Dead Space Fan Site:
DeadSpace.HorrorStyle.com

First of all, what is Linger in Shadows? To be precise that’s a demoscene- the underground digital art that experiments audiovisual capabilities of various platforms. It evolved in the late eighties and started on such platforms as Atari, Amiga, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, Sinclair ZX Spectrum and others. Basically by now demoscenes are available on all possible platforms- including Playstation 3. In most cases these demos are available as free downloads on internet. The most famous such site would be www.scene.org, a non profit organisation run by volunteers committed to promote the demoscene culture. You can download video only version of Linger in Shadows from scene.org for free

So what’s the sense to pay even a little for Linger in Shadows on Playstation Store? The point is that project Linger in Shadows evolved from a demoscene to an extensively interactive art that explores not only audiovisual features of PS3 but also other system possibilities. That includes Playstation Trophies, time and space control, vibration and motion sensors of PS3 Sixaxis controller, screenshots, interaction with the environment and exploration. Quite a list of features for a ‘fancy video’, isn’t it? And one of my favourites here is ‘photographing’ (making screenshots). With little efforts you could capture awesome screens in lossless quality and use them as custom wallpapers. Nice!

Art-wise there could be no objective opinion (as always)- some will love it, others maybe not. However everyone would agree that it stands out with its painterly visual filters (real-time, if you ask) and amazing fur shaders. I’m not sure if 1080 HD resolution was so necessary here, but the whole concept of demoscenes is pushing the limits, isn’t it?

Musical score earns my special praises here- it’s just top class. Think about the best epic films or games and you’ll get the picture. It’s pleasing to learn that Sony Entertainment has no limits in supporting their developers and bringing high production values to their products. On other hand, such talented team as Plastic, the developers of Linger in Shadows, deserves nothing less.

Linger in Shadows even has its own easter egg! It’s unlockable in the menu by pressing down both analog sticks L3 & R3 on Playstation controller. The new menu item takes the viewer to an ‘old school’ demoscene- rotating squares and balls with a starfield in the background. More interesting are the text messages there- especially the top one from Polish developers Plastic. For instance, the lead programmer Michal “Bonzaj” Staniszewski says: “This beast took us 2 years to develop but we survived and we will eat your brains with this old school interlude”. Hehe:)

And don’t be afraid, Linger in Shadows won’t jam your hard disk- it’s 101MB only. And that’s an achievement too, considering that the rendered video in full HD is 400MB in size- and that’s excluding any interactions!

All that said, I have to mention that it’s not a perfect experience though. There are some slight problems with controls and the control scheme itself isn’t intuitive as well. Also I wish that the 3D models were more detailed, but possibly that the real-time painter filter puts some limitations. However, for a product that came out of the underground movement, it’s a sound achievement. Keep up the great work, Plastic!

Such art experiments are more than welcome. In the end, they even have an educational value by familiarising audience with modern arts. I’m very curious to see Plastic’s next project ‘Into the Pink’ as promised in the easter egg.

Links:
Download video only version of Linger in Shadows
Official Linger in Shadows site
Plastic
Scene.org

Story-wise Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune is very enjoyable and captivating modern day tale with surprises and twists. The intention of Naughty Dogs (the creators of Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune) was to create a purely pleasing experience- and they fully succeeded with this. The main hero Drake Nathan is a descendant of the explorer Sir Francis Drake and so he inherits clues how to find El Dorado (Grail Cup of every treasure hunter!). And the adventure begins leading Drake from one clue to another through the exotic island’s ungles, ancient puzzles and secrets, modern pirates and their traps, ruins of old fortresses, palaces and churches, secret tombs with unexpected inhabitants- you name it! But Drake is not alone in this dangerous journey- he’s accompanied by his friend Victor “Sully” Sullivan and journalist Elena Fisher- beautiful and brave girl. That’s a blast adventure that ends with interesting twists.

From the very start the game strikes with its visual awesomeness  and continues to deliver the same quality through all the game. Attention to details is phenomenal- even old junk in dark corners consists of interesting and highly detailed objects. Every piece of texture is polished to perfectness and so it adds a great deal to the overall captivating atmosphere- masterfully re-created surfaces often was keeping me just wondering around. Naughty Dogs exploited their strength at visuals fully- striking landscapes, interiors of ancient ruins and hideaways would thrill every romantic soul. 

