Alice in Wonderland is a tale we all know, one that has been retold and refashioned many times. One of these came in the form of American McGee’s Alice, which was released on PC in 2000. This game was built off of the Quake III engine and played in the vein of 3rd person shooters from that time period. The story telling and the visuals are really what carried the game for me, as the gameplay itself wasn’t all that great. However, the same can’t be said for the sequel which changes almost everything save for the look and feel that made the original so popular.

This game picks up years after the conclusion of the first. Alice is now living in an Orphanage under the care of Dr. Angus Bumby. Dr. Bumby, through the use of hypnosis, is trying to get Alice to forget her past so that she can let go of the tragic fire that killed her family and ultimately put her in the asylum. However, Wonderland doesn’t want to be forgotten and Alice soon finds herself back in the twisted and macabre world that it has become. Things here have changed, and the broken world of the last game has twisted in upon itself, seemingly in worse shape than it was before.

Wonderland isn’t the only thing that’s changed, as Alice’s abilities and weaponry have shifted as well. She now fights with a combination of melee and ranged mechanics while also being gifted the ability to dodge, double jump and float right from the start. Having this much freedom of movement right away is a rather nice touch, as many gamers are used to having to wait to get them half way through the game. Another mechanism that is used a lot, and attained rather early, is Alice’s ability to shrink on command. This ability allows her to see hidden platforms, enter smaller passageways, and read hidden messages written upon the walls of the levels. Alice also has the ability to enter a “Hysteria Mode” which makes her do more damage, while receiving none. Through the course of the game, Alice will attain other weapons which can all be upgraded via collected teeth. The game, being of linear design, requires exploration of each level so that the player can acquire all the loot. While this might annoy completists, it hasn’t hampered my enjoyment of the game as upgrading everything is not necessary. The game doesn’t offer anything that hasn’t been done by other games in the past, but it’s way of handling the material makes the game enjoyable, never the less. It’s also nice to see a 3D game handle platforming so well, as any gamer can easily say that 3D was and has been the bane of platforming games. My only complaint would be the side scrolling levels and some repetition of things throughout the game. These are minor when compared to the rest though.

It’s impossible to talk about this game without taking the visuals into account. The use of the Unreal Engine has allowed for the game to more closely resemble the artistic renditions of Alice and the twisted Wonderland around her. The set design of each level gives a sense of vastness, despite being stuck, more or less, on a one way track. There were many times I wanted to wander outside of the level to take a closer look at things just out of reach or far off in the distance. I also can’t help but mention the fact that Aquaman no longer has the best flowing hair in a videogame anymore as Alice easily dethrones him. This is a sad fact, since that was the only thing he had going for him in his abysmal game.

While this game won’t hold up to the likes of Ninja Gaiden and Devil May Cry (which I’m sure people are wont to compare it to) it does hold up pretty well with games like Mario 64 and other such platformers. Anyone interested in this twisted world of Alice shouldn’t hesitate to pick this game up.

Original Article

Imagine a world where super heroes exists, easy right? Now  let’s take that imagination a step further and induce a little reality into it. If there were a bunch of super heroes gallivanting about, don’t you think there would be people that would want to turn it into something to profit from? Don’t you think that every second of their lives would be scoured by the media? Don’t you think, given our societies love for “Reality TV”, that it would all be televised? Well, the creators of Tiger & Bunny certainly think it would work in such a manner. Welcome to Sterbild City home of Hero TV.

Roughly 45 years ago people with super powers started appearing in Sternbild. Big businesses, seeing the amount of exposure these heroes got, started sponsoring them. It wasn’t long before all of their feats were televised and scored by a show called Hero TV. Now heroic deeds are being done by a group of heroes, not just because they will aid the city of Sternbild, but  also to get more popularity and points which in turn does good for their sponsors. There is, however, one hero among the others that wants to do things as a hero should. This hero is the veteran Kotetsu T. Kaburagi, better known as Wild Tiger. He isn’t in it for the points or the glory, which goes bad in terms of his sponsorship. Things, seemingly, couldn’t get any worse… or could they?

The animation and art are both very well done, but that should be expected from a studio like Sunrise. The characters, while a bit cliche, have many sides to them and definitive reasons behind their actions. There is a good sense of pacing to the story telling, thus far, and I hope it continues that way as there are only 25 episodes currently planned. I’m hoping to see more character development before things really hit the fan, but it’s hard to say at this point.

This anime is one I can easily recommend to fans of super heroes, obviously, but there are qualities within the show that may appeal to just about everyone. It’s nice to see an anime that balances things so well as to appeal to both the older and the younger set, though this may change as the series continues. Tiger & Bunny is currently streaming with subtitles on Hulu.

