• Holiday Games Radar (2009)
• Halo 3: ODST
• Assassins Creed II (PS3, Xbox360)
• Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony (Xbox360)
• Left 4 Dead 2 (Xbox360)

GAMEPLAY (9/10)

To say that developer Quantic Dream is pushing the creative envelope with this game is a bit of an understatement. Heavy Rain takes the traditional control schemes found in most modern games and throws it out the window. What we are left with are on screen instructions that tell you what control inputs to make during a given situation. Need help getting out of that burning vehicle? Hit L1, R2, and rapidly tap X at the same time. This is just one example of control commands in Heavy Rain. While it may seem strange, after the first act, it becomes almost second nature.

The game starts out by introducing you to this control scheme. You assume the role of one of the playable characters and begin doing everyday things like brushing your teeth, getting dressed, and drinking coffee. It may seem a bit tedious at first, but once the action starts, it never really lets up. there is always constant tension fo what is coming next. Even more exciting is how you are going to handle the situation. In otehr games, you already know what inputs to make to ensure your character’s survival.

In Heavy Rain, you won’t know what these commands are until you are already knee deep in trouble. You may get a plist second to react by pushing the square button. These types of inputs, often referred to as Quick Time Events (QTE), have been seen in other games (God of War series comes to mind). However, unlike in other games, Heavy Rain has already established a context which makes these inputs all the more crucial. While other games will simply give you a “Game Over” screen while you wait to reload, the consequences in Heavy Rain are even more critical. If the character you’re playing as happens to die, the story will continue on without them. Get one thing straight about this game- nearly everyone can and probably will die no matter how crucial they are to the plot. No one is safe, which makes executing the correct control inputs all the more vital.

Many people have dismissed this game as nothing more than a type of interactive movie. Despite the unorthodox controls of this game, I found it to be one of the msot immersive games I have ever played. I was obsessed with finding out who the murderer was. I was equally obsessed with not letting any of the main characters die. There are numerous outcomes to the endgame, all of which are effected by the choices you make and who survives to the end of the game.

STORY (9/10)

Heavy Rain has an excellent plot. The city is being terrorized by a serial killer known as the Origami Killer. The Origami Killer kidnaps young boys and kills them after so many days have elapsed. He leaves origami animals at the scenes where he abducts his victims. You assume the roles of 4 different characters all of whom are tied to the origami killer in some way or another. There is Ethan Mars, a loving father who lost his oldest son to a car accident. His youngest boy has recently been kidnapped by the Origami Killer and he must race against time to try and save him. There is FBI Agent Jayden who has been sent to the local precinct to help the cops profile the killer ala Criminal Minds. There is the hardnosed ex cop turned detective Scott Shelby, who has been hired by to look into the Origami Killer case. Then finally there is Madison, an attractive young woman who is investigating the murders for reasons that are not revealed initially. While playing the game, you get the sense that anyone, even the main characters, can wind up being the Origami Killer.

You do not have control over which character you assume control of. In fact, you take turns on who you are controlling as the plot is unfolded through the eyes of these four individuals. While the game has its moments of disbelief, it is impressive when it all comes together at the end. One of the coolest things is how the lives of the other characters are affected by each character’s actions. In my first playthrough, I was unable to save one of the characters and he wound up being killed. Later in the game, another one of the characters was being accused of murder as a result of the character that died not being around to share evidence that would clear his name. Small details like this really enhance the game’s sense of immersion.

SOUND (8/10)

The brooding soundtrack of this game is excellent. It really helps convey the dreariness of the constant rainfall and the urgency to find Ethan Mars’ son. The music does an excellent job of setting the mood throughout the game while avoiding becoming overly cheesy and melodramatic. Occasionally, I experienced glitches where the sound would cut out or just the music would cut out and it really took me out of the game. There were even a few instances where it caused me to miss some key dialogue.

The voice acting in this game is pretty good overall. Some of the characters seem to be voiced by European actors who are badly trying to hide their accents while speaking in an American accent. Sometimes this gets a bit disturbing as their accent fades in and out. In the big scheme of things, it is not that important but it does take away from the game as it happens fairly often.

