Amigo's Review: The Book of Eli

Hello friends!

It's been a while since my last movie review, but hopefully we'll have more in this new year. I probably should have done a review of Avatar but if you haven't seen it by this point then shame on you because as someone who doesn't see too much movies there's no excuse that there's a movie I have seen and you haven't...that plus it's one of the better films I've seen in a while. I digress.

Pictured: the future...

Premise: The film takes place in a post-apocalyptic earth. There is not much talk about how/when the world got to this point but the idea is that one day (30+ years prior to the film) there was a great 'flash' that pretty much wiped out most of civilazion. I will assume the flash was either a cause of a solar flare that penetrated the earth's atmosphere or that we nuked ourselves...probably the latter.

The story follows a man, Eli, (Denzel Washington) who is headed west (USA most likely) and along the way you find out that most people either live in small towns or as nomads trying to find food and water to stay alive. Along his journey, Eli comes across a town that is run by a literate man who has men at his disposal to do his dirty work. This man is in search of a book that will give him complete control over all people he encounters (most people are illiterate) since he will use the book as a way of instilling their minds with that which is essentially religion.

No, not this book...but save it though.

An encounter with Eli reveals that both the head mob guy and Eli are the only ones that are literate (as far as they know). The mob guy manages to discover that Eli carries a book which after described by a servant girl hints at being the same book he seeks for power. Eli however has no plans to stick around the town nor hand over the book and a pursuit of this wandering man soon ensues.

Around this same time, an unwanted follower, the girl that snitched on Eli (Mila Kunis), joins the journey and then we are set for a showdown between good and evil.

<>
Pros:
+Good picture: most of the movie has a hint of "nothingness"; the clouds and landscapes are dull in color, nothing bright or colorful, it's like everything is just a shade of brown or grey.
+Good action sequences: though not many, they're pretty good and Denzel pulls it off nicely (like your mom)
+Good story overall

Cons:
-Not enough background: I would have liked more info or perhaps some flash back to how the world got to that point
-Not enough action sequences: (see above); I could have used more
-Ending could have been 'different' or not presented in a semi cliffhanger sense.

Overall I thought it was a good film that people should consider watching if they like some drama, a little action and an interesting story about the future and how people behave and survive.

This movie gets 4.0 out of 5.0 of my mexican rocking beans

2009: +/- and a look into 2010

Hello friends. As this year comes to an end, I'm taking a look back (to the best of my memory) at the events that transcended this year and then I'll talk a little about what I hope or expect to see/get in 2010 (besides your mom).

Pictured: Overall a great year.

Going into 2010 my ps3 was still 'fresh' and getting broken in () since I had just purchased it on Black Friday 2008. Upon purchase of my console I also bought Rock Band 2 (whole set) and a Greatest Hit version of Ninja Gaiden Sigma. Those two titles would keep me afloat and entertained going into 2009. Up to this day I still play Rock Band 2 given the great amount of DLC that I've taken advantage of: Boston pack, Foo Fighters pack, Queen Pack and some single songs here and there (REO Speedwagon, Journey to name a few).

Maybe I should go back; I'm like 80% done and Demon's Souls has 'toughened' me up...

Sometime in January and February I made my first purchase of 2009: Burnout Paradise. The game was a nice $20 and the Burnout series has never let me down. This game was no exception. I won't go into details on the game (that'd take too long) so lets move on. Shortly after I purchased Resistance 2 and so began "R-2" online co-op nights with good friends. At the end of February I added a second FPS to my collection: Killzone 2. Sometime in April I added a game to my collection that really "kicked" my online gaming into action:

Pictured: Ah how I miss arcades...

Then it got a little 'dry' since there weren't many games out and I got busy at work. Then came E3 (won't go into that much) and along with the summer I got a hold of a great sandbox game: inFamous. This game was 'addicting' to say the least. I don't recall what my last sandbox title had been prior to inFamous (screw you, overrated GTAIV). End of summer into fall, there was another 'dry' period and then well into Fall and winter I again got a hold of some great titles: Batman: Arkham Asylum, Assassin's Creed II, God of War Collection, Demon's Souls and of course the game of the year:

Yes, it's that fucking good!

During the year I also had some great titles via the Playstation Network: Fat Princess, Pixeljunk Monsters, Flower, FFVII, Castlevania and some demos/betas: MAG, Bayonetta, Dante's Inferno, God of War 3, Need for Speed Shift, Gran Turismo 5.

