The Amazing Spider-Man 2 - The Inferior Spider-Man

As far as Spider-Man films go, I was not very impressed with the first film in the reboot of the series, The Amazing Spider-Man, mainly due to the quality of the writing. While I was unsure whether to watch the sequel, the subject of this review, I decided to do so anyway in order to stay current (this being my sole reason for watching Green Lantern or Man of Steel in the first place), watching the first film in the reboot again beforehand to aid with continuity. I wasn’t really expecting much, given my opinion of the previous movie, though after seeing The Amazing Spider-Man 2, I walked away a bit more disappointed than I already thought I would.

As the first movie opened with a flashback of Peter Parker’s childhood, this movie opens with another flashback, with the events told from Richard Parker’s (Campbell Scott) perspective, as he and his wife Mary (Embeth Davidtz) leave Peter (Max Charles) at a young age. While the two are on a plane, which ends up getting hijacked, Richard tries to upload files from his laptop to a location known as “Roosevelt”; as Richard tries to fight off the hijacker, he eventually succeeds, only for the plane to crash into the ocean just as the files are finished uploading. In present day New York, Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield), as Spider-Man, tries to stop a Russian mobster named Aleksei Sytsevich (Paul Giamatti) from stealing an OsCorp truck carrying plutonium, while assuring Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) over the phone that he will make it in time for his high school graduation. Though Peter is successful in stopping the mobster and makes it to his graduation, he keeps thinking about Police Captain George Stacy (Denis Leary) whenever he gets close to Gwen, remembering a promise he made to keep away from her.

The plot of this movie, to put it bluntly, has some issues. Without going into detail, since the movie is still in theaters, the story itself is riddled with plot holes and inconsistencies that are never filled in or explained (the least of which is the sudden costume change on Spider-Man between films, which goes unexplained). Granted, there is some chemistry between Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy, though not very much, which is more than I can say with Peter and some of the other characters in the movie. The movie has a total of three villains in it (as seen in advertisements), the most major of which is Electro (Jamie Foxx), however none of them are handled very well (explaining this would create major spoilers for those that have yet to see the movie); I can also see why movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (which excludes The Amazing Spider-Man for those keeping track) try to avoid having a hero or villain name themselves (real names like Thor aside), since when two of them do so in this film, it comes off as sounding rather silly. Also, if you were looking for resolution on Peter finding Uncle Ben’s killer in the first reboot movie, you’re out of luck. In addition, while Spider-Man evidently has some wit to his one-liners, rather than being funny, he comes off to me as more of a smartass, though I’m sure someone finds more humor in them than I did.

Electro (or Dr. Manhattan in Cole McGrath cosplay)

On the upside, I will admit to liking some of the special effects, particularly when it involved advanced technology. I also thought the score, this time by Hans Zimmer and The Magnificent Six, was pretty good in setting a tone for each scene. (Also, I admit to actually laughing at one particular exchange closer to the end.) However, these aspects alone aren’t enough to counter the movie’s bad writing, so they don’t really save it.

One thing that I think is worth mentioning is the credits, mainly in that they are unexpectedly inter-

Watch for our review of (500) Days of Summer!

-rupted by a preview of the upcoming (at the time of this writing) X-Men: Days of Future Past. Sure, it’s another movie based on a Marvel property (that also is not part of the MCU), but what really makes it confusing is that it’s a movie from 20^th Century Fox, a rival company to Sony. I learned later that this happened due to a deal Director Marc Webb had with Fox, creating a conflict between Webb directing The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and a (500) Days of Summer sequel; in the end, Fox let Webb direct a Spider-Man movie for Sony, but in exchange Sony had to slip in free advertising for their upcoming X-Men movie. Even with this explanation, it's still kind of bothering since the X-Men scene is now officially part of the credits.

In the end, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a big disappointment, more so than the first The Amazing Spider-Man movie. Though the special effects can be really nice to look at, they don’t do much to distract from the story’s gaping plot holes. Fans of the first reboot movie, and their kids, might get some enjoyment out of this, though I wouldn’t recommend it to people who aren’t really impressed with the reboot to begin with. However, if you need your superhero movie fix, this movie may or may not be enough to tide you over until Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy in the summer.

Editorial - The Face of the Eighth Generation

With the end of Sony's E3 press conference last night, and the knowledge of both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One being due for a holiday launch, it seems that the Eighth Generation of video game consoles is finally upon us. That is not to say that the next generation hasn't been there; the seeds were planted with the release of Nintendo's 3DS handheld in early 2011, the following year opening with Sony's PlayStation Vita handheld and closing with Nintendo's Wii U, the next generation's first home console. While there are plenty of video gamers, such as those on this blog, who have become comfortable with the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3's services and ever improving game library, there may come a time where they will have to decide on a console to take them into the future. Quite a few have already made their choice, whether it was the purchase of a Wii U within its first year or the pre-order of an Xbox One or PlayStation 4 (or perhaps some combination of the three). With the new knowledge pouring in from both the press conferences of E3 and Microsoft's pre-show reveal in May, now is the perfect time to see where the two major players, Sony and Microsoft, have gone right and where they have gone horribly wrong.

Xbox One

Microsoft's Xbox One (from top to bottom): Kinect 2.0, Console, Controller.

Between the two companies, the Xbox One was first revealed at a press event separate to E3. The result was backlash from both gamers and professional journalists, though a number of people remained hopeful that Microsoft would change their tune come E3. In the weeks leading up to the event, the company revealed new information regarding the policies that had proved be unpopular, though they seemed to fail to sway anyone besides the hardcore to their side and the unpopularity has become rather memetic. I'm not going to focus on the reveal event or any pre-E3 information, but rather how Microsoft has managed to handle their new home console as a result of their press conference at E3; basically, what the system is about when all is said and done. First, I'd to take a look at the system specs:

When it comes down to specs, the Xbox One is pretty impressive. It has a good memory and seems like it would be able to process a lot of information at high speeds. The addition of Blu-ray would ensure that more forms of media would be playable and the HDMI would ensure very high quality playback. Taking other facets into account, this is overall a display of how well Microsoft can choose the innards of a device, which some have compared to a gaming PC. However, the shape of the console has earned criticism for resembling a VCR, to the point where Photoshop mock-ups were created depicting the system's games as VHS tapes.

Of course, at the reveal event, Microsoft put a heavy emphasis on how the Xbox One is meant to be an all-in-one entertainment center, which includes being a console and a cable box at the same time, with additional function as a social media center via Facebook, Twitter and (mainly) Skype video chat. With Xbox Live Gold service, you also have access to media such as the movie and video services Netflix and Hulu Plus, along with other such apps for sports tracking and fantasy football stats. While they should probably have talked a bit more about games, aside from the memetic Call of Duty: Ghosts reveal and subsequent all access event, it may have actually been a smart move for them to talk about all the entertainment features then so they could discuss more of the actual gaming at E3.

The memetic dog in question.

With their press conference ending yesterday, it is now a good opportunity to look back at everything Microsoft has said on the subject of their games, their plans for games and how they've handled the backlash to all the strings attached.

Games and Policies

One of the most important things for a system is the kind of entertainment it can provide through its games, and Microsoft made sure to drop some big names to associate with the Xbox One, implying stronger third-party exclusives and first-party offerings. Some of the games announced include Titanfall, Ryse: Son of Rome, Sunset Overdrive, and Dead Rising 3, along with first-party titles like a new Halo, Killer Instinct and Project Spark. Some of these games appear intriguing, as well as show off what sort of tech the Xbox One has in store, but those won't really mean much unless we know how Microsoft is planning to handle their games; we do, and the controversy is there for a reason.

For one thing, Microsoft revealed that, for authentication purposes, users will be required to connect to the company's servers once every 24 hours, so while you don't need a constant internet connection, you still need to have some kind of active connection in order to play single player games, which can be very inconvenient for people with bad internet connections or those on overseas army bases. If you fail to connect, then presumably the game ceases to function. The other big issue is how used games will work, which is another source of contention among prospective users. To summarize, it will be up to the publishers to decide how you will be able to trade in and sell used games to retailers, since these transfers can only be done through participating ones. In addition, you may only loan a game to a friend if they have been in your Friends list for at least 30 days, and even then they may only borrow a given game from you once.

A shot from the trailer for the upcoming Halo game.

Further still, there is the issue of the Kinect 2.0. Microsoft has made sure that Kinect is a big part of the system to the point where it is included with every Xbox One. However, a point of contention here is that the console will not function unless the Kinect peripheral is connected at all times. And while the company has stated that they will not be using it to record data, some still find it a little creepy that the peripheral can see you in the dark, detect your heartbeat and is always watching and waiting for you to wake the system up with the spoken phrase "Xbox On". Fortunately, they have assuaged the fears a little by saying that you can pause the Kinect functionality at any time. On the other hand, there are players who will refuse to use a Kinect to the point that they won't buy the system if it is required for it to function.

Microsoft plans to release the Xbox One in November at a price point of $500, with conversion of the European price points revealing that the console will be even more expensive for non-American users. This price point is pretty steep and only time will tell now if Microsoft's efforts will pay off despite their still somewhat vague stance on policy matters and price tag. Regardless, reactions from Japanese gamers, which include referring to the system as "X1" as a cultural joke, indicate that this may be the final nail in the coffin for the Xbox brand in Japan.

PlayStation 4

Sony's PlayStation 4 (from top to bottom): Console, Controller, PlayStation Eye.

Unlike the Xbox One, Sony revealed information on the console gradually, beginning with a reveal of the controller and a look at the specs, then teasing the look of the console with extreme closeups shortly before Microsoft's reveal event. Following this route, they decided to basically reveal everything at E3, with the reaction being nearly unanimous praise from gamers and professional journalists, as well as a good number of previous Xbox faithful saying that they are officially jumping ship to buy a PlayStation 4 as their console for the next generation. To understand why people reacted so highly to the two-hour press conference, we must first take a look at what is an important change for Sony, that being the console specs:

Table snipped from Game Informer.

Essentially what this means is that not only is the architecture similar to the Xbox One, it is also possibly a little better. I'm not an expert or anything, nor will I claim to be, but the RAM capabilities being 8GB GDDR5 as opposed to the Xbox One's 8GB DDR3 just sounds a little better, along with some of that other stuff in there. I'm not really going to talk much more about this, but it should be noted that the PlayStation 4 resembles a parallelogram, which, while not completely amazing, does seem to stand out a little more than its competitor in the living room. Sony also made a point of saying that the system architecture was based on feedback from developers regarding how they could make games easier to program for the system and the types of features they'd want to take advantage of. In other words, this is the end result of a major company collaborating with developers; a rather important bond.

During their press conference, Sony went out of their way to explain that the system is catered specifically to support gamers, as reflected in their policies (more on that later), though there will still be other entertainment options. They spent the first bit of the conference explaining what sort of apps will be available to use, most of them Sony-related like Crackle and Music/Video Unlimited alongside Sony movies in the Video section of the store and some original content created just for the system. Users will also be able to access services like Red Box, Netflix, Flickster, Hulu Plus and Neon Alley through PlayStation 4. After also discussing what they have planned in the future for PlayStation 3 and Vita, which makes sense considering that they still have an install base to provide for, they went on to blow everyone away with what they had in store for PlayStation 4.

Games and Policies

When Sony began discussing upcoming games for the platform, they made sure to hit it right out of the gate with some highly anticipated exclusive titles; they stated that they will be getting 20 exclusives within a short time after launch, 12 of which would be original IPs. While they did touch more upon upcoming PlayStation 3 titles like The Last of Us and Beyond: Two Souls, some of the games revealed for the PlayStation 4 were, aside from a lot of indie games, The Order: 1886, DriveClub, Knack, Final Fantasy XV and Kingdom Hearts III. While all of the games on display did a great job of showing off the technical feats capable on PlayStation 4, there is still the matter of their policies on games as compared with Microsoft, which is when precisely everyone in the crowd went wild.

For a quick understanding, here is why:

Going for the throat.

Sony basically revealed that their policies are the exact opposite of Microsoft's. There will be absolutely no restrictions on used games, so you can do anything you're currently able to do with current generation games, and there will be no authentication checks of any kind. It was also further evidence that Sony wasn't going to pull any punches against Microsoft's controversial policies. On top of this, Sony announced that, although we don't have a solid release apart from the 'Holiday 2013" window, the price they set for the PlayStation 4 is $399 dollars, a full 20% cheaper than the Xbox One. This solidified the change in support for some of the Xbox faithful and put everyone's fears about the system to rest. However, it should be noted that there is one caveat to all the good news, mainly this image from the reveal:

Specifically the last line.

While there are no restrictions on Single Player content, you will now need to pay for a PlayStation Plus account in order to access Multiplayer content. Before I continue, I should elaborate that this will not prevent you from enjoying services such as Netflix, Hulu Plus or Neon Alley; none of those will require PlayStation Plus to access. Now, there are some differences between Xbox Live Gold and PlayStation Plus services, notably the Instant Game Collection, wherein you can get certain games for free by default, including Gravity Rush, Uncharted 3 (Single Player) and LittleBigPlanet Karting (granted these are more like rentals since the free games go away when you cancel your subscription, but it's enticing nonetheless). As a current user of PlayStation Plus myself, I can tell you that I think the service is very well worth the investment considering what you get for your money and the rotating sales and free game and Beta offers eventually help the service pay for itself, and it's only around $50 a year, curently cheaper than Xbox Live Gold. Plus, if you pay for it once, you can access it on PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita and PlayStation 4. Still, it's understandable if there are those who are on the fence about the fee.

Final Thoughts

One final point of contention is that neither system will be backwards compatible with previous systems, thanks to the differences in system architecture. However, while Microsoft doesn't seem to have a solution for this, Sony will be using the Gaikai cloud company they purchased in order to eventually create access to older PlayStation, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 titles possible. Personally this isn't much of a problem, considering that I'm the kind of guy who keeps games and consoles even when something new rolls around, but it's still something worth thinking about.

After Sony's E3 press conference, almost everyone declared that the system had already won not only E3, but the Eighth Generation console war itself. While I support PlayStation 4, I don't think we'll really know for sure until sales for it and the Xbox One begin tallying. I said at the beginning that this editorial would look at the good and bad of both of these systems, but I honestly don't think I see that much wrong with the PlayStation 4 compared to the Xbox One, since it's $100 cheaper and much more developer and consumer friendly. Sony may not have officially won the war just yet, but unless Microsoft changes their ways or does some major backpedaling before launch, it's clear that Sony currently maintains a distinct advantage over its competition. Barring initial sales of these new home consoles, it will be interesting indeed to see how the Eighth Generation console wars will play out.

[OLD] God of War: Ascension - It All Begins Here

This game has been re-reviewed. Read it here: https://trophyunlocked.blogspot.com/2024/03/second-look-god-of-war-ascension.html

Following 2010's God of War III, which saw the conclusion of Kratos' story, Santa Monica Studio developed the recently-released God of War: Ascension, with two collections released in the intervening time. The idea behind this game is that it shows the very beginnings of Kratos' storyline while also introducing Online Multiplayer to the God of War series. Personally, I was worried about there being an online function in the first place, since God of War is usually known for its story and I didn't want this to be a game where story clarity was sacrificed in favor of a better multiplayer (not helped by the fact that most adverts I saw online centered on the multiplayer, including one with music that was decidedly not God of War-like). When getting this game, I decided to go for the Collector's Edition since it came with several extras, including a 6" Kratos statue. Even then, I wasn't sure how well this game would turn out, but after playing the game I can say is that my fears about my experience were alleviated...sort of.

