VIDEO: Dead Rising the Movie

Lets be honest, even though the case proclaims that the game is not based on George A. Romero’s classic Dawn of the Dead only the most naive of people would believe that after 5 minutes of playing the game. The question now is, will Romero’s lawyers rub their hands in glee given the announcement that a film based on the game is currently int he works?

From the trailer it seems that director Keiji Inafune , producer of the original game and the creator of Mega Man is trying to give the film it’s own look and fell. He film follows the adventure od brothers Jouji and Shin who have to escape from a town over run by the living dead. The trailer promises buckets of blood and guts and while the acting may not up to the level of thespians such as Takashi Kitano it certainly captures the sense of fun inherent to the games success.

The film is being designed to give the viewer the feeling of being in a FPS and is set to be released online sometime this year. Xbox Live subscribers are due to have early access to the film and fingers crossed if successful we may see a big screen version.

PS3 Cracked?

A few dayts back noted hacker george Hotz announced on his blog that he had finally cracked teh PS3 console statign that it had taken him 5 weeks to do so.  He wrote “I have read/write access to the entire system memory, and HV level access to the processor. In other words, I have hacked the PS3.” In the 3 years since the consoles release Hotz is the first to successfully hack the console due to the tight security restrictions of the console.

At this time Hotz is refusing to reveal jsut how he accomplished the hacl but has said that it’s not something which is patchable but that” Sony can make implementations much harder.”

Sony have said that they are currently investigating the reports but nothign can be verified till more information becomes available. What this means for gamers is unknown, could it lead to the first pirated games appearing for the PS3 or will it be more akin to the home brew community found on the PSP. One thing is clear though, even if the console has been cracked many gamers will be exploiting the ability to pirate games given the large file size of most PS3 releases.

REVIEW: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Developer: Infinity Ward | Publisher: Activision| Format: PS3

Reviewer: Craig Jay Gallagher Modern Warfare was the the first in the series to be set in the present day and as such adds a sense of realism to proceedings currently unmatched by any shooter. In the years that have passed the game has gone down as one of the finest shooters ever released, one which redefined the FPS genre as a whole. fromm the fast, brutal realistic single player to the deep, fulfilling multi–player, it was a FPS which delivered on all levels.

Since then we have had a number of superior FPS which have tried to lay claim to the thrown, thankfully Modern Warfare 2 is here and with the unprecedented demand and publicity the game has became one of the most successful events of all time.

While this reviewer would love to heap praise upon the title which he will first we must address the games biggest shortcoming, the way the story is told. The story is also far from original, riffing as it does on Red Dawn and other classic war movies. The pre mission briefing scenes are outdated and really do lessen the impact of the games more important moments. Still the writing is good and as adequate as the story is it does drive the plot along.

Given the media attention the game received there is no doubt that most are aware of the controversy surrounding one of the earlier missions, in which you must act as a double agent and join a terrorist group as they massacre hundreds of civilians in a busy airport. It;s an exhilarating and refreshingly dangerous move on the developers part and really adds a great deal to the sense of realism. So shocking is the the inclusion of the mission that you are given an option to skip it entirely thought sheer curiosity will no doubt lead to even the most buttoned down game wanting to see what all the fuss is about. I’s just a shame that the rest tof the plot wasnt as well handeled.

AS with all war games story Is secondary to action and in this department Modern Warfare 2 delivers in spades. There is a variety to the missions which is unmatched and the inclusion of more gung-ho back up support really does bring a msile to your face. The Predator UAV allows you to call in a tactical air strike effectively reducing any enemy resistance to a pile of burnt and mangled corpses. Previous games in the series included air strikes but they were ineffective and lacked an adequate boom for your buck. There is also a wider variety of vehicles to use and the cinematic nature of speedign across countryy in a snow mobile whole openign fire on enemy soldires is an experience unmatched by anythign Hollywood has product in recent memory.

Unfortunately the single player campaign is too short, most player swill easily clock it in under 6 hours and while it’s not that much a draw back you can’t help but wish that the developers had thrown in a few additional missions. The addition of a new mode, Special Ops instantly extends the games life spawn and many gamers will spend more time completing these missions than the campaign. The emphasis here is on multi-player cooperative gaming and while they can be completed solo they will take a bit longer. These mission include surviving hordes of enemy soldiers, racing vehicles or utilising stealth to your advantage. For each mission you receive a star ranking in turn unlocking more missions.

Multi player is once again a step up, the sense of scale will leave your jaw on the floor as will just how good it all looks. There are endless months of gaming here making Modern Warfare one of the few games which is not only essential but lives up to the initial hype.

The levels of anticipation surrounding Modern Warfare 2 exceeded those of any recent Blockbuster and that the game is so good really hammers home just how much more gaming has to offer when compared to traditional media. It is an essential purchase and one which this writer doubts will be matched any time soon.

REVIEW: Assassin’s Creed II

Developer / Publisher: Ubisoft | Format: PS3

Reviewer: Craig Jay Gallagher Like all the greatest games Assassin’s Creed II is a game of such immense proportions that you will find yourself returning time after time to complete any one of the numerous side missions or explore the world further., It is a game which the player can become immersed in and unlike the original boredom never sets in. Assassin’s Creed II like all sequels takes what was great about the original and expands upon it creating a whole new experience.

Our hero this time around is Ezio, a Renaissance nobleman turned assassin after the murders of his father and brothers. Ezio finds himself sucked into a shadowy world of murder and Machiavellian plots. As before you also find yourself controlling Desmond Miles whom in 2012 is still begin held prisoner and forced to locate the Pieces of Eden, ancient artifacts that the modern day Knights Templar need. It’s all very cinematic and creates a truly original and thrilling game which like all great stories is best experienced first hand by gamers.

As with the first gamers must utilise their environment in order to go unnoticed. Most titles simply use obstacles and shadows in order to create a stealth environment where as ACII everything is fair game from ledges to rooftops to hiding in plain sight. You can use roaming groups of people to blend in with. All it takes is two people for Ezio to lose himself. As Ezio blends in his clothes and that of those around him will slowly fade out.

There is also not he ability to hire a diverse selection of people including prostitutes to try and distract your enemies. It makes for a rather thrilling and entertaining experience and though initial comparisons to GTA are unfounded the titles do have similarities. The wide open world, array of side missions and the ability to go off on your own accord till you feel ready to once more continue completing missions essential to the plot.

Racing across rooftops is an experience currently only matched by the severely underrated Mirror’s Edge. As you climb up buildings and jump from rooftop to rooftop the sense of freedom is unparalleled in another title. Climbing feels far more refined with a naturalistic yet playful feel to it and given this realistic approach you do feel rather thankful that falling from a height won’t kill you instantly.

There is a lack of adult orientated action games, in fact excluding God of War and Devil May Cry, the Assassin’s Creed games are the only other non shooter action games aimed as at adult audiences. Assassin’s Creed II is the best adult orientated action title currently available and one which offers more enjoyment and repeatability than any recent title.