Original Article

The Iron Throne is as ugly as it is uncomfortable. The chair itself is made from a thousand swords, each one still sharp. Yet there are those that wish to sit upon it, and rule the seven kingdoms below it. They would would risk it all to win this terrible game of thrones, unaware of fate and the coming winter.

The story mainly follows three royal families: the Starks, the Lanisters, and the Targaryens. The Stark family lives in Winterfell Castle in the North of Westeros and consists of Eddard Stark, ruler of Winterfell; his wife, Lady Catelyn; and their children Rob, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon. There is another child, Jon Snow, who was born out of wedlock, fathered by Eddard during a rebellion against the previous King. The Lanisters live in the Red Keep which overlooks King’s Landing in the West and consist of Cersei, Queen by marriage to Robert Baratheon; Jaime, twin to Cersei and Knight of  the King’s Guard; Tyrion, often referred to as “The Imp” due to being born a dwarf; and their father Tywin who’s cunning and ruthlessness in well known. Across the Narrow Sea to the East is where the Targaryen’s plot to take back what they feel is their rightful place, they are Viserys, a cold and uncaring boy who’s only focus is taking the Iron Throne for himself; and his sister Daenerys, who follows him loyally despite his cruelty toward her.

The reign of the Mad King, Aerys Targaryen II, was ended by Jaime which placed unlikely King, Robert Baratheon, on the Iron Throne. Things were just starting to get put into some semblance of order when another upset rocked the boat. The Hand of the King, Jon Aryn, has died. King Baratheon wants to enlist his old friend, Eddard Stark, to take the title and help him rule. Jon Snow, hated by Catelyn and feeling out of place within the walls of Winterfell, decides to leave for The Wall and join the Night’s Watch. Viserys plots revenge on those that killed his father and took what he feels is his rightful place as heir to the Iron Throne. His plan is to wed his sister, Daenerys, to the chieftain of the Dothraki, Khal Drogo. Meanwhile Cersei and Jaime have their own plot, one that already has been put into motion. All of these things, as well as the paths of others, culminate together to create a story with many twists, turns, and dead end.

Much of the story and the characters within it has been changed during the production of the series, though the main plot of the books is still followed. While the differences are not always subtle, I didn’t find any of them to ruin the over all enjoyment. An exact retelling of the books would, of course, be impossible; but many of the changes made are rather superficial to the plot. The cast itself is rather delightful to watch, with each character being given a slightly new approach and new three-dimensional life. The locations and sets used give a rather harsh reality to the world these characters inhabit, painting a rather stark comparison to most fantasy in the media. I rather like this more gritty feel, as it adds a bit more depth and realism to what is a rather fantastical story.

While I can’t stress reading the books over seeing the show enough, I also can’t really knock the show too much. The meat of the story is still there, it’s just told a little different with some extra embellishment. If you’re a fan of Fantasy, particularly Low Fantasy, then this is a good series to watch as long as you can handle a lot of violence and sex.

Original Article

The Ark, a veritable Utopian bastion against catastrophe, was made to hold 5,000 people. It now houses well over 50,000 and, due to ever rising water levels, is stranded in the middle of nowhere. Supplies are running out, everything is running down, and there are only two options; join the Resistance and fight your way to what little is left and escape or join Security and defend this last beacon of hope from devastation. Both sides believe their way is right and just. Both sides could be wrong though, dead wrong. Welcome to The Ark, welcome to Brink.

After making your choice, it’s time to customize your character. The first options are face, voice, and skintone. These options can’t be changed later, unlike the others. Then it’s off to pick out an outfit and weapons. Over the course of the game, other hairstyle and clothing pieces will be unlocked. The same can be said of weapons and stuff for said weapons. You can also unlock build types which relegate movement speed, health, and what weapons can be carried.

Classes all play the same, save for their abilities. They get the same weapons, and the characters look never changes. Each class is needed  for certain objectives during a mission, with most objectives requiring a specific class to complete it. Teamwork is key and each team of 4 is expected to use their class to support the others effectively so that objectives are completed quickly. You may need to play more than one class and possibly play one of each during the same mission. No class is better than another class, though each class has it’s uses that will outweigh another class in a particular mission. It’s up to the player to decide what class best fits the situation and how they can use that to better support their team. Doing well in a mission nets points which can be used to buy skills, some of these skills are shared between classes, but the rest are class specific. The points earned are split between all of the classes, and most of the good skills require having higher ranks. It’s impossible to have all the skills, so it comes down to preference and playstyle.