Needless to say, 2009 has been a year filled with many great games (which at 60 bucks a pop most times adds up). I don't want to get too much into a debate on console sales but if you don't think that individual games can move consoles (especially exclusives *cough FFXIII *cough) then 2010 will prove you wrong.

So looking at 2010 it looks like this long list of great games released per year will continue. My current 'wish list' is as follows:
-God of War 3
need I say more? I pre-ordered this during summer 2008 (yes, before buying a ps3) and after just finishing the demo I am more thrilled to be on the pre-order list for the collector's edition
-Gran Turismo 5
I could go on about this title, but I'll save it for a post later on when the game releases next summer
-Final Fantasy XIII
it sold over 1.5 million copies in Japan on release day, I believe as of today its upwards of 2 million+ and it's only been about 1 week. Yes, it won't be exclusive to ps3 outside Japan BUT let me just say that in this day and age, some people get real picky as far as graphics and such so to know that the ps3 version won't have compressed files like the 3 disc xbox version, it's pretty much a given that if you have both consoles you get the ps3 version, otherwise you get a ps3.
-Heavy Rain
I had never heard of Indigo Prophecy until recently but apparently Heavy Rain will be just like that but more 'modern' and 'new.' There is a lot of mystery/unknown behind the game as far as how it will actually play out (All quick time events, all cinematics?) these unknowns make us or at least me, want the game more. I have a feeling this game will be on a genre all on its own and it will bring the idea of a movie/tv show and video game closer together as 1 medium.
-MAG
see my post on the Beta feedback
-White Knight Chronicles
recently there's been a growing number of RPG titles hitting current consoles: Demon's Souls, Dragon Age: Origins, Lost Odyssey?. 2010 will start off with this great title that should have been in 09. Heck, the sequel is already in the works
-Last Guardian
No, I haven't played ICO and I've seen Shadow of the Colossus, BUT I know a good game when I see one and this one has me quite interested in the same manner as Heavy Rain since we've only seen but a trailer for this title.

The following games are 'uncertain' as to whether they will hit store shelves in 2010 but if they can, then awesome:
Final Fantasy Versus XIII, Resistance 3, Unannouced Square-Enix title that's been "requested by people/press for a long time", Rockstar's Agent.

And as far as multiplats: Dante's Inferno, Bayonetta (if they fix framerates), Batman 2 (working title), Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands, Rock Band 3.

So as you can see, there's quite a bit of exclusives and some multiplats that should keep all types of gamers happy. One thing to note though is that most of these titles are to be released before the summer of 2010 which makes me wonder what to look forward to in the 2nd half of the year but then again, I'm sure E3 2010 will answer that question.

Again, I won't go into hardware talk much, but do keep in mind that we'll probably be seeing the motion technology and related games kick into gear sometime in 2010. Here's to having another great year as far as gaming. Thanks to my readers, about 3 strong and counting.


Have a safe and happy new years!

Beaner Preview: Dante's Inferno

'Sup peeps?!

I just got finished playing a demo for the upcoming action title "Dante's Inferno."

Pictured: "God of War Ripoff" - Ranting Pikey

Publisher EA brings us this action title from Viceral games which will land store shelves (or Amazon.com) in February 2010.

So the premise is that you take control of a soldier named Dante during the 12th century. I haven't brushed up on my history in a while, but it involves the time when the crusades (can't recall which one) tried to take back 'the Holy Land' from the likes of Saladin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saladin). As a native Florentine (sp), you are set to fight against the forces of Saladin with no worry about the people you kill since your bishop has pardoned all/and future of your sins in the name of the greater good of God.

Pictured: Next Gen graphics were available back in the day

So the demo kicks off with you fending off some foes as you make your way through a castle. How and why you're there isn't explained. You simply realize you have to kill them or they will kill you. After the first wave you find yourself on an open field (you can easily tell a boss battle on the way). Some random dude comes and stabs you in the back, and all of a sudden Death or "the Reaper" appears (I think the two were in on it) and a battle ensues between you and this character. You obviously realize that you have to win, given most of Death's taunts pretty much imply you are going to win: "You can not cheat Death" or "You are just a mortal, give up"

Pictured: Hell's version of American Indians; they threaten you, so you take what's theirs.