Animation art is worth a separate praise here- Drake moves so naturally and swiftly that you’re getting pleasure just from controlling it. Naughty Dogs put all their efforts to make Drake’s behaviour as human as possible- and they succeeded with that so much that it often feels more like a film than a game.

Sounds and music are simply brilliant like everything else in Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. The instrumental score is of top film quality and adds a lot to the strong emotional impact. Sound design here shows off the true advantages of interactive arts. One could even say- hearing is believing. Oh yes, there’s no lack of subtleness here!

If you never played Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune then you missed a lot- that’s one of the best games of all times. Let’s hope that the upcoming film adaptation of Uncharted will live up to the expectations and the original high production values. In either case, I strongly believe that Uncharted 2 will be the best interactive adventure in 2009.

The plot is quite unbelievable, especially if to consider that such event like exorcism happened in 1976, Germany. But it’s based on the true story of Anneliese Michel, a young catholic student, that died during the attempt of healing from demonic possession. On top of that, she was using the psychotropic drugs, prescribed by modern medical experts. The priest was accused with negligence of modern medicine and by that driving the girl’s physical condition to a mortal exhaustion. Now, everything seems to be quite logical from a modern, agnostic person’s view, doesn’t it? But the most interesting starts only here- the advocate Erin Bruner (by the way, also agnostic) throws in logical arguments against the unshakeable belief in modern medicine thus building a base for alternative and unknown possibilities. The advocate even invites anthropologist Dr. Sadira Adani (very loveable character, by the way) which studies demonic entity beliefs and foundations underneath them. So was Emily Rose epileptic and psychotic or she was possessed by demons? The film subtly heats up the atmosphere without favouring any of sides- the viewer is to decide and make his/her own opinion.

Meanwhile flashbacks takes back to the most remarkable events in Emily’s life- from her happy and careless childhood till the infamous exorcism. The psychological tension builds up slowly, but strategically till it becomes one of the most scariest and unsettling films ever built. And please note that such horror is achieved almost without any blood- everything’s being kept in realism and strictly in believable limits. The visual effects are scarcely used and only for the depiction of Emily’s visions. That said, please bare in mind, that fantasies of a psychotic or demon possessed mind can go far and be very scary… So don’t turn off the lights while watching this film!

Acting is simply flawless in The Exorcism Of Emily Rose- that’s a rare but more than appreciable feature these days. The credit for that goes not only to the director Scott Derricson, but also to the brilliant cast consisting of many well known film veterans (see the list below). The special praises go to Jennifer Carpenter (Emily Rose) for her incredible, unbelievable acting- she is so convincing with her possession by six demons at once:
- I am the one who dwelt within Cain!
- I am one who dwelt within Nero!
- I dwelt within Judas!
- I was with Legion.
- I am Belial.
- And I am Lucifer, The devil in the flesh.

The Exorcism Of Emily Rose is a masterpiece in both- drama and horror- genres. It provides interesting and strong arguments from both camps- agnostics and believers in supernatural powers- and weakens them all in confrontation with each other. In the end it masterfully manages to avoid picking up a side, so the viewer could do that by himself/herself. And don’t underestimate power of psychological horror- especially when it’s built so masterfully!

Facts:
Release year: 2005
Directed by: Scott Derrickson
Written by: Scott Derrickson and Paul Harris Boardman
Cast: Jennifer Carpenter (Emily Rose), Laura Linney, Tom Wilkinson, Campbell Scott, Colm Feore, Kenneth Welsh (Twin Peaks), JR Bourne, Henry Czerny, Aaron Douglas and others

2008

If you haven’t seen it yet, then run and buy, rent or steal it now! The plot idea of Be Kind Rewind is simply genius- all film videos were erased in the rental store, so guys decided to replace them… with their own made films! Just imagine how they re-made ‘Ghost Busters’, ‘Rush Hour 2′, ‘Robocop’ and many others (see the screenshots above). And they ended (yeah, ended- you know, copyrights and all that stuff) with their own film about a fictitious jazz star that lived in their building. There are many more remarkable moments & touches, but I won’t be spoiling that. And Be Kind Rewind is not like a pure comedy. I would rather put it into ‘Intellectual Films’ shelf. Conclusion: Be Kind Rewind is a must-see film for everyone who appreciates art of cinematography. 

Must-visit Official Site of Be Kind Rewind

If you ever wondered what is a popomomo, then wonder no more :-) Material Concerns of these art guys- Heather & Lizz- will steal many ticks of your precious time.
MaterialConcern.com
Popomomo.com 

First of all, what the hell is ‘Large Hadron Collider‘? That’s a 27km tube-laboratory for generating mini black holes, uncovering new dimensions, explaining the Big Bang and, well, you name it :) The experiment will start in two weeks, so don’t miss this rap song that popularly explains the experiment of Large Hadron Collider
‘God Particle’ on BBC
CNN about this video

First of all I have to confess that I’m such a huge fan of Ratchet & Clank Tools of Destruction that I even made two of my friends to play that game. But my eagerly awaited Ratchet & Clank Quest for Booty ruined all my expectations- yeap, I can’t recommended the game neither for fans nor for new-comers. How come? The game’s engine is the same, the assets are the same, the story is being continued… But the level designs are annoyingly unbalanced- and that includes missing checkpoints (or weapons) in the most difficult parts of the game. The only exception is Morrow Caverns chapter where Ratchet explores an abandoned (and very atmospheric) cavern with monsters and ghosts. I should say that it’s the best level I have played in Ratchet & Clank franchise! Another great thing is the return of Cap’n Slag- so we will meet him again next year in, hopefully, full game.

Don’t miss this demo video of Pendulum’s AlterEgo software- it’s really so cool!

More about ‘digital actors’ (with more videos) and more about AlterEgo

- It grows on you. Soul Calibur IV is not only a fighting game- there is fairly more than that. Exploration of characters and their fighting styles, creation of your own ultimate anti-heroes, finding out tactics against tougher enemies, enormous amount of moves and combos- all this together makes the game highly addictive.
- Creativity of styles. There are such wicked mates like Voldo or Tira that were not particularly advertised, but actually they make Soul Calibur IV such an outstanding fighting game. In fact, you won’t experience that in any other game.
- Strategy. There’s a very interesting feature- swapping your chosen characters during a fight (R1 button). So when you’re facing several different enemies in a row, such swapping lets you to adapt and win. A successful set of your ‘warriors’ will bring you a victory- you just have to find out that works the best for you.
- Treasures of Tower of Lost Souls. That’s quite an interesting challenge here. You not only have to fight increasingly tougher enemies to ascend in Tower of Lost Souls, but also to figure out what the riddles mean in order to get those treasures.
- Controls. I have mixed impressions on this. On one hand, the control scheme is quite sophisticated, so a novice can just jump into the game and enjoy randomly performed combos. On other hand, this sophistication makes more difficult to perform more complicated combos. I miss here clarity & sharpness of Devil May Cry 4…

Anyway, so far I’ve played for more than 30 hours and enjoyed every minute of it. Soul Calibur easily became one of my most favourite games on PS3.

Soul Calibur IV Tower of Lost Souls Walkthrough on IGN

Soul Calibur IV unlockable characters & secrets on IGN

All those conspiracy theories are invented by Sci-Fi authors or homeless madmen. There is simply no place for such in our real world that spins around democracy and humanism.

However, my mind started to change after watching The Real News Network for several hours in a row- it was rather a ‘cold shower’ experience.

Are you ready for a professional and rather painful vivisection of the modern world? I mean, believing everything we see or hear would be the most unwise, but to view events from a different angle is always healthy.

The Real News Network Official Site

The Real News Network on YouTube.com

2003 (US)- 2005 (UK), South Korea & USA

In one sentence: it’s a wonderfully animated forecast for global warming, pollution and… the new social system.

Sky Blue is also known as Wonderful Days (US)- in any case, most of anime/animation fans already saw it, just maybe forgot about it (like myself). It’s phenomenal how this visually gorgeous animation with a decent plot manages not to leave a strong impression. I don’t know the reason, though. Plot, atmosphere, visuals remind me of Ghost in the Shell, maybe it’s just not the same level crystal or striking.

However, the story of Sky Blue tackles with now actual problems and takes them further. It’s about the deadly polluted earth, where air is so poisoned that people can survive only in specially designated areas like this genetically engineered living city Ecoban. And here we go- there’s an elite community that owns Ecoban, and there’re ‘diggers‘ that work as slaves just for the sake of surviving. The funniest point here is that there is chance to clean the atmosphere and get rid of toxics, but Ecoban’s elite prefers the actual ‘ecological’ and, most importantly, social system.

I would definitely recommend watching Sky Blue again- it’s not only eye-candy, but its message became more than interesting in the light of our own global warming crisis. Besides, it’s no brainer when you can find Sky Blue Collector’s Edition for ~£6 and that includes 2 DVD, nice booklet and a real slide from the film reel.

Hell, it was a cool ride! Salem and Rios kicked all the bad asses for good- they’re definitely worth the heavy cash they earned. Good work, mates!

Army of Two is basically a proper shooter with some little, but sweet innovations that are much appreciated by hardcore shooter fans. You play from third person perspective, which is more then welcome because of the gorgeous character models and their animations. In the single campaign you ‘re directly controlling your chosen character (either Elliot Salem or Tyson Rios) and giving the orders to your comrade (8 commands with four direction D-pad).

And here comes the most important novelty feature of Army of Two- Aggro. That’s basically a level of not welcome attention from your enemies for your “activity”- firing. The more you shoot, the more aggro (and bullets) you get. The same applies to your comrade if you command him to stand in aggression mode. In fact, you can sneak around comparably safely while your partner has all the aggro- and that adds some strategy to the gameplay. On other hand, if you keep the aggro on yourself for too long, you can enter so called Overkill mode (”bullet time”)- “Look, Tyson, I’m a killing machine!”.

Army of Two didn’t receive overwhelming reviews, because, actually, the shipped game was a bit too short. On top of that the ending is a bit disappointing and leaves you wanting more. However, free downloadable Veteran Map Pack adds two big levels to the single campaign, so it fixes the issue.

Other key features of Army of Two:
- Back to Back mode- you’re standing back to back with your comrade and shooting enemies in slow motion. Though, I wish it happened more often in the game :P
- Parachuting- that’s a very sweet spot. One is controlling the parachute, another firing (sniping!) enemies below.
- Death- you’re not dyeing instantly in Army of Two. If your partner manages to get to you in time, drag you into a safe corner and make an injection (10-20 seconds?), you’re good to go. However, please note, that there some so hot situations, that this won’t help :]
- “Play Dead”- that’s another cool and very welcome feature. When the things are way too bad, you can pretend to be dead and enemies will leave you alone. Though, you can fool them only once…
- Interaction with your comrade- you can slap your partner or give a high five, you can play “guitar” on your machine gun or swap guns with your partner.
- The control scheme here is one of the best I have encountered in console games.
- AI (artificial intelligence) is very good and even cunning. Though, it’s not perfect.
- You earn money by completing tasks and spending them on the beefy amount of weapons and cool customisations

Verdict: if you’re a shooter fan, you don’t want to miss Army of Two.

Visit the official Army of Two site

Well, I can’t make my final verdict on Soul Calibur IV, because it’s huge in meaning of the content and I played only 4-5 hours

However here are few notes:
- Yeap, it’s a fighting game, but it’s a fighting game on steroids.
- It’s quite flexible in meaning of gameplay- you can button-mash through Soul Calibur IV, but there are quite complicated combos for each character. However, I didn’t sink my teeth into the last feature too much, so I can’t say if the fighting is the same rewarding as in Devil May Cry 4.
- Character creation feature is enormous and highly enjoyable- I spent half of my time just tweaking my character (Starbuck from Battlestar Galactica :P)
- There are few modes to play- so if you’re stuck you can play a different one for a change
- There’s such amount of unlockables- including characters, their powers and customisation items- that the game feels next to infinitive!
- Graphics of Soul Calibur IV are not as crystal as in Metal Gear Solid 4, but the lighting engine, colours, designs- everything is maxed out. It’s a gorgeous and very charming game
- Darth Vader fits quite nicely in this universe and he is really fun to play
- It’s rather a sexy game. The female fighters look like the most desirable actresses, especially if you decide to play them in underwear only… :D On top of that, there is the whole set dedicated for creating a geisha character!
- While Soul Calibur IV is highly accessible for such sort of games, it’s still very challenging- hardcore gamers will have enough of satisfaction here

So my overall impressions are quite satisfactory- Soul Calibur 4 is a unique and enjoyable game.