The game takes place before any of the other God of War games, starting off with Kratos escaping from being chained up by the Furies. As he battles Megaera, one of the Furies, across a prison inside the body of Aegaeon the Hecatonchires, Kratos also has to fend off several enemies brought forth by Megaera's parasites, including a part of Aegaeon himself. During all of this, Kratos begins to flash back to an earlier point in time, when he had to deal with the Furies after attempting to break his oath to Ares, the God of War.

The story itself, while having an interesting concept, isn't as engaging as those of other God of War games. Granted, I knew from the start that it was not going to be able to top the epicness of God of War III, but there didn't seem to be anything to help the audience care more about the Ghost of Sparta. What I can say, however, is that the writers did seem to have some sort of idea of the direction they wanted to take. Dialogue over the course of the game gives many call forwards to events in chronologically-later installments, while also hinting at a particular plot twist in the first game, keeping it expertly hidden until it is spoiled for newcomers at the very end. The story also introduces an instant rivalry between Kratos and Megaera at the very beginning of the story, which gets explained later down the line. In a way, it also seems to be written as though the game was meant to be played at the start of a marathon of the games in chronological order, which, thinking about it, I think makes the story somewhat more redeemable (but not by much). The game was, to put it simply, written well, but not well enough to hold up to previously-released entries in the saga.

Three of the Furies (from left): Alecto, Megaera, Tisiphone

Then there's the combat. While God of War is known for having fluid combat that gets much improved upon as the series progresses, Ascension begs to differ. While Kratos still retains the familiar Blades of Chaos, which still work really well, secondary weapons are completely thrown out the window in favor of World Weapons, which are scattered on the battlefield and dropped after defeating or removing them from certain enemies. these weapons vary in ability and can prove useful in certain situations, though you can only carry one at a time. These weapons also have a Special Discard, which lets you discard your weapon in front of an enemy while dealing some extra damage. I have used the weapons on occasion as I had them, but I wasn't really that motivated to keep using them and relied almost solely on the Blades.

In addition to this, you also get a variety of magics to upgrade your blades with. Each one represents a different element tied to a God, and using them on enemies can provide you with a different type of orb depending on the magic used. The benefits between each weapon can suit you best depending on your play style, but I found myself using the Fire of Ares (the first one you get) more since I had access to a powerful crowd controlling move. The Rage Meter also works a bit differently in this game compared to the others, in that using it gives you more power used in a single shot rather than giving you power for a longer, but still limited amount of time (on top of this it won't stay filled for long, rather it drains unless you are still hacking away at enemies during combat and don't take damage). In this way it's kind of like the Devil Trigger in DmC Devil May Cry: it takes a while to fill up, but the extra boost is over too quickly.

There's also a few useful items Kratos picks up along the way, a couple of which can be upgraded using red orbs. Rather than using an Item Meter like in God of War III, the game opts to have these items have their own "meters" displaying time needed for the weapon to cool down before it can be used again in combat. Outside of combat, they are used to help solve the more difficult puzzles throughout the game. While the quality of the story is debatable, let it never be said that the puzzles in this installment were not well thought out. A few of them took me a while to solve, but they weren't nigh impossible to do, which I take as a sign of excellent puzzle crafting.

There are some things I would also like to bring up that are absent in this game that is seen in every other game (I apologize if this sounds like nitpicking). For starters, there are no longer any specified Save Altars, rather instead the game constantly saves your game to create checkpoints to continue from. The game also introduces a system of Chapters as well as New Game +, which I found odd at first since the other games didn't have this feature (I didn't say they were bad). You also won't see half of Kratos' face in the title screen like usual, although you do see it when you start the campaign, so at least there's something resembling it. There also isn't a sex mini-game as veterans have come to expect, although Betrayal didn't have one either so I'm not sure what to make of it, even if that one was a cell phone game.

The graphics are, as expected, simply amazing, rivaling God of War III in terms of overall quality. However, the enhanced graphics only serve to make a few moments particularly squicky. To put it bluntly, this is the first time I can recall ever actually squirming at a video game, which is really saying something since I have played all the other God of War games and American McGee's Alice games. Megaera, for example, releases parasites through what my brother and I have dubbed "Hive Boobs"; the parasites come out of her breasts and then go into pores on an arm of Aegaeon to form an enemy monster that subsequently bursts out of it (and that's just in the demo), and later done on a larger scale by going into Aegaeon's eyelid to possess his head. And to top it all off, there's an enemy somewhere halfway that has someone else attached to him like Kuato in the 1990 version of Total Recall. Along with a few other things, Ascension just feels a little more squicky than usual, but thankfully these are few and far between.

Concept art of an Infected Hand of Aegaeon. Yes, this is a monster, bursting out of an arm.
Born from parasites. That came out of breasts. And that's just in the demo. Sweet dreams!

The voice acting is still amazing, which is a great consistency with the God of War franchise. T. C. Carson's Kratos voice has really evolved over the years and it shows, displaying a great range of emotion throughout the story. The other characters in the game also have good performances, and the background music is as good as ever. However, unusually for God of War, I actually ran into a few audio problems along the way. During battle and a few times outside of it, the music would occasionally just stop for a second or two, and at one point I even saw one of Kratos' lines not play when it was supposed to, making it overlap with another character's dialogue. The latter was combined with a visual glitch that left me with a very unplayable perspective, which thankfully played smoothly once I restarted the chapter I was on (thankfully it all occurred at the very beginning of that chapter, so it's not like I had to redo a ton of progress). Glitches aside, the audio is very well done.

One thing that's very notable about Ascension is that it is the first God of War game to feature Online Multiplayer. As I said earlier, I was initially very confused by the prospect of this, since God of War games are known for being very single-player focused, not to mention very heavily story-driven. However, based on this idea alone, I decided to check it out after beating the story mode (in case you're confused like I was at first, the game does not tell you you can use the D-Pad to navigate the main menu in order to access Multiplayer and Extras). I will admit that I am simply not the type of person who plays a game for its Online component, rather I say whether a game is good based on how good the story mode is. As such, I stopped playing after going through a couple of quick rounds, both because of when I tried it and out of lack of motivation to keep playing. With this, I will say that if Multiplayer is what you've always wanted in God of War for some reason, you'll be the happiest. If not, then I will leave you to judge whether or not it's worth taking a look.

Finally, the experience half of you never wanted!

I am also aware of players having problems with a particular area near the end of the game known as the Trial of Archimedes. This particular area is known to be rather frustrating for people, to the point where the developers have considered releasing a patch to make it easier. Now, I didn't face any of the frustration myself because I played on Easy, but I can totally see how it would be a rather crippling experience for those playing on higher difficulties, especially given the combat, and I do hope a patch is released to alleviate madness for future players.

In the end (beginning?), God of War: Ascension is still a God of War game. There are some things that could have used a little polishing, like the story and the combat, but overall you can tell that they were at least trying to have a good story mode, even if it's not on the same level as God of War III (then again, how exactly do you top that?). The combat mechanics themselves, while interesting, simply do not belong in a God of War game. In my opinion, I think the story mode might have turned out better if they didn't try to introduce Multiplayer to God of War, no matter how good it may have turned out. Given its place in the God of War timeline, I would say that if you're new to the series and are seeking to play the games in story order, I would tell you to start with Ascension. Otherwise, I would tell you to start with the first God of War and tell you to go in release order from there (I, II, Betrayal [Optional], Chains of Olympus, III, Ghost of Sparta, Ascension). If you pick the former, I would remind you that the story gets better and more fulfilling from then on.