The battle (which is uber Easy) rewards you with Death's scythe and then a cut scene ensues: You flash back to your Florentine town where you enlist in aiding to Gods call. In the process you apparently make a promise to your gurl that you will return (and presumably resist the urge to find pleasure elsewhere which we know is NEVER gonna happen). You find the town and local church trashed and then you see your gurl wasn't lucky enough to be spared. Her death which then brings about her spirit being able to talk to you as it gets taken by some 'evil' force triggers the next part of the demo where you begin collecting "souls" ala Devil May Cry/God of War. As you gain these souls you can upgrade moves, your weapon and later on you learn magic.



That's the overall gist of it, at least from what the demo held. Gameplay wise, it's like any other action hack and slash game. The controls are quite responsive and actions such as blocking are well executed in the middle of combos unlike say God of War. The demo seemed to run very well with no signs of too much action going on at once which may cause some frame issues. It does very well in delivering a pleasurable experience (like your mom).

God of War Ripoff?
The quick answer: Yes and No. Though more towards the former camp. Right off the bat there's the HUD display (icons/bars you see on your screen).

Pictured: Imitation or Forgery?

It doesn't end there either, the other major resemblance was with the health/magic 'sources.' In God of War there are health/soul/magic chests that serve as replenishment points along the game. Health chests glow green, magic blue and soul red. Dante's sources of replenishment are fountains that flow different color liquids; green is health, purple is magic, orange is souls. You be the judge.

Final Thoughs:

God of War game play copy aside, the game's story is one to draw interest for those that are either fans of the works by the real Dante. The game promises a journey through the circles of hell which may prove fun and action packed. The demo, which was over 1GB in size, took me about 10-15 minutes to finish. I don't know if that's a good thing or not, but I can tell that the game is easy overall, then again I was playing on the 2nd difficulty setting (other settings were not available), or maybe I've been toughened due to my recent playing of Demon's Souls.

Pictured: this game will kick your ass, feed it back to you and then send you back to the 8-bit era.

I think for newcomers to this genre (if any), the game will certainly fulfill their action needs. As a God of War follower I see it as an alternative to God of War though not one that will take its place, at least with this installment. I realize the demo doesn't show the whole game and such, but just from playing I think that it'll be a good game and if it follows along with the demo it can at least make a good statement for EA. Though the gameplay feels very contained as far as the action scenes, there's plenty going on that you are kept busy. At the end of the demo I will point out that the scenes of the game as a whole (trailer style) were quite 'bad' in that they weren't in the same quality as the CG scenes in the demo, they seemed like they were enlarged/upscaled from a 480 quality which didn't look too good. I figured as your last part of the demo, you should keep the quality high. But that's just minor, I'm sure the final product will be just as the demo.

In case you're unaware, PS3 owners will get the 'Divine' Edition of the game come February at no extra cost to the regular $59.99 tag. Why? Well, if you can't deduce that God of War III releases in March, EA needs something to entice PS3 owners. Xbox owners, well, they don't have a comparable game to God of War so this game is as close as they can currently get, thus no need to throw in the art book or extra goodies that we will find in our Divine Edition.

Next preview: hopefully Bayonetta.

Beaner Preview: MAG

Ahoy hoy peeps,

it's been a while but time goes on. Today I'm going to be giving my feedback and opinion on the upcoming PS3 exclusive "MAG" or "Massive Action Game" for those who don't know.

It has such a "Massive" potential.

Expected to release on January 26, 2010 (North America) this title hopes to achieve what to my knowledge no current console game has done with it's online experience. You see, the feature that I consider will set MAG apart from other First Person Shooters (FPS) i.e.: the "Call of Duty," "SOCOM," "Counter Strike," etc. is the ability to have 256 players online in 1 match. 8 players will form a squad and 4 squads will then make up a platoon and then the platoons will make up the whole company.

I won't go into all the game mechanics and such as I've just recently tried the BETA and thus can't what all the final features will be in the final product. I do know the 3 available classes will remain in the game, but nothing more can/has been confirmed.

As far as what I have experienced in the Beta demo I would summarize the game as being fun/chaotic like Resistance 2 online (60 player matches), thrown in with some Killzone 2 style gameplay modes (objectives to capture/protect a building/item(s)) and then action similar to your typical FPSs. The controls are great as far as responsiveness and being able to aim. Similar to Resistance (may be the case in other games, just that I haven't played many FPSs), when you are gunned down you remain slightly alive and you can then be healed (by a medic) which requires you wait there and hear your player yelling for a medic, or you can simply hit (x) and you will 'bleed to death' which is basically the game's way of having you opt to respawn.