GRAPHICS (9/10)

Heavy Rain has some incredible graphics. The player models all look very detailed and about as lifelike as you can get in a game. The environments are all well fleshed out to really help contribute to the overall beauty of the game. Likewise, the water and rain effects seen throughout the game are flat out impressive. It is one of the few games I’ve seen in which water moves and flows like it is supposed to.

Despite all of this graphical praise, the game is not without its flaws. Sometimes the transition from gameplay to cutscenes is way too noticeable due to the difference in graphics between the in game characters and how they are depicted in the cutscenes. There are also random glitches where your character may get stuck on a wall or a step. When I first played the game, the opening scene had this wierd rainbow pattern all over my character. It finally went away in the next scene, but it just feels like these types of occurences happen a bit too often for a finished retail version of a game.

REPLAYABILITY (9/10)

For a game with no multiplayer componenet, Heavy Rain has a ton of replay value. Each decision impacts how the stroy will play out, so naturally there are quite a few ways to finish the game depending on your previous in game actions. Die hard fans will want to pay through every possible scenario in order to unlock all of the possible endings. There are just so many choices that can affect the game’s outcome and it should keep most people quite busy trying to figure them all out.

The game also features a chapter select option in which you can choose to replay specific chapters to see the effects of making different choices. There is also some planned DLC cming for this game in the near future. Another major replay bonus is trying to catch all of the clues that you missed the first time through. After I finished the gmae and found out who the killer was, I immediately started another playthrough to see if there were any signs indicating the killer’s identity. It is in the little details like this that willl keep people playing this game trying to unlock all of the possible scenarios.

OVERALL (9/10)

Overall I think this is an excellent game with a very strong plot. I was a bit skeptical at first as to how they would work everything out, but QWuantic Dreams seems to have found a solid formula for this type of game. I can’t wait to see their future offerings on similar type games as I can easily see this type of game becoming its own genre or even revolutionizing the way we play games in general. This game seems like the next step in bridging the gap between quality cinema and quality gaming. Hopefully more developers will help to evolve this style of game as the possibilities are endless.

• Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony (Xbox360)
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
• Tekken 6 (PS3, Xbox360)
• Brutal Legend (PS3, Xbox360)
• Batman: Arkham Asylum (Xbox 360, PS3)

A group of suburban teenagers share one common bond: they are all being stalked by Freddy Krueger, a horribly disfigured killer who hunts them in their dreams. As long as they stay awake, they can protect one another… but when they sleep, there is no escape.

• The Twilight Saga : New Moon Trailer
• Friday the 13th – Theatrical Trailer
• Halo:Reach Multiplayer Clip
• Latest Paranormal Activity Trailer
• Trailer : Ninja Assassin

Shutter Island is the story of two federal marshalls who are sent to an asylum for the criminally insane to investigate the dissappearance of one of the patients. From the movie’s opening it is clear that not everything is as it seems. As the marshalls dig deeper and deeper into the disappearance they discover some shocking information about the island and themselves. That is about as detailed as it gets without getting into spoiler territory. Believe me when I say that this is a movie you will want to see and figure out for yourself.

I know many viewers will guess what the big twist might be at first, however it will be damn near impossible to figure out everything that the movie has hidden until the very powerful ending. As an avid moviegoer who usually figures out these types of things early on in the film, by the time the movie ended I was still genuinely surprised at its resolution. Director Martin Scorcese has had enough experience making quality movies that he definitely knows how to set up and deliver a punch line and this film is living proof of that.

Of course, Scorcese could not have pulled it off without his incredible cast. Leonardo DiCaprio is incredible as U.S. Marshall Teddy Daniels. Within the past five years or so, Dicaprio has become one of my favorite actors not only due to his incredible talent, but also his uncanny ability for picking solid scripts. His portrayal in this film is probably his best work yet, which says a lot when you consider some of his past performances. Mark Ruffalo also gives a great portrayal as Dicaprio’s partner Chuck Aule. Ruffalo is an excellent straight man to Dicaprio’s brooding, intense, paranoid character.

Another major standout is Ben Kingsley, who portrays Dr. Cawley, the doctor in charge of running the asylum. While it is no shocker that Kingsley is an excellent actor, it is nice to see him in a quality film that is deserving of his talents. Jackie Earl Haley, perhaps best known for his role as Rorschach in Watchmen or his upcoming role as the new Freddy Kreuger, also has a brief but amazingly intense scene with Dicaprio. With Scorcese’s direction and the brilliant performances by the cast, this film was easliy one of the most immersive movies I’ve seen in a long time. I felt genuinely disturbed by what was unfolding on the screen.

Shutter Island is an excellent movie. Too many films resort to cheap narration or overexposure to reveal the final plot points.With Shutter Island, each scene is well crafted and the way the plot is unveiled makes you feel like you are discovering what is going on a long with the characters, which just enhances the overall experience. I would highly recommend this movie to everyone. There is a good chance that this will wind up scooping up quite a few oscars at the year’s end and that is no joke.

• Zombieland (Theaters)
• Inglourious Basterds (Theaters)
• District 9 (Theaters)
• Funny People (Theaters)
• Pixar’s UP 3-D (Theaters)

In 2019, a plague has caused the majority of the world’s population to become vampires. The few remaining humans are forced into hiding for fear of being hunted down and farmed for their blood. Overpopulation combined with a shortage of humans, has resulted in a rapidly diminishing food supply which is predicted to run out in a month.
The vampire leaders are desperate to find a solution to this problem before human extinction eventually leads to the end of vampires also. This twist is an interesting deviation from the standard “humans vs. vampires” in that it acknowledges the dependency between the two and focuses a majority of the films attention on this fact.

The acting in the film is pretty good overall. Ethan Hawke gives an excellent portrayal of Edward Dalton, the vampire scientist struggling to find a solution to the food supply crisis. Despite him being a cold vampire, he manages to convey a great deal of emotion while still coming off convincingly as a vamp. Willem Dafoe is his usual eccentric self as the leader of the last remaining humans who has an interesting secret. Perhaps the best part of the cast is the amazing Sam Neill. He portrays Charles Bromley, head of a billion dollar corporation whose purpose is to harvest humans for their blood. Some of the coolest villains are those who can remain calm and even polite while in the middle of committing some truly atrocious acts. Neill has this down pat as his character can transform from gentleman to vicious killer in the blink of an eye.

While the premise and the overall story hold up fairly well throughout the film, it seems to lose a bit of steam in the final act. I don’t know whetehr it was the ’solution” that they discover or whether the premise wasn’t quite strong enough to drive the entire movie for me, but the momentum that was built up started to lose some of its energy by the end. Daybreakers is still a pretty good movie. It presents a fairly new twist on an old idea and the film is entertaining throughout. I wouldn’t expect anything ground breaking when wtching this film, but it is interesting enough to keep you guessing and wanting to know what happens next.

• The Twilight Saga: New Moon (Theaters)
• The Twilight Saga : New Moon Trailer
• Twilight (DVD)
• 30 days of Night (Theaters)

With the huge success of the first game, a sequel was inevitably set to follow. This brings us to Bioshock 2 and also raised some new questions. Will Rapture still be as immersive as in the first game? Will the plot of the second game be anywhere near as good as the amazing plot of the first? All of these and more will be addressed as we dive in to Bioshock 2.

GRAPHICS (8/10)

The graphics are almost identical to those of the first game. This isn’t a bad thing since the first game was by far one of the best looking of its time. However, a lot can happen in 2.5 years. We have seen othe sequels released in this time who manage to completely outdo their already gorgeous predecessors. Mass Effect 2, Gears of War 2, and COD:MW2 are all games that spring to mind where the sequels have pushed the graphical envelope past the point of the previous games. Unfortunately, Bioshock 2 is not one of those games. The graphics do not seem to have aged very well. The graphics are not bad, but one would expect at least a slight upgrade to the first game.

Despite the lack of graphical improvement, the thing that keeps Rapture so gorgeous to look at still is the game’s incredible art direction. There is a tremendous amount of detail that went into this game and it really shows. They managed to successfully recreate the 50s era, while at the same time distorting it just enough that it fits in with Rapture’s twisted environments. If you were dropping acid back in the 50s, this is probably a good depiction of what everything would look like. What made the first game so great was the disturbing vibe that the city gave off, and this game is no different as Rapture is just as creepy as ever.