The game itself is comprised of several events spanning 8 days split between the two factions. Each mission has it’s own objectives for each side with one team on defense and the other on offense. The levels offer a lot in the way of obstacles and really make the use of SMART system. I have a complaint about the game here though; defending is far easier than attacking. This flaw seems to only be compounded by players wanting to be Rambo. Even if there is a good amount of teamwork involved, offense still has the harder way to go.

In all, Brink is a fun game if played with the right people. Enjoyment of the game boils down to how well the player is at playing each class and using the abilities they have effectively within the team. Hopefully there will be mountains of DLC which will help keep me in the game, until then I probably won’t be playing the game as much as I thought I would.

Original Article

It’s been a few years now since the huge success over GLaDOS for us, but for Chell it’s been a lot longer. Out of the frying pan and into the fire; fire filled with more tests, new obstacles, and some new inventions. It’s time to start thinking with portals once more.

The game picks up, more or less, right after the last with Chell waking up from a long sleep only to realize she is back inside the facility. How she got there and why are explained in a comic that Valve created to link the two games. She is greeted by Wheatley, a new personality core, and tries to navigate her way out with his help. Wheatley isn’t the smartest core, and he inadvertently awakens GLaDOS.

The game comes with a few surprises and some subtle element changes from the first game. While still taking place inside the same laboratories from the first game, they have seen significant wear and tear over the years since GLaDOS’ destruction. The lab is now over grown with plant life, rust, and in many cases has completely fallen apart. Musical cues have also been added to the game, and add to the aesthetics of the visuals to give a brand new feel to the same old place. The change makes the game feel much like Half-Life 2 did, for me, when compared to the first game: Things seem a bit too different. Another addition is the use of special fluids that help in solving puzzles. Repulsion Gel creates a trampoline like effect on whatever surface it hits, Propulsion Gel speeds the movement of anything that moves along it’s surface, and the last making any surface it touches into one that will accept portals. Many of the tests will require the use of all three in tandem which helps spice up the gameplay. Along with the addition of the fluids are Aerial Faith Plates which launch things in one direction, Excursion Funnels which propel things along a path, and a few other additions. All of these elements combine together to further test things learned in the previous game, making players step their game up.

The biggest addition to the game is that of the Co-Op mode. this puts you and another player in the roles of Atlas and P-Body, each with their own portal gun. These series of tests require both players to work together to solve the puzzles with communication and teamwork being vital for success. While shorter than the initial single-player offering, completing these tests feels a great deal more rewarding.

Valve has once again graced us with a short but sweet experience that can easily be played again and again. The humor, thought provoking puzzles, and fun gameplay mechanics all really shine and make for a really enjoyable experience. I really can’t find any reason not to own this game, or the original, unless you really don’t like puzzle games.

Original Article

Dragon Quest is a major title in Japan, more so than perhaps even Final Fantasy. The title is widely revered to an almost god-like status. One of the key functions of this status is that the games link together in many aspects and truly work as sequels (unlike Final Fantasy, but that’s another story). Each of the Dragon Quest games uses things from the last game and builds upon and improves things, but only slightly. As such, the games may feel rather archaic when compared to other JRPG titles which incorporate vast differences to their predecessors.

Dragon Quest 6 puts you in the role of a hero who is on a quest between two worlds; one of dreams and one of reality. Figuring out what is real and what is a dream is only half of the challenge he and his companions must face. There really isn’t much more to the story in this game, and saying more would give away things. There are many side stories that all link into the main quest and help unravel the mystery linking both worlds.

While those of you that have played Dragon Quest games of the past (Called Dragon Warrior on the NES) will know exactly what to expect from this game, those of you that have not will most likely become frustrated and bored. This game offers limited changes to the original setup, and none of them fix issues that hold the title back. First and foremost is convoluted and frustrating menu systems that needs severe streamlining. Secondly, the game requires a set path to be followed, without much deviation allowed. While most games that want to keep you on track would be expected to hold your hand, this one does the opposite and gives an illusion of freedom. If you miss one little plot point, you will be stuck for however long it takes to trigger said point. Without using a FAQ for the game I was stuck for an hour due to not speaking to an NPC that I didn’t realize I could talk to in the first place.

This game is for the fans of the series back before Dragon Quest 8 and 9. Anyone who never played a title in the series before those two should realize that they will not get the same kind of enjoyment from this one. Even hardcore old-school fans like myself will, at times, will get frustrated with this title. As such, I can only recommend this game for it’s nostalgia factor, and nothing more.

Original Article