As I mentioned before, the game gives you objectives to complete within the given time limit. In the session I joined, my team had to take control of and secure 2 sites (A and B). The clock started at 30 minutes. About 20 minutes in we had taken site B and were in the process of seizing A but then the tug of war began. We'd start losing B but then take A or retake B but lose A. It reminded me of "Fat Princess" because you get to a point where it's just back and forth and you're so close. However, the stalemate just made the overall feeling one of 'pumped up' anxiety to complete the mission.



Overall though I was quite impressed that a demo could provide such amount of fun.

As far as what I didn't like or wish they fix for the final product I'd say joining game(s) would be one. I had to wait in the lobby for about 15 min. before a game began simply because there were about 120 of us regular class in comparison to about 30 of what I call gang/terrorist group and about 20 of the private organization group. Also since you're part of an 8 man squad, you can only communicate (head set) to those other players. I'm hoping that in the final product perhaps team leaders can communicate with other team leaders so as to plan together for the greater mission.

Final Thoughts:

Sorry Jerry, didn't mean to copy your line...

MAG has good potential despite what I consider to be a current supersaturation of FPS titles for current consoles. If they can work out the bugs (most I believe have already) and deliver that 256 player experience then I'm sure it'll have a decent amount of success which may make it stand out among the other shooter titles.

Next time, hopefully Dante's Inferno demo preview

Remake or Continuation of Classics V

DONKEY KONG COUNTRY
------------------------------------

Hello amigos, it's been a while since I did a segment such as the one that is underway. Your fellow amigo beaner has been busy with work, lazy time, and UNCHARTED EFFIN 2! But I digress. Today we look at a game that I consider was a system seller for the SNES: Donkey Kong Country.

Pictured: A system seller...cause it was ONLY for Nintendo (as seen on box)

The reason I say 'system seller' is because as far as I can recall, the game was bundled with new SNES when it came out. Not many games got that honor, the only other ones I remember are Super Mario World (no duh), and Killer Instinct (see previous RCC blog entry). Back in the golden age of Platforming Awesomeness, a game needed to have traits that would make it stand out above the rest. Just like we have to many frigging FPS now a days, platformers dominated the 16-bit era; unlike FPSs from now-a-days, platformers back then were so varied and offered so many possibilities that people weren't getting the same iteration over and over getting ripped off for a rehashed pile of recycled crap.

Pictured: no, your eyes aren't lying to you, that indeed IS what recycled crap looks like

Now where to open this can of awesomeness? Let's begin with the graphics: as stated in the box the adventure was 3-D which back in the day was a new tech. that developers were toying with. Now despite the 3-D aspect, the gameplay being platformer by nature was more of a 2-D style though the objects and backgrounds did stand out as not 2-Ds like others (though not 3-D-ish in my opinion). The mechanics on the gameplay were top notch. Unlike crappy platformers where the characters defyied physics via bad controls/invisible pixels, DK had awesome controls that were responsive and precise, the polished graphics made it awesome to just look at from time to time.

As far as the story line, you played as Donkey or Diddy Kong, yes you had a choice to play as either one, it didn't matter. Characters were switched at any point, so long as you had both of them. In essence you had 2 lives and if either character got taken out, you could get that character back by finding a barrel labeled 'DK.'




Throughout the game you also had the chance to use several awesome animals which added both fun and unique which wasn't found with other games at the time.

Pictured: best helpers ever, kiss off YOSHI

If you noticed from the video, another epic win for this game was the MUSIC. The mix of 16-bit goodness with the rhythm of a fast paced platformer and the mix of a jungle beat made it a winning game. The levels and the boss fights were both difficult yet fun. I specifically remember the fun jungle levels at the beginning to the minecart-riding levels, to the various underwater levels that were frustrating yet fun (like your mom). The final boss (croc named King K. Rool) was a memorable fight for all reasons mentioned on why the game was awesome.



Aw, such an awesome game...

Now, I know that there were 2 sequels and even though Donkey was absent in them (as far as I know), Diddy just didn't cut it for me. I never got into the 2nd installment and so I didn't even consider the 3rd so for me there's only 1 GOOD Donkey Kong.

