“Sometimes what you need is a bad man who is on your side.” Imperial agent Jahan Cross follows his conscience in this week’s Star Wars comic release. (more…)

Capcom and Ninja Theory did something that I’ve wanted to happen for years with Devil May Cry. They took the phenomenal universe of DMC and merged it with a combat system as fluid, and perfect as Bayonetta. Playing through the origin story of Dante and Virgil’s rivalry isn’t just action-packed, it’s also full of quick nods to the other titles, and a phenomenal story. If you’re more into racking up “style points and combos” you can have that too with a complete combo training room and multiple levels of difficulty not for the faint of heart.

The Hunter

Story:


Players are led through a world divided by two realities, Limbo where the demons exist and reality where everyone else exists. Mundus the “demon king” has been ruling from his position within the institution. HIs three pillars of control are the “Raptor News Network”, a soda factory pumping out Virility. Which is the worlds most popular soda conveniently loaded with a drug that keeps the human race sedate, and of course his control of the financial markets where he rules through debt. The political undertones are nothing new to the series but this is the first game that has a direct tie in to government and social issues to an extent. Overall the real joy is the re-imagining of Dante and Virgil’s past, and the explanation of their rivalry. The story, and sharp dialogue led by a younger and even more arrogant Dante drives you through every action packed battle available.

Beginnings of an air-juggle combo

Gameplay


DMC’s game play is about 2 basic things: killing baddies in the most creative ways possible using as many different weapons as you can during the fight, and navigating complex terrain using those same weapons. A training room is available to practice your juggling abilities at any moment and the load screens playing videos of example combos you can attempt to master. The levels themselves are pretty standard for the DMC series keeping the user on a linear path with secrets hidden in strange alcoves and breakable walls. The puzzle and unlock element from previous games was left behind in this one not requiring the gamer to find different pieces to unlock doors. While this doesn’t leave you locked in a drawn out adventure through the same level for a continued amount of time, it also seemed to give the game a faster feel upon completion. For those seeking depth for the series it’s required to play the unlocked extended difficulties. Even on “Nephilim” the hardest difficulty available at the beginning, I only died a total of 7 times throughout all 20 missions, while using a total of 7 items and 0 gold orbs.


As the difficulties increase the waves of enemies become stronger, lengthier, and eventually you can play where 1 hit kills, period. For those seeking a challenge the final mode is beefy enough for any savvy gamer. Finishing a level on Nephilim without taking damage is hard enough with the opportunity for stray enemy attacks or bullets. Lack of puzzle-based levels aside the overall experience is fluid, the level design is creative and each piece of the game stays unique while keeping true to the universe.


Audio


The music fits the game so perfectly I was stunned to see that most of the songs were written before or early in the production stages, and were created from a different album release entirely. The music for combat is all pulled from multiple “Combichrist” albums, that simply taught me how much I enjoy his blend of industrial techno and metal. The rest of the music for different levels is a healthy blend of dub-step and trance that fits each environment completely. When necessary you are even forced to wander levels in silence with nothing but sound effects to keep you company. Basically, the sound is phenomenal.

Overall:


If you’re even remotely interested in the DMC series or the hack ‘n slash genre you should consider picking this game up. It has enough depth for your die hard achievement whores and completionists, as well as enough story and sharp dialogue to keep your mild enthusiasts intrigued. The perfected combo system, well developed characters, unique art-style, and killer soundtrack make this game a must.

Obligatory number-based scory thingy:

• Controls: 10
• Sound: 9
• Story: 8
• Replay: 8
• Overall: 9

“It’s the Legend of Zelda, and it’s really rad. Those creatures from Ganon are really bad. Octorocks, Tektites, and Leevers too, but with your help our hero pulls through.” With those words a generation of children were introduced to one of the most venerable video game franchises of all time (and yes, even with the outdated slang, it IS rad). Over course, over the 25 year history of the series, the Zelda Universe has continued to grow unabated. Now, just days after the newest Zelda title for the Wii U was teased, Nintendo-philes everywhere are finally able to get their hands on what is sure to become the definitive piece of Zelda merchandise, The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, brought to these shores by the fine folks at Dark Horse Comics.

While this is ostensibly a review, I have to say right off the bat, if you like the Zelda series at all… BUY THIS BOOK. Really, you don’t need to tell me to tell you that. Hyrule Historia has the prestigious honor of being the #1 book on Amazon, unseating Fifty Shades of Grey, and this was just for pre-orders! So yes, you’ll want this tome, but for the sake of my wanting to gush over it, here’s the lowdown.

At first glance, Hyrule Historia is a glorified artbook. This is very untrue. While it does function as an artbook, it is so much more. The book is broken into many distinct sections. First, we’re treated to a retrospective on the series’ history by someone who should know, Shigeru Miyamoto. If you don’t know who he is, just think of him as to Nintendo what Stan Lee is to Marvel or Osamu Tezuka is to manga, you’ll get the idea.

After Miyamoto’s introduction, there is an extensive collection of Artwork from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, the most recent entry in the series on the Wii. Not only does this have official character artwork and the like, but also design evolution for all of the main characters in the game, and even some unused artwork. If this section was sold as a standalone book, it’d still be worth the price.

In the middle of the book, is the main selling point: the official timeline of the Zelda series. As many die-hard Zelda fans can tell you, this information has been public ever since the original Japanese language version of the book came out in 2011. Don’t think that you have all of the information though! There is a great introduction that explains how the timeline works and what games are included. No, not every Zelda game is included in the timeline, but honestly, the ones left out aren’t “real” Zelda games anyway.

“Gee, it sure is boring not to be included in the official timeline!” 

While the timeline itself is contained on a single page, the actual events of the timeline are spelled out in glorious detail over the next 70 pages or so. If you ever wanted to know why the names Link and Zelda are passed down throughout the ages, as well as stuff like how the Hero’s tunic become such mainstays, this is what you’re going to want the book for. It’s painstaking, yet never overbearing, and I could pore over it for hours and indeed have. That being said, being a comprehensive timeline, it does spoil the plot of every game and their potential outcomes. Buyer beware if that’s a deal breaker, though that’s a silly reason not to pick up such a treasure trove.

You’d think after the timeline, Hyrule Historia would have exhausted its content, but you’d be quite wrong. We have another art section, this time treating us to artwork from every game in the series in chronological, rather than timeline, order. One of the few knocks I give Hyrule Historia is the lack of artwork for some of the older games in the series. Still, what is there is great, and much of it hasn’t been seen anywhere before. You also have to hand it to the people at Nintendo who literally scoured their archives looking for all of this stuff. The effort is appreciated.

After the art-fest is done, there is a handy breakdown of every game in the series, and what consoles said game is available on. This is very handy if you want to play a particular game, but don’t have access to an original NES or Game Boy. Even rarities and offshoots are detailed such as Link’s Crossbow Training, and the Japan only BS Satellaview Zelda titles.

As the book winds down, we’re treated to closing remarks from Eiji Aonuma, the series director/producer for the Zelda games from 1998 on. What he has to say is very interesting.  You don’t normally expect someone in the industry to be so candid about how the games are developed. Oddly enough, the story can almost be considered an afterthought, due to games having to be about, well, the gameplay first and foremost. It’s definitely something to think about, and a testament to how hard the team at Nintendo works to make the timeline as consistent as it is!

Finally, the book closes with an amazing Zelda manga tale by Akira Himekawa. It ties directly into the story of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and serves as the true origin of both Link and Zelda. The artwork is breathtaking, and the way the story weaves itself into the larger tapestry that is Zelda is masterful. In fact, the only gripe I have about the manga will be irrelevant to most people. It is ever so slightly annoying that Hyrule Historia is laid out like a western book, reading left to right, and then the manga hits you in its native right to left format, meaning you reach the end of the story if you’re reading the rest of the book “normally”. Again, that’s barely a complaint, just me being nitpicky. There’s really no way this book could any less flawless.

So there you have it, this book contains everything a fan of Zelda could possibly want, and more. The highest kudos available to the team at Dark Horse comics for bringing this book to North America. Check out the preview gallery below and buy your own copy here!

I’m late with this review, but that’s because every time I’ve sat down to write it, it’s felt like a contradiction to every review I’ve done this season. But then it occurred to me that this episode itself was a contradiction to the entire season; it was beautiful and coherent, though not completely without flaws.

The bar was set pretty low from the teaser. A redundant re-enactment of the series opener just told us what we already knew. Cut to a forty year flash forward, and we learned the tales of Briarcliff’s most noteworthy residents through a present day interview with respected journalist Lana Winters. But the stories were engrossing and, for the most part, worthy resolutions to characters we cared about. The cinematography in this particular episode might just be the most beautiful camera work I have ever seen on television. Shots and color palettes were stunning (especially that of Jude under the weeping willow), and set design was thematic and opulently representative of cells and cages. The makeup effects were outstanding. The makeup for modern day Lana, even in high definition, was so understated in its accuracy it made me wonder if anything had been done digitally. The final shot, contrary to the rest of the episode, was of a spiral staircase, and while the camera moved up the viewer could only focus descent.

The season’s resolution was told mostly through flashbacks, which some would consider cheating. It’s quite obvious that I thought the creative teams had written themselves into corners, so it definitely seems a bit of cheating to me. The stories revealed in the finale negated a good deal of the point of the entire season. I would have rather seen more of Kit and Jude raising the alien-engineered children than a lesbian inmate who happens to look exactly like the angel of death. Maybe I’m missing the point of the show, which was random psychoses over character development, and if so, maybe it’s just not the show for me.

The alien plot had a finale with absolutely zero resolution. As appropriate as that finale was, it proved to have absolutely zero relevance to anything that happened to any of the characters that had been involved. Kit’s children grew into perhaps hyperintelligent but otherwise normal adults. Would angels have not served the show’s themes better than aliens? Did I in fact miss another point the creators were trying to make? Should I just accept the show as some Lynchian exercise in the stream of consciousness?  Had it not been for a season of icons and Christ metaphors, I would go with just that and probably have a lot more fun with it. But right down to Monsignor Howard’s death, which forsook any sense of realism to yet again preach a metaphor, the show seemed to be slamming me over the head with some sort of reason. I’m either too dumb for the message or too smart for the joke.

Despite my giant complaints, I did enjoy this season’s finale much more than that of the freshman season. Had this finale aired two or three episodes earlier, I would have loved the entire sophomore season. This is not a run I will be purchasing for rewatch, nor would I recommend it for someone else. But if you do, can I borrow the special features disc?

Well, things are certainly moving at a breakneck pace on The Clone Wars these days. After consolidating the forces of the underworld in the last episode, Maul elaborates on a plan to infiltrate Mandalore and install Death Watch as the heroes of the day.

With Duchess Satine imprisoned as bait for Kenobi and an army at his disposal, Maul is pleased. But slightly surprised, it seems, at how quickly Pre Vizsla betrayed him and took the power on his own.

This is an episode I’d have loved to have seen exploded into its own four part arc. I would have loved to have seen the infiltration of Mandalore and how it affected Mandalorians, then another episode of Vizsla saving the day, then an episode of the betrayal. It was good, a fantastic episode, but so much happened in such a compressed amount of time I wish they would have taken a bit of time. Maul has hatched a ham-fisted version of a Sidious style plan in the space of about four minutes and I would have loved to have seen it play out over the course of more episodes. It’s almost too bad they don’t play the episodes more chronologically and they could have had this playing out in the background over half a dozen episodes.

But that’s not how it’s done here on The Clone Wars, and that’s fine, too.

This episode had a lot of cool things going on. And one of my favorite laugh-out-loud moments of the show. For some reason, it’s hilarious to me that Satine is almost a paranoid crazy-person when it comes to Death Watch. If anything even remotely bad happens, she breathlessly asks, “Was it Death Watch?!”

With the exclamation point and everything.

She jumps at shadows and isn’t the most reasonable person. It’s a character trait that I find hilarious.

The action on this episode had plenty of moments that left my mouth agape. Maul and Vizsla’s fight was incredible, though I got the idea that Maul was holding back to make the fight seem fair to those watching.

I loved watching Maul and Savage breaking out of the prison and for once unleashing the full power of their force. And I love watching how Maul has learned his lessons over the years from training under, then studying, Sidious.

I also loved seeing the shifting landscape of alliances. With Death Watch switching sides repeatedly, and Maul marshalling the forces of the underworld and the neutral systems under Mandalore’s alliance, Maul has made it impossible for the Republic and Separatists to ignore him. Things are going insane.

And, if you’ll permit me discussion of a spoiler here, why did Pre Vizsla have to die? He was such a cool character, and complex if not single-minded. Though, if it allows Bo Katan to take the spotlight, it was a necessary sacrifice. Favreau did an excellent job voicing him and I’m sad to see his association with Star Wars drawing to an end, at least for now.

And once more, the animation and lighting on the show takes a leap ahead. The lighting effects around the lightsabers are always fantastic, but when you combine that with the beautiful lighting set up in the Mandalorian throne room, you’re given a recipe for stunning visuals.

Overall, I think this episode was fantastic, but moved too quickly, cramming too many events that deserve more attention into a half hour time slot.

For upcoming exclusive interviews with the cast of The Clone Wars, be sure to listen to the Full of Sith podcast.

There’s really not a lot to say about this episode. I love stand alone Supernaturals, I love Felicia Day, and I love LARPing have never role played Vampire:The Masquerade on the campus of The Ohio State University but I imagine it would totally be a good time.

Sam and Dean travel under the aliases Taggart  and Rosewood (totally in my top five aliases, by the way) to investigate LARPers perishing under extreme and mysterious circumstances. Once there, they run into their old pal Charlie Bradbury, who is now going by the name Carrie Heinlein (which is also super cute). Antics ensue, and the day gets saved.

The episode was darn near perfect. The writing felt very Whedon-esque to me, and I like to think that’s a credit to Robbie Thompson and not just the presence of Felicia Day. Lines were quippy and poppy and downright funny. Charlie’s sexuality is portrayed in a way that does not define her as a person or character, which is so very refreshing in network television these days. That’s the beauty of the character, really (aside from the fact that every nerd girl aspires to be just that cool). Charlie is a lesbian but there are never any nods to stereotypes or tropes – she simply just is. She is Han Solo with gorgeous red locks. She almost got the girl. She got a simultaneous Lord of the Rings/Harry Potter move in this episode. She wins at everything.

Also worth noting, the diversion on the Big Bad was creepy and gorgeous, a combination of which I am a big fan. The diversion didn’t really work, as the real bad guy was a bit easy to spot early on, but when I’m having this much fun I really can’t complain about the ease of repressed nerd spotting. And I am a big fan of the resolution of the episode. Not only was there further reconciliation between brothers, but nerds were not singled out as being weird or less-than. Sam and Dean LARPed, and they were (relatively) good at it, and it made me smile.

It’s a short review this week, but I can tell you that if you’ve never watched the show this is a great place to start. There was just enough angst to clue you in to the central theme of the show and a brief nod to the main arc of the season, and if you are a fan of Day or live action gaming, you will not be disappointed. Give it a try!

This episode starts with one of the coolest Aliens references I’ve seen. Just like the opening salvage team in James Cameron’s alien, the Death Watch, led by Pre Vizsla, cut open a hole in the ship Obi-Wan and Asajj Ventress left them in and find them in a form of hyper-sleep. It’s long been known that the Force can allow Force-users to enter a hibernation sleep to preserve their life signs. Based on the glittery dust (perfectly recreated from the opening of Aliens), they must have been drifting in space for quite a while.

Both Death Watch and the Sith brothers see this as a fortuitous opportunity to consolidate forces to take back the Galaxy, with Mandalore as a first step. I loved the scene between Vizsla and Maul drinking tea. I love moments like that, when villains show a more quiet side, discussing things. Though Vizsla did give a rousing speech about Mandalore:

But since neither Pre Vizsla nor Darth Maul have honor, they’re both plotting to betray each other, exactly as you’d think the situation would turn out. But who is going to get the upper-hand here?

This episode is action and set-up heavy, but for a setup episode it really knocked my socks off. Sure, it had long scenes of Vizsla and Maul talking, but it also had decapitations, face-offs between Sith and the Bounty Hunters (including Embo and his James Bond-Odd Job hat), showdowns with Black Sun and Jabba’s army, Mandos flying through the sky and blowing things up… It had everything you could have wanted as far as action goes for an episode, save a lightsaber on lightsaber showdown between a Jedi and a Sith.

More than anything, though, this episode is Maul assembling his chess pieces for the epic match of grandmasters to come. On one side you have Palpatine, Yoda, and the Jedi Council, on the other side you have Sidious, Dooku, and the Separatists, and then a new force in Maul, Death Watch, and the entire underworld.

It’s sad when you think about who it is who has the advantage here and pieces on two sides of the board.

Death Watch will be but a blip to be swept up under the conflict, and Maul will be pinched out from the Republic and the Separatists. And based on that trailer for the rest of Season 5, Sidious is going to be the one personally mopping the floor with Maul.

Things are finally kicking in to high gear with the Clone Wars. This was a solid episode with high-octane action and excellently scripted exposition. Hopefully we’ll see the pieces move deeper into play next week and into the weeks beyond.

The return of Winchester Wednesday was celebrated in fine fashion – the strong return of a beloved character, possible resolution to a season long frustration, and a perfectly timed back-from-hiatus plot bombshell.

Castiel rejoined the team this evening. In between his trips to Heaven, he’s apparently been traveling the country Kung Fu style, only instead of getting in boss fights he’s been healing babies and stuff. Repenting. But he hears the cries of tortured Samandriel (known to us as Alfie, Weenie-on-a-stick-Guy if you’re nasty), and recruits Sam and Dean to help locate the captive Ophanim. Of course Crowley is behind the capture, and he and his goon halo the angel and learn that in addition to the Demon Stone, there exists an Angel Stone. The implication is that Heaven could be sealed just as easily as Hell, but first one of the parties must locate and translate the stone.

The episode started with a Sam and Dean tanty. It’s so easy as a viewer to sit and scream “GOD DEAN JUST APOLOGIZE” (which I most certainly did not do – I am a grownup), but one of the hardest things to learn as a writer is that your characters can’t always make good decisions. Where is the fun in that? Would I still watch Supernatural if Sam and Dean always got along and never suffered any familial strife? It’s insanely frustrating to watch, but constant comfort makes for some bland TV, and I have come to terms with the fact that my discomfort means the writers are doing their jobs, and doing it well.

Tricksy Castiel reunited the boys after their tiff and requested that they “stow their crap,” and they did. They kicked a lot of demon ass, but requested a demon bomb that was never used. Big flaw in the episode, but as has become the standard with this season, the fight choreography and cinematography have become so well played that it’s sometimes easy to forget the little things. In the process Castiel had some intense lobotomy flashbacks and Sam and Dean noticed that something is most definitely amiss with Castiel.

As a result of the unification for the rescue, Sam and Dean resolve their difference and address, what has this season represented some long time struggles – Sam and his desire to leave the family business, and Dean’s firm stance against monster mingling. Neither resolution came without a shadow, however, and it’s my best guess that we have not seen the end of Benny or Amelia this season. I sadly fear that neither story will come to a happy ending.

This season really is living up to it’s nom de fan “season gr8.” I’m eager for each new episode, still in pleasant mystery where the seasonal arc is concerned, and loving the stand alone fun time episode.

My generation does not know the war of movies past. We do not know the air raid drill, or hiding under our school desks, we have never had a vainglorious kiss on any V-Day. We don’t know the epic steady-cam tracking shot or the confetti parade. We know fear for our husbands and wives, our brothers and sisters. We know dusty chaos and fear that a truck will explode in front of our bank. We know Kathryn Bigelow’s war.

“Zero Dark Thirty” opens in blackness, and the only sounds are snippets of 911 calls placed on September 11th, 2001. My experience was not gratuitous; I felt it all over again, but this time with far less hate and fear. The journey back is necessary and helps the viewer return to a place when we were all so hungry for justice, and there we meet Maya. Played by Jessica Chastain, Maya is loosely based on a real person, and it is her work that leads a decade long manhunt to its successful end. She is joined by a CIA team that operates out of several locations in the Middle East, including several detainment camps. I have heard several complaints of gratuitous violence, and even saw some calls to boycott the film. The scenes of torture were not without reason, and in my cynical eye were, in all likelihood, Disney compared to actual events. No human beings were treated with disrespect. There was no heartless torture master, there were no shrieking zealots.

The film is comprised of almost entirely hand held shots, but the shaky-cam was not nearly as “guerilla-film” as I expected. The camera work was noticeable without being distracting, and was especially effective in the oddest of places – the close-ups. Maya is young and conflicted but her shell is tough and confident. The camera almost serves as character development. Maya might be young and tough (having already gained fame as “a killer”), but Chastain plays the discomfort in the torture cells just as powerfully as the demanding low-level op who is working for her own vengeance as well as her country’s security.  The first acts of “Zero Dark Thirty” are espionage thriller – interrogations, moles, double agents and diversions. Tension builds slowly as leads are found and lost, battles won and risks assessed. If any fat could have been trimmed from the film’s 2:37 run time, it could have been during these moments, notably while trying to find notorious courier Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti. While the means to locate the man were crafty, the scenes became redundant.

By act three, I remembered why I was madly in love with Kathryn Bigelow. She shot a night time covert op and still managed to create some of the most striking imagery I have ever seen. Unlike other films that utilize large military teams, this one was easy to follow, characters were not lost, and not once did I have to squint and remind myself where the action was taking place or heading. Night vision was used sparingly as a device, but night sights and goggle helmets made the action almost alien and completely submersive.

I cannot speak to the historical accuracy of the film, as I didn’t follow the story as it originally developed and did not research it before the film. When I go to the movies, it’s because I want to see a good movie, and I have rarely taken fault with Hollywood taking artistic license. Especially when the facts (as we are meant to know them, anyway) are readily available in countless other mediums.

“Zero Dark Thirty” is not a patriotic film. It is the story of a woman’s quest, but in its details prompts discussion on what humans are capable of when confronted with war and genocide. Americans are not flawless heroes (but heroes all the same), and the death of the greatest villain my generation has yet to face is treated with dignity and without pomp. If Bigelow isn’t careful, she just might re-define a genre.

Swank and GONK team up to review the first issue of the new Star Wars comic by Brian Wood. And yes, there’s spoilers. (more…)