I recommend reading Soul Calibur IV full review on IGN.com

The great white shark looks line an anchovy in comparison to now extinct super shark- Megalodon. They were 16 m long, weighted 100 tones and they bite with a force of of between 10.8 to 18.2 tonnes. The funniest point here is their “diet”- whales and seals :D

Full story on BBC.co.uk

At last, my childhood dream will get a little chance! :) The first space tourism jet Virgin Galactic is unveiled and will go for testing in few months. The bad news is that we have only 18 months to save £100,000 for the ticket :)

Book tickets directly from Virgin Galactic

Read more on BBC.com
Video on BBC.com

So, yeah, it’s all about giant shuriken (JP. ninja star) or in other words- hand released tri-blade. And what’s the use of it in Dark Sector? You name it! Want a direct control of its flight with the camera fixed behind? Got it! What about watching sliced off limbs flying away in the same slow motion? Yeah! Just don’t forget to charge your glaive with fire, electricity or ice for additional effects :)

What else you’ll find in this heavily infected ex-USSR area? The list is quite solid: some very well made and upgradable guns, slow-motion finishers, pleasing puzzles for your beloved glaive, impressive boss fights and some top exciting toys like four-legged and heavily armoured tanks that you’ll be able to test-drive by yourself :P (These are as great as in MGS4!)

Sounds good? Well, not everything is perfect here, mind you. First of all, I have an impression that level designers were undecided which audience they wanted to address- hardcore shooter fans or mass audience. So the gameplay is not consistent- it varies from enjoyable to quite demanding. Secondly, the graphics. The game development took more years than usual (6y), but the most of graphics were nicely updated before the release. However, the artefacts from the primary built are present and too obvious. Though, the interface itself is superb- there are no numbers, bars or any other “tech” info the screen- just Hayden Tenno, the glaive and infinitive numbers of enemies :)

And finally, WARNING: don’t play this game if you’re sensitive to vast amounts of blood fountains. In the end, there was a reason why Dark Sector was banned in Australia :)

In one word- crap. That’s one of the worst gamesplays I have experienced in >20 years. The only reason I finished the game- that’s the story itself and explanations of some enigmas (I’m huge fan of Lost series). But the gameplay itself was far from enjoyable. The electrical puzzles are an exception- that’s a creative re-make of the classical game “Pipes”. One more “funny” point- there was almost no exploration element in this adventure game. On top of that, graphics are no good. Models of Lost cast are terrible- Kate, Hurley, Clair should feel especially offended. What else? Maybe one of the most annoying things for me personally was the lack of Lost atmosphere. Actually, it was absent at all. Conclusion: buy this game only if you find it for £1. OK, OK, maybe for £2 :)

Looking for an inspirational 3D animation? Or maybe you’re fancy for something that’s as good as the original Shrek? Then I could easily recommend Chasseurs de dragons (Dragon Hunters). That’s a very arty, beautiful and funny tale about an extremely cute little princess, not-wanna-be-a-hero big guy and his greedy manager. The story is set in the marvellous world of floating islands, ancient ruins and unique monsters. Did I mention that the big guy loves knitting? :P But my most favourite character was the little blue “dog” with rabbit ears (in the image above)

Have a look at the official site

(The photos above: you will unveil the beauty of Scarlett Chorvat, Mieko Rye, Lyndall Javis and Yumi Kikuchi during MGS boss battles. For high quality photos, please visit GGL Wire)

Where to start from? There is so much of everything in Metal Gear Solid 4, that it’s difficult to lay down focussed impressions. Though, I could describe it in an abstract way- that’s phenomenal and masterpiece. I personally think MGS4 goes beyond any known media by synthesising them into one the most solid experience. That’s a seamless hybrid of a film, a video game, an intriguing story and superb music. Well, basically this is it- Metal Gear Solid 4 invented a new media- Interactive Films.

My personal picks from it are- the scene on motorbikes, Screaming Mantis battle and the fist fight with Liquid Ocelot. Though, all the bad girls there are unforgettable as well as the whole experience. Did I mention the music? MGS4 soundtrack (2 CD) is set on loop on my MP3 player!

But I will write no more. You have to experience it by yourself. Period.

2007

In one sentence- that’s the film about the rock band Joy Division. If you never heard about Joy Division then probably the film wouldn’t really excite you. However, for Joy Division or/and art-house films fans it will be the real treat. It’s atmospheric, touching and quite authentic- there are lots to love in this drama, even if you don’t have any sentiments for this rock band itself. Did I mention that it’s in black & white?

Click here for more info about Joy Division

Surprisingly, the first geisha were actually men. Known as the Taikomochi, these men, like their later female counterparts, were expert musicians, dancers and amusing story-tellers who liked to touch upon taboo subjects. This lesser-known tradition still exists but there are now only a handful of Taikomochi still working in Japan. <…>

Modern geisha still live in traditional houses known as okiya which are situated in areas called hanamachi or ‘flower towns.’ Even more alluring is the name given to the refined, high culture world that geishas live in - this is known as karyukai or ‘flower and willow world.’ <…>

The way of the geisha has been invaluable in keeping alive centuries-old traditions. Dance, music, literature and even dress codes have been handed down directly from generation to generation in an unbroken line for over 500 years and, as such, have remained authentic and relatively unchanged. Sadly, these ‘keepers of the arts’ are dwindling in numbers; only a handful of girls apply to become maikos each year now and even fewer make it all the way through training to become fully-fledged geishas.

The full article’s here- suzukislipstream.co.uk

Yesterday I was asked to contribute some of my art photos to MadAtoms.com- that’s how I learned about “the place where nobodies create the content”. Though, the list of the contributing artists is pretty impressive and the content’s quite crazy (writings, films performances, other arts). But I’m warning you- it’s something totally opposite to “classical” & “straight forward”, so, obviously, it would be difficult to recommend it for everyone :)
So, yeah, I contributed :)
Link to the article with my photoart :)

The Official Cheat Codes
Though I don’t recommend you using them- some of them lock achievements (not to mention that it ruins the in-game atmosphere). However, they saved me lots of time when I had to re-check all 200 pigeon locations again to find one missed or not saved pigeon

4825550100 Restore Health
3625550100 Armour
4865550100 Advanced Weapon Set - Baseball Bat, Grenades, Combat Pistol, Combat Shotgun, SMG, Carbine Rifle, Combat Sniper, RPG
4865550150 Standard Weapon Set - Knife, Molotovs, Pistol, Pump Shotgun, Micro SMG, Assault Rifle, Combat Sniper, RPG
2675550100 Remove Wanted Level
2675550150 Add one star to Niko’s wanted level
4685550100 Change Weather
3595550100 Spawn an Annihilator in front of Niko
9385550100 Spawn a Jetmax in front of Niko
6255550100 Spawn an NRG-900 in front of Niko
6255550150 Spawn a Sanchez in front of Niko
2275550100 Spawn an FIB Buffalo in front of Niko
2275550175 Spawn a Comet in front of Niko
2275550147 Spawn a Turismo in front of Niko
2275550142 Spawn a Cognoscenti in front of Niko
2275550168 Spawn a SuperGT in front of Niko

Telephone calls from Niko’s friends
If you don’t want Niko to go for an activity with his friend and don’t want him to loose his friendship rating, than simply answer the phone, accept the invitation and shortly after call back and cancel the plans (a special option on the phone’s menu)

Simple way to loose Niko’s wanted level
After doing a hell mess in streets and gaining wanted levels, just take Niko to his safehouse and put him to sleep :)

Friends’ special abilities
Friends’ special abilities are unlocked when Niko’s friendship ratings are above 75%:
Roman - free taxi (who needs one in Liberty City?:)
Brucie - sends a helicopter to your location, so you can travel around the city quickly
Little Jacob- brings all the essential weapons (except RPGs) near you- and the prices are 2x cheaper than in ‘official’ shop! (That’s the essential in-game feature!)
Dwayne - sends 2 mobs in a car for a gunfire support
Packie - brings near you a car bomb. You can attach it to any car and explode later using the mobile phone
Stevie - he will buy all the cars from Niko
Francis - he can remove Niko’s wanted level
Carmen - she can restore Niko’s health through a phone conversation
Kiki - she can remove up to 3 stars wanted level
Alex - 50% off at all clothing stores (for a limited time after a date)

Dial 911 if your car’s engine stopped working and it will start again!

P.S. It’s impossible to list all the features in one blog post. Buy the official guide book instead- this game is worth in-depth exploration!

Well, it’s not a video game, but it’s something much more unusual- that’s a web browser based strategy MMO (sort of):
www.Ikariam.org
The gameplay mechanics are obviously inspired by Age of Empire. Surprisingly, graphics look even better than the first AOE, though it doesn’t use neither Flash nor other plugins- that’s a purely HTML based game. On top of that you’re competing and/or interacting with other real players. That said, I should warn that the game is not any action or real time strategy game- it’s more like a distraction during a busy day (like emails).
The bottom line is that I was amazed by the nearly-genius concept and positively surprised by the presentation quality.

2007

What I was expecting was an absolutely standard “living dead” B-level crap. The only reason I picked up this one was the atmospheric setting- a remote village in Alaska and 30 days of night, during which the place is closed for good. Well, about the crap I was almost right, though there are few things that elevated this film from the “horror crowd”:
♠ As I mentioned before- an exotic polar location and a naturally long & dreadful month of extreme winter
♠ Very stylish zombies, err, vampires :D Actually, these are my favourite from all the created two-teethed creatures
♠ Very picturesque, artistic and impressively composed scenes- obviously, that was influenced by the comics, on which was based the movie
The bottom line is that if you need another zombie/vampire/old-school-horror shot, you can give it a try. Besides, the quality of Blu-Ray transfer is extremely good.

I’m starting to understand people that hate Sci-Fi or fantasy- after watching this film, you could easily loose any respect for the both genres at once. Yes, it’s Fantasy Sci-Fi (with merlins, kings arthurs and lasers) . And it’s a big B (not Bisexual, but B-Movie). Every aspect of it- acting, dialogs, plot, costumes, camera work- everything is unforgivable. Hey, Stargate fans, I’m telling you- find another show for the adoration.

Ratchet & Clunk: Tools of Destruction (PS3) review

That’s an absolutely brilliant game! Mind you, it’s neither a platformer nor a “childish” game. It’s definitely an epic space adventure. Sci-Fi lovers will appreciate space travels to 18 different locations like planets, asteroid rings and space stations. RPG fans will love the story and exploration. Shooting fans will get a zillion much upgradeable weapons & gadgets. Arty ones will be impressed by visual designs, attention to details and animations. There is something, hmm, a lot for everyone!

Some critics were complaining about variety of game mechanics. Don’t listen to them! This “recipe” is so balanced and tasty that you won’t be able to stop. Dancing a pirate jiggle, devastating enemies with your tornado (literally!), enjoying bird-winged flying with Sixaxis control, finding hidden golden bolts that let you play with different skins, fighting dinosaurs, solving fun puzzles, space battling through asteroid rings, exploring abandoned space stations, experimenting with dozens of weapons in fighting arenas and impressive boss fights- it’s just 1% of what you will find here. What about converting your enemies into penguins? My favourite- throwing a disco ball into a battlefield so all the enemies start dancing! HINT: all bosses dance too! That’s so damn fun!

P.S. Did I mention Pixar level artwork here? :)

The Condemned (Blu-Ray)

2007, Vinnie Jones, some WWE guys & others :)

Don’t take your girlfriend to this film- that’s a damn dirty one. The plot isn’t original- on an isolated island one should kill all other competitors to be win the freedom. The close comparison would be Battle Royale- and I mean not only the idea but the moral aspect as well. If children killing each other sounds already disturbing enough, so The Condemned manages go even further, because, well, children were doing that in less innovative ways. But take this- 10 the most hardcore and tough criminals (including 2 women) with records of multiple murders, rapes and tortures are collected together and set free to do whatever they want. And so they do- their experience and dirty “creativeness” show off pretty well. And the reason for all this insanity is an internet show organized by an evil-minded and somehow-genius producer (was that auto-irony?).

The film ends up with a happy end (huh, more kills) and some arguable moralising. Otherwise, it’s a very professionally made film. Blu-Ray transfer is top-notch. Lighting/camera work is superb.

BBFC banned Manhunt 2 (video game). How THIS movie managed to slip through their fingers???

I Am Legend (Blu-Ray) review

2007, Will Smith

The good: unforgettably impressive matte painting and 3D art- the vision of New York was so epically depicted, that it’s a must-see for everyone who’s into visual arts. The bad: everything else. Well, maybe not everything- the first half of the film very distantly reminds Andrei Tarkovsky’s Stalker (and that’s a plus). The second half is just an ordinary zombie movie. Meh.

Ok, now-Will Smith. I definitely enjoyed him in some earlier films. Here he acts professionally, but heartlessly. You won’t believe him even for a minute, regardless how many times he cries, pretends to care or tries to show off his craziness.

It’s not like this film is a total stinker, but don’t expect too much from it. In any case, you will find story of Resistance: Fall of Man (PS3 video game) more entertaining and touching.

Quality of Blu-Ray transfer is not impressive at all. Extras include theatrical and alternative endings (by the way, theatrical one is much better). And there are animated comics that I highly recommend not to miss!

Animated comics on youtube.com:
Hong Kong
Isolation
Awakening
Shelter

2007, Timothy Olyphant, Olga Kurylenko

Hitman wasn’t too welcomed by critics, but the film is really entertaining. You can expect some pulp political intrigues mixed with impressive action scenes- it’s something in between of Bourne Ultimatum and Shoot’Em Up. It’s worth mentioning that the film is based on a popular video game by the same title- so you can expect some not-so-logic stuff here as well :)

There is quite a strong focus on Nika (Olga Kurylenko). I guess she could be a model in the real life, though her breast is too big for a professional :P Anyway, her acting is pretty good too and her presence adds lots of fun to the movie (especially when she wears Eve’s dress)

The main (anti)hero Agent 47 is a little too cute for a tough assassin, but he makes a perfect match for Nika :) Besides, his acting isn’t annoying at all. And everything aside, he is quite a charming character.

Blu-Ray transfer is top notch and superbly shows off HDTV possibilities. And the movie itself is good enough to inspire playing the original game (it’s a shame it’s available on PS2 only). Have fun!

After critics bashed this film, I had very low expectations. But, on other hand, I would expect Nicole playing in a slightly “different” movie. And Craig is always awesome and adds intelligence to to any action. So I risked watching it and it was a winner!

I will put it shortly- it’s a Sci-Fi survival horror film. It is a little less spectacular than Silent Hill, but on other hand it has a touch of intelligence & style. Similarity to classical zombie movie is obvious, but it’s more believable- if it’s possible to say so about an alien virus :P And there is a very nice twist- an infected person has a chance as long as he/she doesn’t sleep- it’s when the virus starts transformations. Sweet, huh?

I definitely recommend The Invasion for a Sci-Fi horror fan, just don’t expect blood showers here. Game developers, attention! This plot is perfect for a good game too!

There are always high expectations for Walt Disney movies- they set standards for animation, inspirational music, dynamics and overall quality. But, surprisingly, Enchanted fails almost at every point. And I will not invest my time into a deeper review, but here are some of my thoughts.

- This film blends 2D, 3D and filmed materials- that’s always more than welcome. Though, there were movies where it was done better
- Walt Disney is famous for its superior 2D. That’s not the case with Enchanted- here they even failed to draw Giselle in right proportions (for example, too large head in some scenes). And characters are more of Barbie-Comics level than the original Walt Disney.
- 3D art… Have they seen Ratatouille or Ice Age? They always could ask for some assistance or, at least, some advice from their sister-studio Pixar…
- Acting was dreadful. Yes, I understand the idea of Hallmark-Card-Style behaviour. Well, it seems to be a challenge. And, obviously, it was too challenging for the director as well as for the main heroine. (And I thought no one could act worse than Jessica Alba in Fantastic Four)

Luckily, I only rented this film. But still I wish I avoided this over-sweetened garbage at at all.

First of all, that’s a different sort of game- it is not a pure shooter, because of the weapons (Powers of The Darkness plus, well, all the usual stuff like shotguns, pistols and machine guns). It has RPG elements. Voice acting is terrific!- as well as animations.

Let me put it straight- this game is difficult to describe. But one word would round it all- creativeness. Even the side quests are really fun to complete, not talking about the main storyline which kept me glued to the game.

I highly recommend this game for those who like “different shooters”, good story, atmosphere and some unexpected locations (spoiler: like hell or haunted house)

P.S. There’s a comics book “The Darkness Ultimate Collection” that was released after the game. I recommend this one as well :)

[Edited]
There are rumours that The Darkness sequel is in development. Can’t wait for it!

Though, there are 2 minor negative points:
♣  Camera switches between fixed and controlled modes without warning. But I got used to that and it didn’t annoy anymore
♣  The graphics are gorgeous. However, the graphic engine isn’t flawless
♣  Few puzzles are unfair, so feel free to read some walk-throughs :)

The bottom line is that it’s one of the best games on all platforms and it easily stands in one line with the best games like Gears of War (one of my most favourite games ever)- it’s damn artistic and addictive!

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And don’t forget to TURN THE SOUND ON!