Pictured: what? a DK game? no, I don't see it.

When the N64 came around I wasn't too enthusiastic to get one given my biggest peeve for it was it's controller. As I went into the Playstation park, I didn't play the N64 installment of DK so I can't say how it was. But back to the main point of this segment: WE NEED A NEW DONKEY KONG! I know he and Diddy made appearances on Mario Kart(s) and Super Smash Bros, but I've yet to see them on new consoles in their own game. It's not like it's difficult to draw up a story for them to take part in. Granted if a game came out, it'd most likely be on the Wii, but that'd make like 4 good games for the Wii which may entice me to get one.

So please RARE, make it happen. This makes 2 RARE games on my list (Killer Instinct being the first) by the way.

A Remake of Donkey Kong gets my Chuck Norris Thumb of Approval!

Ask the AFC: Your Take on Premarital Sex?

Good evening fellow readers/bloggers,

It's time for another installment of Ask the AFC. We had quite a bit of positive feedback from our last segment (no surprise since this is AFC we're talking about), that we decided to talk to the man that gives it to us with no hidden surprises.

We caught up with our boy o'wonder in a very prestigious and exclusive bar in the heart of Manhattan, New York.

AFC's got lasers!!!!!

We realized (like always) that his time is valuable and so we got right down to this weeks topic: Premarital Sex.

Hey AFC!
Oi!

Thank you for taking the time to chat with us today. This week's topic is premarital sex. What is your take on it?
Don't do it.

Ok, what else?
Just don't do it.

Fair enough. AFC everyone...

And thus with that, our insight into the neutral mindset took off to another club nearby where he was going to chill with a list of country singers that were in town that day. Yes, the interview was that short (no pun intended) but like always, the man goes right to the point and takes care of the business at hand (like your mom).

Remember friends, if you have suggestions for more questions on this and other of Amigo's segments just drop a message or comment. 'Til next time.

What Grinds My Gears II

Registering To Post A Comment

Hello once again amigos! It's been a while since this segment has been on this platform, but oh well. Today we discuss the frustration and time consuming process of registering on a website just so that you can post a comment.

Today I found myself at Gamepro.com (per Google Reader link shared by my good friend Ranting Pikey). The link was for an article titled "Top 10 Games You Need for a Playstation 3 (PS3)" and naturally as most of you know me or sometimes label me as a 'sony fanboy' I was curious to see what, if any, games were on their list...

Pictured: Site now on my 'dislike' list...almost as bad as Kotaku

Now, without going into too much detail or making this a pure gaming post, I'll just cut to the chase. The list of games that 'NEEDED' to be in ps3 owners' libraries were all MULTIPLATFORM with the exception of 2 or 3 (Fat Princess, inFAMOUS). Honestly, why would you recommend games for a system if they look or play better on another? If it's a PS3 list why not have PS3 exclusive only games?

Man is this game fun!!!

After thinking it over and counting to 10...twice! I realized I would not be content until I got some form of satisfaction (like your mom). That's when I decided I'd just leave them a note on how the list does not pertain well to the title of their article. I figured my input was just as good as any other persons as feedback is usually not taken too heavily, especially on gaming sites. Well, that's when I ran into a problem...

Are you serious??????

Yes, in order to post anything I had to register with the site. W...T...F? It took me about 2 minutes to fill out their b.s. application, then another 2 minutes for their confirmation email to hit my mailbox. So 5 minutes later I'm finally able to make 'a' comment. That's 5 minutes that I should NOT have had to take. Friends, do sites really gain anything from having people register? I mean, sure they want to make sure that people don't spam their message boards or forums, but aside from that it's not like people get rewarded from becoming members. Such a waste of time...my Beaner time! lol

By the way here is my post (once I finally got it to post):

Pictured: Partial Satisfaction...

Notice Exhibit A where I ask them how to get out of there; Exhibit B you'll notice a thumbs up on my comment. Yes, I didn't care if I was only making 1 post, I thumbed myself up(not in a perverse way).

Considering all the time I spend surfing the web during my days and nights, I'm surprised I haven't encountered more situations like these because I'm guessing it's more common than I think, but I had not gotten this stirred up about an article in a while and so I guess that's why I'm addressing it now and not a while back. Oh well, i guess things eventually come around (like your mom).

And that my friends: