has started a rebel group called Raynor’s Raiders who are dead-set on overthrowing the Dominion, and putting Mengsk to justice. Meanwhile, an old friend of Raynor’s, Tychus Findlay, who took a fall for Raynor and subsequently spent the last decade or so doing jail time, has mysteriously appeared. Findlay is by far the most interesting character in SCII:WoL, and it’s never quite clear what his true motives are. Findlay has apparently been contracted by a mysterious group called the Moebius Corporation to retrieve valuable Xel’naga (an ancient race in SC lore) artifacts. Jim agrees to help him, because he needs the cash to fund his rebel efforts. There are several other major players in SCII:WoL, and each one is superbly voice acted and has a memorable personality. SCII:WoL all takes place from the perspective of the terrans (humans), so don’t expect any zerg or protoss missions (although there are actually a few).

StarCraft II Wings of Liberty 4

Many of the units from the first SC, including the medics pictured here, are included in the campaign, but aren’t playable online

SCII:WoL’s backstory is rich and interesting, especially for a series that is predominantly known for its multiplayer, and could easily sell millions of copies without any single player whatsoever. Lucky for us, Blizzard cares about providing an excellent single player experience. SCII:WoL is by the far the best example I’ve ever seen of narrative in an RTS game. During the current console generation, in-game storytelling in first person and third person action games progressed immensely, to the point where the games that do it poorly stick out like a sore thumb (I’m looking at you Aliens: Colonial Marines). That being said, with the popularity of console games this generation, the RTS genre has fallen a bit to the wayside. I can tell you exactly how narrative is usually dealt with in action games, but in RTS’, not so much. There’s no obvious mold.

StarCraft II Wings of Liberty 14

As always, Blizzard delivers kickass cutscenes.

SCII:WoL has over 4 hours of scripted cutscenes, but the degree to which you watch these is often at your discretion. Many of the cinematics take place when you optionally engage with characters in-between missions. Raynor’s flagship, the hyperion, serves as an in-between mission hang-out area where you can explore various sections of the ship, engage in conversation with characters to learn more backstory, or spend credits to earn unit upgrades. I really enjoyed these periods of downtime between combat, and the superb quality of the dialogue during cutscenes in the hyperion was always worth checking out. I’ve come to realize that the games I become the most addicted to are those that intersperse intense action with “downtime”. RPGs do this by having you explore towns in-between dungeons. Essentially, SCs missions are like dungeons, and the hyperion is your town. About three quarters of SC’s cutscenes are experienced optionally in the Hyperion, so you’re missing out on a lot of story if you skip these sections.

StarCraft II Wings of Liberty 19

The environments in the campaign are really attractive.

Other RPG-like elements that SCII:WoL incorporates are optional missions, and upgrades for your army units. The optional missions don’t feel like optional missions, because the same level of care was put into them as any mainline mission. There are at least two occasions where you have to chose between one of two story options to progress, although apparently the ending of the game is the same regardless of which decisions you make. The upgrade options allow you to spend credits that you earn in missions to purchase enhancements to your units. Don’t expect any intricate upgrade trees, but the ability to upgrade does let you customize your army to fit your play style, albeit to a small extent.

StarCraft II Wings of Liberty 10

The cantina; one of the many areas of the hyperion where you can gather information and purchase upgrades. The arcade cabinet at the left features a playable shooter!

Nearly every mission in the game has bonus objectives. Completing these objectives gives you access to zerg or protoss research credits that can be spent on an additional set of upgrades. The bonus objectives add an extra level of challenge to the campaign missions, and are often required if you wish to earn all the game’s achievements. The achievement system in SCII:WoL acts like an even more difficult set of bonus objectives, often challenging you to beat missions in a certain time-limit, or perform difficult feats of strategy.

StarCraft II Wings of Liberty 18

Unique mercenary units can be recruited and purchased in the campaign. These act much like Warcraft III’s hero units, but are much more expendable

The original StarCraft was a game that borrowed heavily from Warhammer 40k, at least visually. To be honest, that’s never bother me very much, because at least they chose a great look to emulate, and did a good job of emulating it. Looking back at SC, it was actually a fairly dark game. Although some of the characters were tongue-in-cheek, the color palette was dark, and the game had a (mostly) gritty realism. Structures looked worn out, units exploded with gore when you killed them, and the zerg were probably the best rip-offs of xenomorphs around. Furthermore, some of the cutscenes acted out like pure homages to Aliens. That all brings me to SCII:WoL, which looks great, but is infected by what I’m going to dub the “WarCraft Taint”.

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Missions can be selected from the bridge of the hyperion.

So what is the WarCraft Taint? When StarCraft came along, Blizzard took great lengths to distinguish the visual style from simply being “WarCraft in Space”. To differentiate it from WarCraft, Blizzard made StarCraft darker and grittier. Several years later, Warcraft III was released, and the Warcraft Taint began. Blizzard is a company that’s excellent at producing graphics engines that perform nicely even on computers with low specs. WarCraft III was a great example of this design philosophy. To achieve this goal, they designed an engine that had a distinctly cartoony look, rather than try to achieve the highest end graphics. Everything was colorful, rounded and blocky, which was fine for WarCraft, because it was always a cartoony series.

StarCraft II Wings of Liberty 8

The new marauder units, as featured in the armory.

Fast forward several more years to World of Warcraft. WoW is an example of the cartoon style taken to extreme lengths. In retrospective, much of the concept design is fairly sketchy, for lack of a better term. For what it is, the game looks fine, but it’s essentially generic fantasy art done in a childish style. Yes, I know this opinion is super controversial, but I’ll stand by it. Heck, an entire race is made up of cows that walk on two feet and ride around on fat dinosaurs. It’s great Pixar material.

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The zerg hives are always fun to look at.

StarCraft II, on the other hand, still retains much of the “gritty sci-fi” look that the series is known for, and is overall an excellent looking game, but the Warcraft Taint rears its ugly head every so often. For example, much of the protoss design has gotten more colorful and exaggerated, and the human characters in particular look like stereotypical comic archetypes. Actually, I’m going to go on a limb and say that the human character design is mostly awful (the people, not the units). Raynor looks like Kid Rock, Gabriel Tosh is your typical “rasta guy” with dreadlocks, Rory Swann looks like a dwarf, Valerian Mengsk looks like the main bad guy from Shrek, Kerrigan is a chick with dreadlocks (which was oh so cool in the 90′s), Zeratul has a really silly looking bandana covering his face, and nearly every male character has either a soul patch, cycling shades, or goggles. Basically, the cast is a mishmash of the most rad looking dudes from the 90′s, which as you can imagine looks pretty lame circa 2010. Furthermore, the Warcraft Taint managed to work its way into some of the cutscenes; there’s one in particular where Zeratul and Kerrigan battle it out by launching fireball-like projectiles at each other. During this sequence, I felt like I could easily have been watching a WoW video. Anyways, SCII still looks really good for the most part; it’s just unfortunate that Blizzard has allowed its cartoony sensibilities to creep into its “grittier” properties. Remember, this is the studio that was most recently known for introducing kung fu pandas into its flagship franchise.

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The laboratory, where you can purchase upgrades.

The gameplay in SCII:WoL is as excellent as ever. As usual, gameplay consists of gathering resources, constructing buildings, researching upgrades, and training an army to attack the enemy, all while fending off enemy attacks. The campaign missions always manage to incorporate unique scenarios, meaning that they never play out like your typical online multiplayer match. For example, one mission has you completing objectives while avoiding intermittent flooding by lava, another has you hijacking trains that appear at varying intervals, and another has you stealthily playing as Nova (from the unfortunately cancelled StarCraft Ghost). The variety is really impressive, and each mission finds a way to cleverly teach you how to control a new terran unit. Essentially the entire campaign acts as a comprehensive tutorial on how to play as terrans. Perhaps my only gripe with this, is that the campaign is a little too heavy on tutorial, and would have benefited from having more of the challenging, post-tutorial missions. By the time you finish learning all the new units, the campaign is essentially over.

StarCraft II Wings of Liberty 1

A really cool feature in the campaign is that you can summon troops via drop pods. I really badly wanted this in the multiplayer.

Instead of just rehashing the units from the original SC and its expansions, 40% of the units in SCII:WoL are brand new. Terrans get new units like the titan (giant mechs), banshees (fast airships that are good against ground units), and my personal favorite, medivacs (air transport ships with healing capabilities). Protoss get units like the stalker (essentially the new dragoon), immortals (also like dragoons), collosi (giant mechs that shoot death rays), and probably the coolest new addition, motherships (which look exactly like you’d expect). Zerg players now have roaches (burrowing units), infestors (spellcasters that can infect units), and nydus worms (giant burrowing worms that spout out zerg units). Personally I like the new additions, but I’m sure a more seasoned player could tell you exactly which units were nerfed, are too overpowered, etc. It’s just nice to see that Blizzard took a risk by switching up the units so drastically.

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Every single mission loading screen has its own awesome illustration. This is the full view of Raynor’s flagship, the hyperion.

As usual, SC: WoL’s multiplayer can either be played online or against AI opponents. Unlike in the original StarCraft, its now extremely easy to join a match, albeit at the expense of match customization options. Essentially you join matches in a “quick match” style, rather than picking from individually hosted games. For whatever reason, Blizzard dropped LAN play from SCII:WoL, which is a shame, because many of my fondest memories of the original were from playing at buddies’ houses. Apparently tournament players are pissed, because they have to rely on unreliable internet play, even when competing from within the same room.

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After completing the campaign, there are additional challenge missions. This game is packed full of content.

Other features I haven’t had time to mention are the Arcade, and the soundtrack. The Arcade allows you to download various mods and game modes, and presents them in a nice, easily manageable interface. Blizzard does a fantastic job of engaging with its community, and the arcade is a clear example of that engagement. Last but not least, SCII:WoL’s soundtrack is fantastic! It’s mainly comprised of moody jazz or electronic arrangements, with a healthy dose of electric guitar interspersed. It perfectly captures the space cowboy vibe of the series, and I must say, I’ve been really appreciating the soundtrack as I play online.

As you can tell from the tone of this post, I’m loving SCII:WoL, and I think it’s an excellent game. Like the first game, I know I’ll be playing it for years to come. Even if you’re not into RTS’, you owe it to yourself to at least check out the campaign if, like me, you dig alien infestations and badass marines in power armor.

Clicking this link will bring you to this product’s Amazon page. Should you choose to purchase it, I will get a small commission, which will then be reinvested into the site. Although I’m including this link, my review’s and opinions will never be influenced by the opportunity to make a commission. This site is a labor of love, but costs money to maintain, so think of any commissions as a donation to the site.

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Xeno Review — Prophet: Remission

Posted by bulletcurtain1 on March 11, 2013
Posted in: Comics, Posts Sorted by Media, Xeno Reviews (Product Reviews). Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment

Comics seem like an ideal medium for science fiction. From an artistic perspective, the possibilities are near infinite, and unlike in other visual mediums (i.e. movies, television, and video games) you’re free to be as imaginative as possible, without having to worry about budget restraints. Narratively, you might not have the same freedom as in a novel, but you should be able to at least parallel the storytelling of any visual medium. Furthermore, the serialized nature of comics lends itself well to an ongoing saga. With all that in mind, you would think that 70-something years of comics would have given us all kinds of classic sci-fi. In places like Europe and Japan, this is the case, but in North America, there’s still a lot to be desired. Sure, the States has given us a million different superhero comics, each of which exhibit elements 0f science fiction, but none of them are what I would consider true sci-fi (or at least not the sci-fi I’m looking for). I doubt my readers will be shocked or offended to hear that I really couldn’t care less for most superheros; sorry folks. The only sci-fi sub-genre that has gotten a decent degree of attention in the States is cyberpunk; perhaps because it’s so visually appealing, and it’s often fairly near future. Otherwise, you’re mostly relegated to media tie-ins with movies or video games; Halo, Gears of War, Star Wars, Ender’s Game, and Aliens come to mind. Luckily, the recent reboot of Prophet is a huge step in the step in the right direction. This review focuses on the first six issues of the reboot, which can be found in the Prophet: Remission trade paperback.

Prophet Remission -- Cover Art Simon Roy

Prophet: Remission TPB Cover — Art Simon Roy

Prophet: Remission TPB
Publisher: Image Comics
Volume: 1
Issues: #21 – 26
Main Writer: Brandon Graham
Illustrators: Simon Roy (Issues 21-23), Farel Dalrymple (Issue 24), Brandon Graham (Issue 25), Giannis Milogiannis (Issue 26)
Colors: Richard Ballerman (issue 21-23), Joseph Bergin (Issues 24, 26), Brandon Graham (Issue 25)
Release Date: 2012

Prophet was originally an Image superhero comic that debuted in 1992. After eleven issues, it was put on hold, and then later continued for another eight issues in 1995. In 2011, Image announced that it had plans to reboot the Prophet series. For whatever reason, they decided to continue the series at issue #21, rather than just starting back at #1. The content of the reboot has (from what I understand) nothing to do with the original series, so I can’t imagine why they bothered to continue with the old numbering. Suffice to say, I’m sure it was due to some strange politics or marketing within Image.

Prophet Issue 24 -- Cover Farel Dalrymple

Prophet Issue 24 Cover — Farel Dalrymple

The revamp comes to us courteousy of writer and artist, Brandon Graham. Previous to Graham‘s work with Prophet, he wrote and illustrated several indie comics that I haven’t read, but have heard are quite good. I spent some time reading Graham’s personal blog; it’s obvious that he’s a big sci-fi fan, and his inspirations range from Miyamoto‘s work on Nausicaa, to Moebius‘ contributions to Métal Hurlant in the 70′s. Anyone with those inspirations is a winner in my book.

Prophet tells the tale of a man named John Prophet who awakens in the distant future, on a planet that seems very alien. His mission is to reignite the empire of man, which has been dormant for (assumedly) many years. To accomplish this task, John must travel to a distant mountain, around which orbits a satellite that he can use to relay a crucial message. After a few issues, the story arc takes a slight turn, and we realize that the world of Prophet is actually incredibly expansive. Apparently Graham has gone on record for saying that one of his goals with the comic is to “one-up” Conan at its own game. Like in any Conan story, Prophet is constantly referencing individuals, places, and events that the reader is likely unaware of. This creates the allusion of a rich universe and backstory, but is also fairly confusing, considering that we have no idea what anyone’s talking about. Another comic that comes to mind is The Metabarons series by Alejandro Jodorowsky.

Prophet Issue 24 -- Farel Dalrymple

Prophet Issue 24 — Farel Dalrymple

Prophet Issue 21 -- Simon Roy

Prophet Issue 21 — Simon Roy

Prophet is refreshingly creative, and constantly challenges the norms that we’ve come to expect from sci-fi. Within the first couple issues, John explores a meat farm, a city that’s fashioned out of a giant decomposing organism, and a living creature whose inhabitants travel around in like a train. The later issues feature even more imaginative locales, and within the first six issues contained in Remission, we explore several planets. Graham, who was the chief writer, does a great job of blending grim sequences with effective comedy relief. Issue 24 (chapter 4 of the tpb) is extremely dark, and features a twisted doppelganger version of the protagonist stalking him through endless corridors. On the flip side, issue 25 is really light in tone, and features a fun planet-hopping robot.

At the risk of sounding overly positive, I need to point out that Prophet can be reasonably difficult to follow. As mentioned earlier, random events and people are frequently mentioned, sometimes at the expense of the main storyline’s clarity. Furthermore, nearly every issue features different protagonists, each of which have goals or motives that aren’t clearly explained. The protagonists are always in search of something, but what that is, or why, is often unclear. That being said, Remission only contains the first six issues; I have no doubt that things will start to make more sense in the later issues.

Prophet Issue 22 -- Simon Roy

Prophet Issue 22 — Simon Roy

Prophet Issue 23 -- Cover Simon Roy

Prophet Issue 23 Cover — Simon Roy

This wouldn’t be a Xenomorphosis post without a heavy analysis of Prophet‘s visuals. It should be no surprise that the artwork was the first thing that drew me to the comic. Within the first six issues, we’re introduced to no fewer than four illustrators, each of which were obviously inspired by french comics like those of the aformentioned Moebius. Like with Moebius, the art is heavily focused around detailed line drawings, and the shading is accomplished more through hatching than through solid black ink shading. The colors are vibrant, and each locale has a predominant color palette. Also like in Moebius’ comics, the coloring looks like a loose watercolor, although in this case it is clearly done digitally. I personally love this style, and I think it serves as a great tribute to the works that inspired Prophet.

Interestingly, the branching storylines are each illustrated by a different artist. Graham explained in an interview that this was intentional, and is meant to reflect the differences lens through which each character perceives the world around them. The only downside to this approach is that it makes the storyline even harder to follow.

Prophet Issue 25 -- Brandon Graham

Prophet Issue 25 — Brandon Graham

So, who are these artists? Simon Roy (Atomic Heart) for issue 21-23, Farel Dalrymple (Pop Gun War) for issue 24, Brandon Graham for issue 25, and Giannis Milonogiannis (Old City Blues) for Issue 26. Presumabely under Graham‘s direction, each artist does an excellent job of bringing Prophet’s imaginative world to life. Of the three, Graham’s style is by far the most surreal and “frantic” (in a good way). He’s clearly more influenced by Japanese pop-art aesthetics than the other two, which makes sense considering that he has illustrated comics for publishers that usually deal exclusively in Japanese content. Although his artwork is fairly different than the other two, it’s just as impressive, and serves to add to the overall quirkiness of the comic. Milonogiannis‘ art is also Japanese-inspired, just not with the same pop-art aesthetic.

For anyone like me who’s been waiting for a North American sci-fi comic that isn’t based on an existing intellectual property, I can’t recommend Prophet highly enough. However, be aware that you’re in for a crazy, surreal ride, albeit a ride that is grounded in a strong concept. Sci-fi fans who stick closely to traditional content might find Prophet’s dismissal of genre conventions off-putting. On the flip-side, even non sci-fi fans will appreciate the modern quality of the artwork and stroytelling. Graham’s art in particular would be right at home in magazine’s like Juxtapoz. I’ll definitely be keeping a close eye on this comic in the future. Hopefully Prophet inspires many more North American sci-fi comics!

Clicking this link will bring you to this product’s Amazon page. Should you choose to purchase it, I will get a small commission, which will then be reinvested into the site. Although I’m including this link, my review’s and opinions will never be influenced by the opportunity to make a commission. This site is a labor of love, but costs money to maintain, so think of any commissions as a donation to the site.

Clicking any of the following thumbnails will open a gallery of Prophet: Remission-related images

Xeno Review — Dead Space 3

Posted by bulletcurtain1 on March 4, 2013
Posted in: Posts Sorted by Media, Video Games, Xeno Reviews (Product Reviews). Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment

As I’ve repeated several times before, Dead Space is a godsend for fans of sci-fi horror. The series channels the best elements of movies like The Thing (1982), Aliens, and Event Horizon, but manages to create a combination of terror that not only feels fresh and unique, but also meets (and sometimes exceeds) the quality of its source material. As some people would have you believe, the series has progressively moved away from pure scares towards a more action oriented package. Personally, I feel that Dead Space has always placed just as much emphasis on combat as on horror, and it’s the perfect blend of the two that makes the games so much fun to play. Contrary to popular opinion, the combat, which revolves around dismembering enemies, hasn’t changed a whole lot since the first game was released in 2006. The major difference between the first game and the last two entries is that there are now substantially more characters involved. Dead Space was about isolation, whereas Dead Space 3 is about isolation interspersed with character interaction. The point I’m trying to make is that Dead Space 3 is not a survival horror game, but in its defense, Dead Space has never been a pure survival horror series. Anyone who tries to trick you into thinking that the original Dead Space was pure survival horror has never played the early Resident Evils or Silent Hills. In those two series, resources were extremely scarce, and it was often advantageous to avoid combat rather than confront it head-on. Dead Space, on the other hand, is extremely upfront with its combat. Many sections force you to kill every oncoming enemy before you can proceed onwards. Resources in DS games are fairly abundant, and terminals allow you to purchase ammunition and health should you find yourself short on supplies. Real survival horror games never present you with such luxuries. So does it matter that Dead Space 3, just like DS1 and DS2, is more about combat than pure survival? Hell no. The movie Aliens took the original Alien formula and soaked it in action, but last I checked people on message boards didn’t have a massive hissy fit and boycott the series. Unfortunately, this is what seems to have happened with Dead Space 3. Forgive me if this review spends too much time challenging the backlash that Dead Space 3 has been receiving since it was first announced. As a big fan of the series, Dead Space 3 does not disappoint.

Dead Space 3 -- Cover

Sci-fi horror with a white background? Ballsy.

Dead Space 3
Developer: Visceral
Publisher: EA
Platforms: Xbox 360 (Featured), PS3, PC
Release Date: February 5, 2013

Dead Space 2 concluded with Isaac Clarke destroying a marker on the Sprawl, a space station orbiting one of Saturn’s moons. The resulting carnage destroyed the Sprawl, but Isaac managed to escape with his love interest Ellie. DS3 starts with an interesting prologue sequence that takes place 200 years before the start of the first game, and then promptly fast forwards to two months after the events on the Sprawl. We find Isaac in a small apartment in the midst of a small city on the surface of a moon. As we discovered at the end of DS2, there are numerous marker projects, many of which are found in urban locations. Unfortunately for Isaac, this urban location happens to have one. We find out through an old phone message that Ellie has left Isaac because he had become too detached and self-absorbed as a result of the marker incidents. Soon after our introduction to Isaac, several people burst into his apartment and hold him at gunpoint. It turns out they’re “the last battalion” of EarthGov, and that they know the whereabouts of Ellie, who works with their group but has gone missing. Long story short, Isaac joins the EarthGov party, but not until after being chased by an extreme sect of unitilogists led by a man named Danik. Danik, an somewhat harmless looking man in a park, serves as the main antagonist in DS3. Unsurprisingly, the major subplot in DS3 revolves around Isaac trying to win Ellie back, all while battling necros and Danik’s army of unitologists. DS3 does an excellent job of weaving the storyline into the gameplay, which means there are few moments where you don’t have some level of control over Isaac. In fact, for those people who were worried that DS3 would be too heavy on scripted action sequences (myself included), there are actually fewer scripted sequences per hour of gameplay than in DS2.

Dead Space 3 -- 1

This helmet is so damn cool looking, but I was never able to unlock this suit.

The story is just as engaging as in the previous games, and becomes progressively more captivating as Isaac and crew explore the remnants of an old marker conspiracy on a snow planet called Tau Volantis. One of my favorite themes in science fiction is the exploration of an unknown environment. On this front, Dead Space 3 delivers in spades. The snowy environments of Tau Volantis are reminiscent of the locales in the first Lost Planet. In addition to the snow planet, the game is still rife with “traditional” space station-style environments. The combination of tight corridors with the occasional outdoor section is a refreshing addition to the series. Back to the story, the element that I find the most difficult to grasp is the fact that EarthGov has apparently dissolved, seemingly overnight. Only 2 months before the events of DS3, EarthGov was a massive evil bureaucracy. Although it’s barely addressed, I think it’s implied that the unitilogists have overthrown EarthGov, which doesn’t really make any sense because the two entities were supposed to be incredibly intertwined. As a whole, it’s a little disappointing that DS3 makes so little reference to the events and players of the previous games; it seems that Visceral opted for a more contained story this time around.

Dead Space 3 -- 6

Much like Lost Planet, DS2 has several giant snow monsters with conveniently glowing vulnerable points. Actually, much like in LP2, you get to travel through a giant monster’s bowels.

Aesthetically, Dead Space 3 is easily the most visually interesting game in the series. Tau Volantis was previously explored by a contingent of scientists and soldiers from the Sovereign Colonies Armed Forces (SCAF), the central human government that was eventually dethroned by EarthGov. This “older” culture gave Visceral the opportunity to design a brand new human aesthetic. The SCAF settlements look like they were patterned after old nuclear submarines and soviet-era accoutrements. This creates an interesting juxtaposition with the ultra-slick stylings of the 26th century. Furthermore, there are now many new necromorph models, each of which is patterned after the look of its deceased host. The radical unitologists sect also has its own unique look, incorporating elements of Mad Max-style punk design into the typical heavy clothing and armor of the future. In addition to the clothing, Dead Space 3 has more environments than ever, and presents no fewer than three different styles of spaceship interior, each of which looks fantastic. As always with the series, DS3 is a game that can be enjoyed thanks to pretty eye-candy alone.

Dead Space 3 -- 15

The remnants of EarthGov. Adios.

As I mentioned earlier in the post, Dead Space 3 has plenty of combat, which is even more fun than usual thanks to the inclusion of a new weapon crafting system. Weapons are now fully customizable, meaning that you’re free to create weapons that suit you’re particular style of play. Essentially, you’re combining parts that are found scattered around the game world to create weapons that (usually) have two modes of fire. For example, you can craft an assault rifle that has a shotgun attachment, or a flamethrower, or a buzzsaw, or a line cutter, etc. The weapon crafting is extremely fun, and adds an extra layer of depth to the typical DS combat. I probably spent several hours just crafting guns; you could say I was pretty addicted.

Dead Space 3 -- 4

Isaac and Carver showing a snecromorph (snow+necromorph, I just made that up) how to die.

Almost as awesome as the new weapon crafting, the inclusion of optional side-missions in DS3 is my second favorite new feature. These essentially play out as optional “dungeons”, and add quite a bit of meat to the main storyline. For anyone looking for the isolated, spooky Dead Space 3 experience, the optional dungeons should keep you entertained. Generally they’re more difficult and more scary than the regular story sequences. Each optional area tells its own story, meaning that you’re missing out on a lot of interesting fiction if you skip these sections. In fact, my favorite narrative in DS3 was a small side-story told in one of these optional areas. If you’re hooked on the crafting system, the obvious reason to explore these areas is for the promise of unique weapons parts. The combination of the new crafting system and optional areas mean that DS3 feels like a mini version of a loot based RPG (think Diablo or Borderlands). I personally love this new direction, and would kill to see the loot-based RPG elements explored further in subsequent DS games.

Dead Space 3 -- 10

Isaac Clarke: the man of a million gruesome deaths.