[OLD] God of War Saga - A Worthy Package

Another quick God of War review before God of War: Ascension comes out, this time of last year's God of War Saga, one of the first in Sony's new Collection series. This review will be short, not because the collection is bad, but because it's a collection of games I have already reviewed.

God of War Saga is a new God of War collection that collects God of War Collection (which collects I and II), God of War III, and God of War Origins Collection (which collects Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta). This means you get 5 games for the price of one, making it possibly one of the best gaming deals you could ever have. Unfortunately, there is a catch: Yes, you do get 1 amazing game and 2 amazing collections of 2 games in a single package, which would be awesome except for the fact that Origins Collection is available via download. On a code. With an expiration date (3/31/13 for future reference). My beef is, if you're going to go through the effort to do this, why not go the whole way and put all of them on-disc? There's already a thing in the middle to hold another disc, so why isn't it double-sided? Well, you see Saga advertises that it has "Exclusive Bonus Content", which it turns out is a Directors Live Featurette (you're welcome) that comes with the download for Origins Collection. I know Sony is trying to make a profit off of new game sales, but why not have the Featurette be a stand-alone download code instead if they wanted to include one (aside from the one for a free month of PlayStation +)? The voucher doesn't even tell you that the video is even included, which may lead those that already have Origins Collection to miss the opportunity to grab it. *End of rant*

Despite that upset, this is probably one of the better Collections out there. It is a great bundle, and I encourage those who have not yet played any of the God of War games (and are of the right age) to pick it up. I don't know how God of War: Ascension will turn out yet, but if you don't have a PS3 yet and want to experience God of War, there is a special bundles that includes the system, Ascension, and Saga, which seems like a great deal to me (6 games at once!). If you already have a PS3 and want to play the games, but wish to buy it used or want everything physically, I would tell you to also drop some extra cash on the physical Origins Collection. Trust me, you will get your money's worth.

Now to wait for an HD re-release of this thing.

[OLD] God of War III - It All Ends Here

This game has been re-reviewed. Read it here: https://trophyunlocked.blogspot.com/2024/03/second-look-god-of-war-iii-remastered.html

At last we have come to the end of the God of War saga. Chronologically. As I mentioned in my review of Lollipop Chainsaw, this is the first game where I was so excited for it that I actually went to a midnight launch party at a GameStop when the game came out in March 2010. The timing of this release could actually not have been more perfect, since I was a senior in high school at the time, which meant that I was exempt from taking a certain test that all the other non-senior students had to take (though I still had to show up for a brief period of time). Since testing took a couple of days, this meant that I had practically two whole days to do nothing except play this game. What made the experience even more worth it was that I had gotten the Ultimate Edition of the game at that midnight launch, which included, among other things, a sculpted replica of Pandora's Box as it appears in the games. In a God of War mood, I fully enjoyed my time with this game during those two days. Replaying it now so close to the release of God of War: Ascension (which I will play, but was not building up to), this game is still fun and exciting to play three years later.

The story of this game follows right from the end of God of War II, as Kratos continues his pursuit to kill Zeus. Like with Harry Potter, this is as far as I can go with a story like this, since it would only serve to create massive spoilers for those who haven't played the previous entry yet. What I can say however is that the story is very nicely written. As Kratos interacts with (and kills) the various Gods, we learn more about the back stories of Kratos and the various bits of the game world. In all the chaos, you still get to feel the same way as the Ghost of Sparta and care about him and others in the process.

Nothing will stand in the way of Kratos' revenge.

Then there's the combat, which is similar to the previous games, but with a few tweaks. Button prompts during Quick-Time Events are now placed all around the screen in correspondence to their placement on the controller, leaving more of the screen to display the brutal kills and, oddly enough, being less distracted by the button prompts to focus on Kratos' actions. This change in the button prompts is a welcome addition to the series, which also appeared in the later PSP game Ghost of Sparta and will hopefully be improved upon further in Ascension. Then there's the weapons, which you acquire at various points in the game after killing certain Gods. Their functions are similar to the Blades of Exile (replacing the Blades of Athena), but they each have their own unique attributes that encourage you to actually use them rather than relying solely on the Blades. As an example, the Nemian Cestus  is a weapon more suited to close-quarters combat, but is also needed to break certain surfaces to accomplish various tasks, mainly used to take on specific enemies.

Another change includes items you obtain throughout the game, such as the Bow of Apollo to burn down bramble, which is necessary to advance. As shown in the demo released before this game, one of the many deaths in the game is that of Helios, God of the Sun, accomplished by ripping his head off. After that, his head becomes an item that can be used to find hidden chests and unlock doorways, as seen by a yellow glow around the area (delving further would create a bigger spoiler for later on). To make items like these easier to use, there is now a special Item bar underneath Health and Magic, which refills quickly and doesn't require the use of orbs. However, it can still be upgraded by acquiring three Minotaur Horns; the number of Gorgon Eyes and Phoenix Feathers needed to upgrade the Health and Magic bars respectively has also been reduced to three from the usual six, which not only provides easier balance with the Minotaur Horns, but also makes them much easier to upgrade in general. And of course, Kratos gets to keep the Golden Fleece from God of War II, which not only provides a quick defense during combat, but also serves as a nice bit of continuity.

There's also a bit of variety when it comes to the magic. Aside from the magical ability you get with the Blades of Exile, activated with L2 each weapon has its own magical power that has great use in combat. This allows you to further change up your playing style during combat, ensuring that slaughtering various enemy hordes stays fresh and never gets tiring.

This will not end well for Helios.

And then there's the boss fights. Santa Monica Studio has really topped themselves with God of War on this one, being some of the most interesting and creative boss fights I've seen in a hack-and-slash, even when played on Easy. There's one fight where you finish them off from their perspective (which I thought was interesting) and an epic battle with a titan, among other things. Since the whole driving force of the game's plot is to kill Zeus, King of the Gods, you can probably guess that he would saved for last, and without ruining anything, I can tell you that it is very satisfying. No one is safe in this series, with each boss dying in different, often gory, ways, and they manage to keep each one interesting and different to prevent monotony.

For added replay value, there's also a number of Godly Possessions you can find throughout the game, which can provide you with special skills on a second playthrough. This encourages you to look around the area for these hidden collectibles, most, but not all, of which can be obtained after defeating a boss. With this in mind, bu sure to do a clean sweep of the area before you press on (you may even find a hidden chest or two in the process).

The graphics of this game are simply amazing, even three years after the game's release. They are some of the most realistic graphics I have ever seen, though they are thankfully not so realistic as to be a turn-off. Thanks to the increase in the graphical detail, the game is truly a spectacle, even during some of the gorier moments (including ones that render internal organs); while this may be a turn-off for those who are especially squeamish (I kind of am, admittedly), the gorier moments aren't enough to actually make you squirm, depending on your tolerance level for this sort of thing.

Look at that detail!

Despite all of this, this is probably one of the smoothest games I have ever played. Even with the high level of detail the game possesses, the animations are very fluid and lifelike, but not to the point of uncanny valley, further displaying the increasing graphical power of the God of War franchise. On top of this, the truly amazing thing is that this is finally a game where the in-game graphics and cut scenes are exactly the same, thanks to both using the God of War III Engine. This on its own is a real technological feat, especially since most of the cut scenes are rendered in real time and are almost completely indistinguishable from the pre-rendered ones, which is something I wish that other developers would be able to do.

In terms of sound quality, the game really shines here as well, with an epic orchestral soundtrack that fits the moment just right and knows how to pump you up for the next fight. Even on CD, which I have, the soundtrack is pretty amazing to listen to and is a must-have for fans of this game. The voice-acting is also amazing, which each of the major players delivering a solid performance. There is not a single moment of bad  or sub-par work in this game, especially with performances from the likes Corey Burton as Zeus and Clancy Brown as Hades, God of the Underworld; T. C. Carson also shows that he can still pull of a good performance as Kratos, giving a performance fitting to his rage (and other emotions) that doesn't feel over-the-top. A more surprising casting choice would be Rip Torn as Hephaestus, the Smith God, though he shows he was a good choice for the role by delivering a fitting performance. There are many others I could list here, but to make it short, I repeat that all of the voice work in this game is very top-notch.

Clancy Brown takes over for Nolan North as Hades.

If there's one thing that bogs down the game for some, it's this one one particular puzzle that seems to incorporate the PlayStation icons into the game world. However, I have heard that the resulting icons are actually Greek symbols resembling said icons colored to make them easier to identify for the player. Even with this explanation, it seems a bit jarring to include this, but if you take the time to look at the symbols, you can actually tell that they are, indeed, those Greek symbols. The puzzle felt more authentic to me when I played it again with this knowledge, though whether this adds to or detracts from the overall value of the game is up to you.

That aside, God of War III is, simply put, a perfect game. The voice acting and soundtrack are amazing, the graphics are highly advanced, the story is engaging, and overall it feels like the perfect end to Kratos' story. If you have played at least the first two main entries in the series (and fit age requirements), you must play this game. If you are new to the God of War series, play at least God of War I and II first before playing III, simply because the story would otherwise make no sense. If you wish, you can also play Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta (and Betrayal if possible), since they add more to God of War's world and certain references made in this game actually make a lot more sense once you play them. Kratos' end may have been executed spectacularly, but the question remains with how well Santa Monica Studio can handle his very beginnings.

[OLD] God of War Collection

In anticipation for the release of God of War III in 2010, Sony released an HD remaster in 2009 of the first two God of War games in a special set known simply as God of War Collection. One thing that should be noted is that this particular set was the first HD Collection ever released, its success spawning a trend leading to further HD remasters, some of which we have discussed (and will get to later) on this blog. The intention of this particular HD Collection was to not only build up hype for God of War III, but also to allow newcomers to get some experience with the franchise. Having already played the original games on PS2 games, I was naturally excited about this, although I didn't actually get to playing it until now. That said, one has to wonder: Is this a worthy investment?

The answer is yes. There aren't any gameplay changes to speak of, save for Trophy support for the hardcore crowd, but there are some graphical improvements to be found. The in-game graphics look cleaner than they did in the two games' original PS2 versions and seem to run more smoothly. The cinematic cutscenes look as amazing as ever, perhaps even better than they originally did, though the cutscenes that use in-game graphics in God of War II look a tad dated, even with the HD shine.

While there isn't that much to say about it, God of War Collection is a must-have for PS3 owners. If you own a PS3 but have not played the original God of War games and are of age, pick this game up now. If you have already played these games before, this is a great way to re-live the God of War experience in the current generation of consoles. The two games included on this disk are great games in their own right and for that, whether you are a God of War veteran or a newcomer, owning this Collection is a no-brainer.

[OLD] God of War (WildStorm/DC Comic) - Not Even a Change of Publishers Can Stop the God of War

This comic has been re-reviewed. Read it here: https://trophyunlocked.blogspot.com/2024/03/second-look-god-of-war-wildstormdc-comic.html

As hype for God of War III increased, it was announced that the publisher Wildstorm, whom we have discussed before, would do a 6-issue bi-monthly (in this case every other month) tie-in comic, simply titled God of War, its release coinciding with that of the game. This is a comic I read as it was coming out, although it was also through this comic that I witnessed the downfall of Wildstorm; in the back of issue 5, there is a letter stating that the Wildstorm universe was not only going to end, but also be rebooted (this may have been foreshadowing DC's New 52 relaunch, which includes Wildstorm material), but even then I was genuinely confused when I noticed that issue 6 was released by DC, which I took to mean that the larger company ate Wildstorm. Anyway, this review marks the third time I have read this comic, twice through DC's trade paperback collection, and while it isn't perfect, it's still one heck of a comic.

The story of the comic, written by Marv Wolfman (you may know him for DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths), takes place simultaneously before and after the first God of War, each following Kratos as he seeks the Ambrosia of Asclepius, a plant that possesses magical healing powers. In flashbacks to the past, we learn more about Kratos' past, including what lead to pivotal events in his life presented in the first game's flashback sequences. After a few readings, I still believe Marv Wolfman captures the spirit of God of War quite nicely, with text boxes resembling the narrations present in each game and the dialogue feeling natural, especially Kratos', whose dialogue sounds like exactly like something he would say. On top of this, Wolfman seems well-researched with God of War and Greek mythology in general, providing a rather interesting plot twist in later issues of the comic. However, both times I read this as a whole, I noticed a couple of continuity errors, though they are entirely isolated to the dialogue; one instance has Kratos remembering a bit of dialogue a little differently than when it was first spoken, and the other involves the dialogue from one character changing slightly between the end and beginning of the last two issues. In addition, the story assumes you are already familiar with God of War, evidenced by the very first page, so it's best to play the first game at the least before reading.

Next is the artwork. The covers for each issue were provided by Andy Park, a concept artist for the God of War series, and they are simply gorgeous. Mostly they do display something that will happen in each issue, but each cover is still epic and badass in their own right, being something you might tempted to tack to your wall. The interiors by Andrea Sorrentino, however, are another story. I'm not saying her art is terrible, but it could have used a little fixing up before being published. If I were to describe it, I would say it's sort of like Schrödinger's artwork: simultaneously well-done and poorly-done; on one hand Sorrentino's art is very good, with a photo-realistic art style that fits the atmosphere of the games it is based on, along with character designs and locales appearing as though they were ripped straight from them; on the other hand, they can be considered bad because they appear, as others have put it, muddy, making it difficult at times to make out what exactly is going on, including telling the difference between past and present. In this case, you may have to read the book a few times before you are able to see all the nuances of the artwork and fully appreciate the effort that went into them and tell where the team intended a transition; once you are able to tell, the comic becomes better as a result. If I were to compare Sorrentino's interior art here to those of other Wildstorm comics discussed on the blog, I would say they are somewhere between the spectacular Ratchet & Clank interiors (clear and distinct) and the god-awful Mirror's Edge interiors (scratchy and incomprehensible).

Overall, the God of War comic is a must-read for God of War fans. The writing is amazing and stays true to the God of War atmosphere, but the visuals, while matching the style of the games, seem to have needed a little bit of polishing up before release. Aside from that setback, the book is a fantastic read and is definitely worth your time. What has fascinated me about the God of War series is that it has (so far) been able to tell an excellent, mature story without resorting to heavy swearing, and this book continues the trend. However, even with the art the way it is, it still gets pretty visceral, and with some of the creative choices made in this comic, I would suggest following what the book itself suggests and make sure you are the right age (in the Mature crowd) to be reading this comic.

I would like to get to the rest of the God of War series at some point, so let's hope the world doesn't end tomorrow before I get a chance to do so.

[OLD] God of War II - The Beginning of the End

This game has been re-reviewed. Read it here: https://trophyunlocked.blogspot.com/2024/03/second-look-god-of-war-ii.html

The first God of War is simply an amazing game. The combat is simple, the story is engaging, and you really get to sympathize with the main character, Kratos. While it feels like a stand-alone game, the end of it assures more God of War, which is exactly what players got in 2007 with the release of God of War II. With two years between this game and the one that started it all, I feel that this sequel keeps up the quality of the first.

After defeating Ares and becoming the new God of War, Kratos still can't shake the nightmares of his past. The Spartans call for help, which Kratos sets out to do as Athena tries to stop him. Suddenly he is reduced to the size of a mortal, with the Colossus of Rhodes coming to life in order to kill him. Zeus then tries to help Kratos by giving him the Blade of Olympus, requiring him to channel his godly powers into it. After defeating the Colossus, Zeus reveals that it was a set-up, and sends Kratos to Hades. Kratos, however, manages to literally climb back out with the help of the Titan Gaia, setting on a journey to find the Sisters of Fate in order to change his...fate and, along with help from the Titans, get revenge on Zeus.

This game features a number of improvements graphically, with sharper and more detailed graphics while sticking to the visual aesthetic of the original. The cinematic cutscenes are a vast upgrade from the ones in the previous game, putting a lot more detail into the animations and at the same time retaining their overall fluidity, if not becoming more realistic. Occasionally there are flashbacks to Kratos' past, which generally recycle footage from the first game's flashbacks. Though it is a convenient shortcut, one can use this to see just how different the cinematics are between each installment.

The combat is carried over from the first game, making it familiar to previous players; I am unable to delve further into it since I played on Easy, but I can say that there are some slight tweaks in the controls. For instance, rather than pressing Circle for some actions, they have been replaced with pressing R1. This takes a little time to get used to, but it does introduce some variety. By pressing R1, you are also able to slide down climbable walls, which really helps get through some areas faster.

The music for this game, much like the first, perfectly captures the atmosphere of the story, due in part thanks to some more amazing choir work, including at least one or two recognizable pieces thrown in that really sell it. While playing the game I discovered that the soundtrack has also been released by itself, so I hope to pick it up when I see it. The voice acting continues to be equally impressive, with TC Carson's role as Kratos becoming somewhat more hammy than before. Excluding Carson and Linda Hunt, there has been some change in the voice actors, but they still do a really good job. Though Paul Eiding is no longer Zeus, he is replaced by the equally talented Corey Burton, who some may recognize as Shockwave from Transformers (G1 and Animated). Overall, this game still has some amazing talent behind it.

The PS2 version of God of War II also comes with a special bonus, in the form of a second disc containing special features. These features are a number of videos, much of them a peek at what happened behind the scenes while the game was in production. I haven't looked at all of them, but what I have seen contains some interesting information, including the design process of Kratos and what happened during playtesting (did you know that the Hades level in the first game wasn't playtested?); from what I've seen I got the impression that the testers were treated well and the developers listened to their feedback, which is more than I can say for what I've read on Tales from the Trenches. These videos are grouped together in categories, including one marked "Spoilers", which I can confirm is labelled as such for a reason. I would tell you to wait until actually beating the game before checking out this disc; even if you don't watch all of them, it is definitely worth  a look.

As a whole, God of War II is a good follow-up to the experience provided in the original game. The story doesn't have the same consistent impact on the player that the first one had, but, like Iron Man 2, it's best to think of this game as the middle portion of a trilogy (though it does present a really good plot twist at the end). The overall experience is still worth the time in the end, and is a necessary stop for players (of age, of course) who are just getting into God of War (in addition to aiding the flow of the story).

As a side note, for those that enjoy the first God of War, I would highly recommend the novel adaptation by Matthew Stover and Robert E. Vardeman. It does take a few creative liberties here and there, but it's still a fairly faithful adaptation of the game and a rather enjoyable read on its own.

[OLD] God of War (2005)

This game has been re-reviewed. Read it here: https://trophyunlocked.blogspot.com/2024/03/second-look-god-of-war-2005.html

If you've been playing games long enough or have have done enough research into them, chances are you've heard of David Jaffe. You may have heard that name through his best known creations Twisted Metal and God of War, both of which remain exclusive to PlayStation. While he's been involved with the majority of Twisted Metal games, including this year's reboot, he has only been involved with the first two God of War games, the first one more intimately. While there is the upcoming God of War: Ascension early next year, that is not the only reason why I'm reviewing the first game right now, since the new game is another prequel; rather, it is a combination of boredom (due to any new games that interest me not coming out for a while), my recent acquisition of God of War Saga and the fact that the only God of War reviews on this blog are of handheld and mobile games. Surprisingly, even 7 years from its initial release, this highly-regarded PS2 classic still holds up after all this time.

The story of the game seems simple enough: Kratos is a Spartan who has served under the Gods for ten years. Tired of his servitude and experiencing visions of his past, he seeks to kill Ares, the God of War, with help of the other Gods along the way in order to finally be free of his contract with him. While this appears simple on the surface, there is more depth to it revealed as the game progresses. This is actually made very interesting, since once every layer has been revealed on what set Kratos on his (lengthy) act of revenge against Ares, you begin to feel a bit of sympathy for him.

Though this game is from 2005, the graphics aren't really all that bad. They don't hold up to today's standards of realistic graphics, but for a later PS2 title the visuals still look pretty good and hit all the right marks. There's still a great amount of detail for the limitations of the time and everything can be easily made out thanks to a good balance of light and dark colors. While the in-game graphics are good, by contrast the cutscenes are animated beautifully. Each one uses an amazing blend of still art and amazingly detailed realistic animations and each one transitions and flows very smoothly. The animations have an incredible amount of detail, with hair, fur, and clothing moving very realistically. Even the various forms of cloth in the game, including flags and particularly Kratos' loincloth, have a good deal of this animation, which is still amazing for the time.

The combat system of the game is simple, which may or may not sound familiar to you. Kratos' pimary weapon is the Blades of Chaos, which can be swung at an incredible distance to slaughter anyone who stands in his way. As you kill enemies or destroy breakable objects, you obtain red orbs that can be used to power up your available arsenal to open up a whole slew of new combos with each upgrade. As you progress through the story, the other gods, including Zeus and Hades among others, grant you special weapons and magical abilities they posses in order to help slay Ares as he goes on a rampage against Athens. Opening chests gives you orbs to increase your health, magic, and red orb count, as well as Gorgon Eyes and Phoenix Feathers that can upgrade your health and magic meters respectively. In addition, when prompted, you can perform a Quick Time Event on an enemy in order to deal a finishing blow and gain an extra reward, such as increased health.

On the audio side of things, I don't really have any complaints. The voice acting, I felt, was solid. TC Carson's role as Kratos continues on from here, and while it does evolve somewhat over the course of the franchise, it's interesting to revisit the roots of his performance after so many games. Though the other characters change voice actors over time, some performances that stood out to me were Steve Blum as Ares, Nolan North as Hades (he surprisingly doesn't do a bad job voicing the God of Death), and Paul Eiding as Zeus, ruler of the Gods. Linda Hunt's voice is perfect for the narrations, becoming a staple throughout the rest of the franchise (save for Betrayal, which didn't even have voice work). The music also works perfectly well with the game itself, including the talents of a massive choir to create the game's epic atmosphere.

While God of War is an excellent game all around, I do have only one complaint, a nightmare that can be summed up in a single word: Hades. And I'm not talking about the God here, I'm referring to the location that is the ancient Greek version of Hell. When Kratos gets sent there during the game, you are almost immediately faced with what is guaranteed to be one of the most frustrating experiences of your Mature gaming career. While the environment is appropriately totally disgusting, there is a large section where you must traverse across spinning ledges (covered in blades), after which you must climb up a pair of spinning columns (covered in blades), and by the end you must create your pathway out by fighting off a group of Satyrs (wielding blades). Even when I took the opportunity earlier in the game to go down to Easy, this section was the source of the majority of all of my deaths and I nearly wanted to throw my controller in rage. However, given that it's Hell, the difficulty is probably appropriate.

After so many years, the original God of War is still a great game. It has an interesting concept and executes it extremely well, earning its rightful spot in gaming history. If you still own a PS2, are of age, and have not yet played this game, I suggest you look for a copy and play it as soon as you can. You will not be disappointed. And don't worry: On this blog, Kratos will return.

The Unfinished Swan

While I do enjoy my fair share of complex or lengthy games, I am also the type to appreciate games that have good artistic qualities (see my reviews of Thatgamecompany's library for evidence). As such, I became interested when I first heard about The Unfinished Swan, especially with its main gameplay mechanic of throwing balls of paint. Recently this game saw an early release for subscribers of PlayStation +, so naturally I decided to take full advantage of it. What I can say is, this game is good news for people like me who appreciate the artistic side of gaming.

The story, as described by the opening cutscene, is that a boy named Monroe had a mother who passed away. She was always painting, but never got around to completing any of her projects. Upon her passing, the orphanage allowed Monroe to keep only one of his mother's pieces, and so picked her favorite, the titular unfinished swan. One day, Monroe saw that the swan had mysteriously disappeared from its canvas, and enters through a door that wasn't there previously.

The core mechanic of the gameplay, as mentioned above, is the ability to throw balls of paint at the surrounding environment. The first level of the game, discussed in pre-release material, uses this in a rather interesting way, wherein you throw black paint in order to reveal more of a completely white world, sort of like painting a blank canvas. The visual appeal of this level comes from the contrast between light and dark, especially when you throw just enough paint to imply an existing form. Over the course of the game, you can also find hidden balloons within each level, which can be used to unlock toys that can grant you certain benefits, one of which allows you to more easily find said balloons. When you find all of the hidden balloons, you can unlock a sniper rifle, though it sounds more like something you can get long after it's needed. You can also uncover small bits of the environment that reveal more of the story within the game.

The graphics of the game are visually appealing no matter what the setting, even as the game introduces more detailed environments. The design of the game looks and feels like a children's story book, which is also how the game's chapters are divided up. Each of these environments, along with the respective music, creates its own atmosphere, ranging from light and quirky to dark and scary (and I actually did feel scared at certain points). On the visual side of things, the game succeeds at creating a unique environment.

The game features little voice acting, in that there's only a handful of speaking characters, but even with what little there is, the voice actors do an amazing job. The narrator has a calm voice that would fit perfectly in an audio recording of a children's book, and Monroe sounds appropriately like a child, though it thankfully isn't annoying. Going further would mean spoilers, but what I did not talk about is equally impressive for such a short game.

While the game is solid, I did encounter a very, very, very minor bug in the first level: While exploring a small portion of the first level that I had revealed, there would be a small glitch with the paint I threw. What I mean by this is that when I walked over a paint splatter, that particular splatter would disappear while I was on top of it. Surprisingly, this only happened to the one specific splatter within a level that is otherwise consistent with your progress.

Something else that should be addressed is the game's length. Though I didn't play the game in a single burst, The Unfinished Swan is noticeably short, lasting just over two hours. This may not seem worth $15, but on the other hand, the balloons in each level add an incentive to replay each chapter in order to unlock more extras. While there may not be much meat to this downloadable title, I think it's the experience that truly counts.

So, is The Unfinished Swan worth a purchase? The answer is yes, particularly for those who want something short and are able to appreciate the artistic side of things. If you want something longer and more complex, you'll probably be more tempted to look elsewhere. If the premise of the game doesn't entice you, I'll give you this: The ending is much more satisfactory than that of Quantum Conundrum.

The Sly Collection - It's A Steal

Due to school and a number of other factors, playing this collection for a review took longer than expected (and somewhat decreased my recent output). In any case, reviewing this collection means our build-up to Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time is drawing to a close (but it's not quite done yet). Released a couple years ago, The Sly Collection was developed by Sanzaru Games, due to Sucker Punch being busy with the Infamous series, after God of War Collection started and popularized HD remakes. Supposedly, the people at Sanzaru are big fans of Sly Cooper, so they were given the task of remastering the PS2 trilogy as a sort of test. Having recently finished another playthrough of these games, I would say they passed with flying colors.

While there isn't any change in the gameplay, there certainly is some in the graphics. The visuals of the games look more refined than their earlier counterparts and seem to run a little smoother at times. However, there is a minor difference I noticed while playing photograph missions, regarding the photos themselves. In the original PS2 versions of Sly 2 and 3, when a photo is taken, it stops to show what you took while zooming out a little and tilting slightly to the right; in their PS3 remasters, the photo just stays there without moving. To be fair, while it does sound silly that I'm going into such detail over a minor change, I found it fairly noticeable after playing the original games before playing the collection.

To increase the collection's replay value, Sanzaru has included a few special minigames, each utilizing the functionality of the PlayStation Move. These games primarily involve shooting/moving through targets, and the trophies associated with them aren't too difficult to get when playing solo. When played with another person however, these games actually become somewhat more competitive. The Move controls also work extremely well and move with 100% accuracy (whether the icon perfectly follows the glowing orb depends on your calibration) without any sort of lag. While it is possible to use a regular controller for these minigames, as well as being able to outdo a Move user half the time, I would recommend using the Move instead, if only due to increased accuracy and speed. (As a side note, these games are only local multiplayer, so fans expecting online play are out of luck.)

Despite these improvements however, I still ran into some technical difficulties. During my replay of Sly 2, I had a moment where, while playing as Bentley, I was literally knocked out of the game level while inside a deadly corridor, thus costing me the mission and forcing me to start over from scratch. I would also recommend not leaving your disk in the system for too long, since a couple times when I ended up doing that, I encountered some static from the audio that made affected cutscenes and subsequent gameplay harder to understand, requiring me to exit the game and start it back up again. I also had the sound drop out completely once during Sly 3, which again required a restart to get it going again. Aside from this and a single game freeze, there wasn't that much wrong with it technically speaking.

Before I end this review, I would also like to bring up a small comment on the 3D capability, but not concerning whether it works or not since I didn't use a 3D television. As I have said before, Sly 3 has an option where certain levels can be played in 3D via a pair of special glasses that can cause eye strain. In the HD remaster, these levels are presumably done by using the functionality of a 3D set. I'm assuming you only get the screen giving you the option when you're playing on one of these sets, because I did not see that screen at all while playing, so character dialogue referring to "optimizer goggles" otherwise seems to come out of nowhere.

The Sly Collection is a must-have for Sly Cooper fans who want to see their favorite characters again in glorious HD, technical issues aside. For those who don't have a PS2 but still want to experience the original Sly trilogy, this is a good way to do just that. Plus, combining the clue bottles from the first two games, the time trials from the first game, the multiplayer games and extra missions in the third game, and the minigames included with this collection, you get an incredible amount of replay value that offers more bang for your buck.

Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves

At last we have come to the final game in the current Sly Cooper trilogy, Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves, originally released the year following Sly 2. Within this short time frame, some changes have been made to the Sly Cooper formula, which may either help or detract from the experience depending on your perspective. As a whole though, though it nicely ends Sucker Punch's run on the series, it isn't my favorite thieving adventure.

Sly Cooper and the gang have reached Kaine Island, on which sits the Cooper Vault, containing the Cooper family fortune that has been built up over several generations of thieving activity. Once Sly finally reaches the vault, he opens it, only to be stopped by Dr. M, who happens to own the island. Furious, Dr. M, having plugged himself into one of his experimental creatures, grabs hold of Sly and attempts to crush him. As this happens, Sly begins to think back on what led him to this point in time...

The remainder of the story is told primarily through flashback, retaining the heavier tone set up by the second game while still having a few lighthearted moments to offset it. There are some rather interesting plot twists to be found along the way, and some old faces show up from the first two games to help (or hinder) you along the way. As with before, the villains that the team must face are actually pretty interesting, and while they may not be likable, they are no less memorable. The overall experience still manages to have some of that Saturday morning feel to it, which again isn't really a bad thing.