SOUND (10/10)

The sound in this game is incredible. While it doesn’t have the grandscale explosions of Modern Warfare, the sound is still probably the best I’ve heard in a game. The sounds of enemies eerily singing as they wander around, the crushing footsteps of larger enemies as they trudge down the walkways, and the fluid sounds of rushing water as various leaks spring throughout the city are all brought to life with the amazing use of sound in this game. Without a doubt, out of all the games released so far, Bioshock 2 makes the best use of surround sound systems by far. This helps maintain the creepy atmosphere and helps ensure that the hairs on the back of your neck never come down while playing this game.

The voice acting in this game is top notch also. There is something that seems very genuine about the voices and dialogue in this game. The characters all sound and talk like they are from the time period. Some of the mroe insane characters you run into are by far the highlight of the game, but their portrayal would not be possible without the incredible voice acting. This is just another detail that helps with the overall immersion.

GAMEPLAY (9/10)

Publisher 2K games seems to have taken note of all of the problems with the first game and has improved upon nearly all of them. The hacking system which was so often used in the first game has now been revamped. it is definitely more streamlined, but still very difficult especially on higher levels. the biggest difference is that you feel that you have more control over the hacking elements. This is important as you spend a good portion of the game hacking into various devices.

Perhaps the biggest improvement is in the combat itself. Now you can use a weapon in one hand and a plasmid (power) in the other hand. Nothing is smoother than lighting someone up with lightning then unloading your machine gun into their shocked body. The combat is so smooth now that I can’t even remember how clunky it felt to have to shift from plasmids to guns to plasmids in the first game. This new “dual wield” system is definitely a nice addition to the series.

There are also some new weapons and powers, but nothing too revolutionary. This time around you get to play as a Big Daddy, but your movement isn’t slow and cumbersome like the big daddies in the previous game. The main character is very mobile and fairly agile. He moves almost identically to Jack from the first game. While the core gameplay elements are still very much the same, 2K has done a great job of keeping what worked and fixing what was broken. The end result is a much smoother playing experience.

STORY (7/10)

This is the area that the game suffered the most. In many ways, this game is a victim of the first game’s success. The plot of the original had so many twists, combined with the freshness of Rapture, that it set the bar very very high for the sequel. Unlike Bioshock, Bioshock 2 has more of a straight forward storyline. There aren’t any twists or betrayals. The story is simply you being on a mission- plain and simple. While the story is not bad, it doesn’t grip you like the first game did. The first game made me not want to stop playing in order to uncover what would happen next. This game almost encouraged me to take breaks from it.

One of the things that really hurt this game is the lack of a strong and charismatic villain. The first game had Andrew Ryan, who seemed charismatic and engaging enough to drive the entire game on his own. This time around, we’re stuck with Sophia Lamb, a scientist on rapture who has convinced everyone that her way is the right way. To make a long story short, she is less than engaging. With Ryan, I wanted to hurry to the end to see what he looked like or if he even existed. With Lamb, you never get a glimpse of her until the final ending, and even then she is a mediocre villain at best. As I mentioned earlier, the story is not bad, but it is nothing compared to the intensity of the first game.

MULTIPLAYER (6/10)

Bioshock 2 introduces a multiplayer component that the first game did not have. The multiplayer is decent, but the single player is definitely the game’s focus. There are standard deathmatch type games as well as other objective based multiplayer games, however none of them manage to really bring anything new to the table. The multi features multiple weapon loadouts similar to Modern Warfare, but nothing all that spectacular. I haven’t put in very much time into the multiplayer, and for good reason. The matches are unbelievably laggy.

When everything works, the multiplayer is still a bit average. I can see people really getting into this if they haven’t played some of the better MP offerings out there, but if you’ve even touched Halo or COD, you will be left scratching your head at the multiplayer of this game. There are some promising elements and hopefully if there is a Bioshock 3 that has multiplayer they will have fine tuned everything by then. For now, the single player is definitely the way to go.