An inordinate amount of internet rage has been fueled by the inclusion of microtransactions and human enemies in DS3. Firstly, the microtransactions are really not a big deal. In fact, I wouldn’t have noticed them if I hadn’t specifically been looking. When in the weapon crafting menu, you can press a (fairly hidden) button to pull up the online storefront. In this storefront, you can spend real cash to get in-game resources or weapon parts. Alternatively, you can spend credits that you acquire throughout the campaign to buy these same virtual packages. By the end of my first playthrough, I was able to buy three of the most expensive packages using in-game credits that I’d acquired. These purchases were the equivalent of a few dollars of real cash. Truth be told, you acquire so many resources throughout the game that I can’t imagine why you’d bother to spend actual money. In fact, a friend of mine couldn’t even figure out how to access the online storefront without my help; the microtransactions are that unobtrusive. I actually feel stupid spending so much time writing about the microtransactions, because they’re really not a big deal.

Dead Space 3 -- 12

Isaac Clarke: the master of exploding body parts. In this case, this is a real man whose head is exploding.

The introduction of human enemies in DS3 serve to add some extra flavor to the tried and true necro dismemberment. It almost feels novel to be able to shoot an enemy in the head, and subsequently expect it to die. The segments where you fight humans are actually fairly rare, and I actually wished there had been more of them. Most importantly, these sections do not turn DS3 into a mindless cover based shooter, as certain gamers hypothesized. I can’t tell you how many times I heard DS3 being referred to as “Call of Dead Space”. For anyone who follows the story in DS games, it makes absolute sense to fight humans. As anyone knows, the humans are the main antagonists, at least plot-wise. Because these segments were so uncommon, it’s difficult to comment on the quality of the human AI. It definitely wasn’t noticeably bad, although these sections are somewhat easier than the typical scuffles with necromorphs. It was almost a tad bit disturbing when I dismembered my first human opponent… Let’s just say they dismember just as easily as any necro, which is satisfying, albeit in a way that makes you feel a little icky afterwards.

Dead Space 3 -- 11

You got your Thing my Dead Space!

Perhaps one of DS3′s strongest points: the sound design is incredible. When you meet one of the first necros, it slowly peels itself off the ceiling, all while the sounds of bones breaking echo off the walls. The sonic atmosphere is incredibly creepy, and you’ll often find yourself on-edge because you think you may have heard a nearby enemy. Complimenting the sound effects, the music also adds the perfect atmosphere to the experience. There are many subtle nods to songs from the game’s source material. For example, there’s a track that sounds uncannily similar to the main theme from The Thing.

Dead Space 3 -- 16

Perhaps the only clean environment in the entire universe of Dead Space.

As it should be clear from the tone of this review, I really enjoyed DS3. The gameplay, art design and music are all really high calibre. Just like in the previous games, DS3 is crammed with a ton of replay value. After beating the game, you unlock the typical New Game+ mode, which allows you to start a new game with all your items and weapons from the previous play-through, as well several new “throwback” modes that alter your available weapons and control  styles. I must admit, I’ve played very little of the brand new co-op mode, which is the major new selling point of the franchise. What little I did play was really fun. Players are free to drop in and out as they desire, and there are bonus areas that can only be accessed in co-op. This is co-op done right, and doesn’t feel like a tacked on afterthought. All that being said, the game is still excellent when played alone, so if you prefer playing solo, co-op is definitely not mandatory.

The most important thing about Dead Space 3 is that it’s just really fun to play, and feels polished as hell. Anyone who has even a passing interest in sci-fi horror should really check it out.

Clicking this link will bring you to this product’s Amazon page. Should you choose to purchase it, I will get a small commission, which will then be reinvested into the site. Although I’m including this link, my review’s and opinions will never be influenced by the opportunity to make a commission. This site is a labor of love, but costs money to maintain, so think of any commissions as a donation to the site.

Clicking any of the following thumbnails will open a gallery of Dead Space 3-related images