The level design of Sly 2 is retained here, with the exception of the clue bottles from previous entries. I found the absence of this feature somewhat odd, since their inclusion encouraged exploration throughout each world in the previous game. Regardless, I got somewhat used to this as I kept playing. In its stead there are a few times where you have to search for a number combination within a painting, with the assistance of a magnifying glass of course, although it quickly gets to the point where it seems they didn't even try to cleverly hid the numbers.

Like with the last game, some changes have been made to the gameplay. For instance, whenever you pickpocket a valuable item from a guard, the amount the item is worth is automatically added to your coin total instead of having to go back to the Safehouse and selling it off through ThiefNet, which admittedly helps the game go by faster. Other features include safe cracking, in which you unlock a safe by turning a lock and feeling controller vibrations; and wearing a disguise to get around certain areas, though if a guard sees you, you must repeat a password given to you by Bentley.

Much like the last installment, you have the ability to play as Sly, Bentley, or Murray at any given time, though in certain mission you are able to use even more characters, including Carmelita (though these are in the guise of Sly/Bentley/Murray missions). Each of these characters has their own unique playstyle, which adds more variety to the gameplay presented and allows each mission to get a little more creative. However, it sometimes becomes apparent that Bentley has gained somewhat more bloodlust between games, as some of the missions involve murder (ex. feeding guards to a crocodile in order for it to chase other guards out of an area).

Continuing the trend from the first two games, Carmelita Fox once again changes voice actresses, this time being voiced by Ruth Livier. I didn't have too much of a problem with this voice, though at times she sounds sort of nasally, which can get a little grating. In the end I thought her performance was okay, it's just not my favorite Carmelita voice.

While I did actually have a good time with this game, there were a few things that bogged down the experience for me. At a later point in the game, there is a pirate themed stage that introduces new gameplay concepts, including treasure hunting and ship combat. While I understand the need for variety in a game, I think the stuff in the pirate stage feels like a little too much and only serves to introduce players to a multiplayer mode and another bit of extra gameplay (more on that later). On the other hand, the ship combat does prove to be an excellent source of coins.

Another point I want to address involves said coins. This time around there's even more abilities that you can purchase through ThiefNet for Sly, Bentley, and Murray, but at the same time it also gets more and more expensive. This can lead to hours of grinding simply to get that new button combination (for Sly) or another fire-related ability (for Murray). Because of this, I decided to forego grinding during my last run-through, which made the game go by much faster and allowed me to absorb the story more. This also allowed me to weigh my ThiefNet options and think about whether or not the ability I was about to purchase would actually be useful. (In essence, I wholly recommend not grinding.)

The game also has extra missions that can be done once a section is over, adding replay value in place of the clue bottles. However, it is possible to quickly lose interest in these side quests, since completing all of them essentially requires you to play the game twice in order to get 100% completion, whereas in Sly 2 you could easily get full completion in a single run.

Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves also introduces a couple new features to the Sly Cooper series, one of them being 3D functionality, namely analog 3D (the one with the cheap red/blue glasses). There are only a few sections that use this function, and soon you figure out why: while it works really well, especially in a dark room, it can cause minor eye strain after an extended session. Whether or not this is worth it depends on the player, but I would still give it praise since it really gives you a feeling of depth.

The other new feature to the series is local multiplayer, which accommodates two players. The modes you'll find here are simple in nature, including hacking, plane combat, the aforementioned ship combat and Cops and Robbers; in Cops and Robbers, two players (one as Sly, the other as Carmelita) must compete to get 5 points, Sly by stealing items and Carmelita by hunting Sly. Of the mutliplayer modes that I explored, I personally found the Cops and Robbers one to be the most exciting, since it was the most unique.

Extra features aside, Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves is a good way to cap off Sucker Punch's run on the Sly Cooper series. It has a compelling story that hits the right marks for a Sly Cooper title and there is some good variety in the gameplay, though some of the new elements can sometimes get in the way. Regardless, it is a game that Sly fans must have in their collection, especially since it ends with a lead-in to Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time.

How good will it be? Only time will tell...

The Amazing Spider-Man - Not So Amazing

One of the best superhero movies I have seen is Spider-Man. It has a great story, good casting, and plenty of memorable moments and action scenes. After this movie became a trilogy, a reboot called The Amazing Spider-Man was announced for this year following (if I'm right) creative differences. From what I have heard about it in the time before its release, I decided to give it a try. After having just seen it, I can say that, compared to the original 2002 movie, it isn't all that spectacular.

Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is a photographer at Midtown Science High School who is often the victim of Flash Thompson's (Chris Zylka) bullying. After Peter gets home to his Aunt May (Sally Field) and Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen), he assists Ben with cleaning out a flooded basement. In the process, Peter comes across some science work in a case hidden by his deceased father, leading him to do some research into OsCorp, where his father worked. The next day, he gets into OsCorp under a false identity, taking a tour with a group of interns for Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), where he learns of research involving animal DNA. Breaking off from the group, he gets into a room where spiders are creating a special webbing, but soon leaves when he disrupts their work. Once he leaves the room, he feels one of the spiders bite him, changing him over time.

Before I talk about what I think of the story, I would like to discuss a couple other things about the overall product. As far as the music goes, I thought it actually helped the movie pretty well regarding the tonality of the events on screen. James Horner's score isn't exactly on the level of Danny Elfman's, who scored the original Spider-Man movie, but it still manages to do its job nicely. By itself, the acting for this reboot is also pretty good. You can really sense the chemistry between Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), as well as the relationships each of them has with their respective families. However, The Lizard, the antagonist of this movie, doesn't have the same level of intimidation that the Green Goblin did in the original, but on his own he comes off as an okay villain.

The story as a whole is very contrived and oftentimes too convenient, like some things are included because it could be, even if it doesn't make sense. For instance, there's a point early on where Peter is being chased by a group of thugs, during which Peter crawls up a wall with his spider powers to escape, only for the thugs to have magically teleported to the top of the building where Peter ended up (also during this scene, Peter Parker is more like Peter Parkour than Spider-Man most of the time). There's also the fact that Peter's father's work was in the basement, yet somehow it was not discovered by anyone until there was a small flood. Trying to go into any greater detail about the story would create massive spoilers for anyone who hasn't seen the movie yet, so I'm going to stop right here.

Another thing about this movie requires a comparison to the original film. It seems that, while a reboot, The Amazing Spider-Man is attempting to touch upon all the basic points of the first Spider-Man, since they are both origin stories, while taking a different approach. This isn't a bad idea, but the way it is handled ends up creating less of an impact with certain pivotal scenes than in the first one. For example, the death of Uncle Ben is an important event in Spider-Man's origin, so naturally it is included. However, whereas in the first movie there is an emotional scene after Ben is killed by someone Peter let run free after a robbery at a wrestling event (later retconned in Spider-Man 3), the scene is changed so that Ben is killed by someone that Peter let run free after a petty robbery, creating less of an impact in the long run; the scene is set up such that Ben's death seems to be more his own fault and not more so Peter's.

One last item I would like to touch upon is that this movie sets up a lot of things that are often left hanging, sometimes almost literally. There are several things that the movie stops to put focus on, such as a mark of blood or Peter's photography skills, that go absolutely nowhere and seem entirely pointless. During the movie there is also a subplot of Peter, as Spider-Man, trying to find the one that murdered his uncle, but by the end this is never resolved, which really bothered me. Also, there is a particular effect right before the credits that actually gets cut off, made even more disappointing when viewed in 3D.

The Amazing Spider-Man is not the Spider-Man reboot I was hoping for, given the hype surrounding it. It tries to touch on all the necessary points that the original movie made, but in the end it all falls apart. If you are a fan of the Spider-Man movies and are curious about this reboot, and/or you have kids who want to see it, I would suggest checking it out once, but otherwise this seems more like a movie to wait on for a cheap rental. However, if you are one that enjoys watching comic book movies, maybe this one will hold you over until The Dark Knight Rises.