OVERALL (8/10)

While an 8/10 is not a bad score, it just feels like this game could have been so much better. The fact that the developer who created the game was not onboard for the sequel may have something to do with it. Regardless, this is a solid game on its own but when compared to the first it doesn’t really hold up. I enjoyed playing through the game, but the drive to keep playing it just wasn’t there. For those who played and enjoyed the first, you will most likely get into this game. Don’t expect it to be better than or even as good as the original, but it is still worth a playthrough.

• Halo:Reach Multiplayer Clip
• Heavy Rain (PS3)
• Mass Effect 2 (Xbox360, PC)
• Assassins Creed II (PS3, Xbox360)
• Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony (Xbox360)

The film takes place some time in the 70s and the entire film is shot with a retro feel to it making it reminiscent of films like ‘Poltergeist’ or ‘Close Encounters’. However, the visual comparisons end there as The Box doesn’t have any of the substance of any of the two previously mentioned films. Cameron Diaz is a school teacher / mother who is employed at a prestigous local private school which her son also attends. James Marsden plays her husband, who works for NASA and is a hopeful candidate for the astronaut program. To make a long story short, the family comes into some financial hardship and decides to press the button. What ensues is a confusing and uninteresting romp towards a less than impresive climax.

Most of the interest in the plot stems from the mysterious box. How does it work? How do people die from it? Unfortunately the answers to these questions ultimatley drag the movie down quite a bit. I won’t spoil the details, but the method in which they explain everything is seriously dissappointing.

If you are really dying to watch this movie, then it may be worth renting to see for yourself. I watched this movie for free and was still disappointed even with my bar set relatively low. It is a shame since Marsden and Diaz are great actors but unfortunately they weren’t good enough to salvage this film.

• Knowing (DVD)
• W. (DVD)
• The Day the Earth Stood Still (DVD)
• SexDrive (DVD)
• Quarantine (DVD)

Make no mistake, Foxx and Butler are what make this movie work. Form the beginning, the plot seems like a standard revenge flick. Butler plays Clyde Shelton, whose wife and child are beaten and murdered in front of him by a group of men while his home was being broken into. Foxx is the attorney prosecuting the case, Nick Rice, who winds up cutting a deal with the leader of the group in exchange for his testimony against another, less involved group member. Shelton of course, sees Rice as corrupt and vows to have his revenge on not only Rice, but the entire judicial system.

After murdering the gang leader responsible for the death of his family, Shelton is arrested and placed in jail. However, he still continues to target and kill anyone involved with his case. It is up to Rice to figure out a way to stop him before it is too late.

The plot of the film is actually pretty good and will keep most people guessing for most of the movie. About two thirds of the way into the film, there is a huge plot twist that feels like it was lifted straight out of a cartoon. The twist is so obvious and almost insulting. Any other movie would have been destroyed by this revealation. It is a testament to the excellent acting of Foxx and Butler, however, that this movie survives. The interplay between the two actors and the tension generated between them in each scene is clearly the driving force of this film.

I know that not everyone will appreciate this movie, but it is fairly entertaining throughout. Up until the big revealation near the end, I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what would happen next. This movie is definitely worth renting, although not quite as good as the expectations I had for it.

• Law Abiding Citizen (Theaters)
• Pandorum (DVD)
• Observe & Report (DVD)
• Crank: High Voltage (DVD)
• Adventureland (DVD)

Official Plot Synopsis: Crowe stars as the legendary figure known by generations as Robin Hood, whose exploits have endured in popular mythology and ignited the imagination of those who share his spirit of adventure and righteousness. In 13th century England, Robin and his band of marauders confront corruption in a local village and lead an uprising against the crown that will forever alter the balance of world power. And whether thief or hero, one man from humble beginnings will become an eternal symbol of freedom for his people.

• Latest Paranormal Activity Trailer
• Entertainment Wrap #20
• Entertainment Wrap #19
• Entertainment Wrap #18
• Entertainment Wrap #17

A new CG animated film, A.D., puts a new spin on the zombie film. A man and a woman living in a post-apocalyptic world face off against zombies — this isn’t anything you’re going to be seeing out of Pixar anytime soon. Ben Hibbon, the director, also worked on the video games Heavenly Sword and Killer7. This could be pretty cool.

• Entertainment Wrap #20
• Entertainment Wrap #19
• Entertainment Wrap #18
• Entertainment Wrap #17
• Entertainment Wrap #16