Movie: The Avengers

I went with some friends the other day to see The Avengers.  Before the movie premiered, we were all a little nervous that the film was going to be a cash in and not live up to expectations.  Once critic reviews started pouring in, we were all able to breathe a sigh of relief.  The movie has performed phenomenally at the box office, and for good reason.  It is quick, witty, action packed and doesn't lose sight of its characters in the process.

Nearly all of the Marvel characters that comprise the Avengers, save Hawkeye and the Black Widow, have had their own recent standalone movies, which have also done well for the most part.  This allowed for the majority of these complex character's personalities to be fleshed out prior to this newest film.  This is what worried my friends and myself initially, that these characters who had been established well would be quickly thrown together in something that a huge target of fans would obligatorily see in some unpolished mess.  With the limited time a movie can feasibly run, it isn't easy to pull off multiple main characters without it coming off stale, or leaving them undeveloped, which fortunately isn't the case with this film.  One of the most interesting aspects of the film and also a big reason why it succeeds, is the portrayal of these big dynamic character's clashing personalities thrust together and forced to interact with one another.  At this point we all know that Captain America stands for things like justice, order, and good old fashion values.  We know Iron Man is quick witted and too smart for his own good.  This creates a scenario for conflict.  We know the Hulk, or Bruce Banner rather, is also a brilliant scientist, which runs parallel to Tony Stark's intellect and could serve to create a connection between them, or perhaps rivalry.  The interactions between the character's are pulled off carefully and yet effortlessly.

Speaking of Bruce Banner, many people are voicing their opinions about the Hulk in the Avengers.  People almost universally concur it is one of the best portrayals of the Hulk in film as of late.  It combines  the charm and wit of the Bruce Banner character with the tension and nervousness that he could transform into the uncontrollable beast at a seconds whim.  In this regard the Hulk overall works better as a supporting character in the Avengers, than both of his recent standalone films.

The villain of the film is Loki, Thor's brother.  This to me is pretty much a necessity, because although I'm not overly familiar with the source material in regards to the Avengers, what on Earth could possibly challenge this team composition?  Due to the success of the film, there is already a sequel in the works.  If it is done as well as this film, I can't wait to see it.  If you're a fan of these superheroes, or entertaining films in general, do yourself a favor and see it!

Movie: World's Greatest Dad

World's Greatest Dad is an extremely dark comedy starring Robin Williams.  The movie centers around Lance, an unsuccessful writer who's dream is to become famous, reach a broad audience and make money while doing so.  Lance has tried to publish five different novels, each time being rejected by publishing companies.  Instead, Lance has had to settle for teaching poetry class at a high school.  Lance is a single father who's son Kyle is a stereotypical jerk of a teen.  Lance tries to be a good father but Kyle's poor actions often result in hardship for Lance. 

Eventually Kyle kills himself in an embarrassing way.  Distraught, Lance creates a more bearable suicide setting and in the heat of the moment writes a deep suicide letter that sets the stage for a plethora of changes in his life.  Suddenly everyone at the high school who hated Kyle can relate to him and overall things turn pretty positive for Lance.  As Lance tries to continue to shroud the truth by spinning webs of lies, things start to get out of hand and perhaps a bit too surreal.

This movie uses a lot of symbolism and especially a great deal of irony.  With any dark comedy, there's a fair amount of shock or appalling scenarios.  The film may be a bit predictable and of course it doesn't contain the slapstick hilarity that is often expected of Robin Williams, but overall it is pretty funny when considering the ironic situations that are infused throughout.  It is currently available streaming on Netflix.  I would recommend it to fans of dark comedies, but it definitely isn't for everyone.

Movie: The Big Lebowski

I remember when this movie came out 14 years ago and people were talking about it, at a younger age I watched some of it but only made it a quarter of the way through, not really following or appreciating its uncanny flow of story.  Years later, after the the Coen brothers have made an even bigger name for themselves with blockbusters like No Country For Old Men, Burn After Reading and True Grit's remake, I decided to revisit this movie.

I am very glad I did.  This comedy is absolutely hysterical and genuinely entertaining.  The story revolves around "The Dude"  who's real name is Jeffrey Lebowski.  His typical day revolves around meandering about, drinking white russians, and bowling with his other dead beat pals, John Goodman's character being a Vietnam vet and Steve Buscemi's character being a befuddled abused bowler along for the ride.  Things get mixed up when the dude gets mistaken for a millionaire by the same name, Lebowski.  Thugs try to get the money owed to them from the wrong Lebowski and proceed to pee on his rug that "really tied the room together."  Then the film transitions to a kidnapping scenario.  The Coen brothers are really good at developing characters.  Really the plot doesn't matter in this movie, but instead serves to create scenarios for these different characters to interact.  That is what this movie is really about.

If you haven't ever seen this film, there is a chance that it isn't for you.  It doesn't really follow a linear predictable story, but again ties scenarios together for the sake of letting these characters develop.  As such, it yields some pretty hilarious interaction between The Dude, his friends, and some upper crust of society.  Years later, I've now determined I really like it.  I'm given the impression this is one of those films you could watch many times and still get enjoyment out of.

Video Game: League of Legends

League of Legends was a game I was pretty sure I wasn't ever going to get into.  I had heard about it a few times from various people, but with such a surplus of choices in this world, and the most valuable resource being one's time, I just didn't expect I'd ever come across a situation where I would be playing it.
Eventually several friends got into the game and urged me to download it.  It is actually a free to play game with a unique system which gives incentive to spend money on it, while it not actually being necessary.  This is a pretty great system because virtually most any playable aspect of the game is attainable if you play enough and earn points to make purchases, but at the same time if you want a character or aspect of the game sooner, you can spend real money and simultaneously support the game through funding.

The game is a little hard to explain, but one way to describe it would be to liken it as a cross between StarCraft and Diablo.  It is a RTS with action elements.  It is based upon the gameplay of a Warcraft 3 mod known as Defense of the Ancients.  Typically a match consists of 5 on 5, in a symmetrical map.  The objective of the game is to break down a path through three different lanes in order to reach the defensive side of the opponnents map and destroy their Nexus.  Throughout each of these lanes are turrets that defend from entry.  There are a constant spread of mindless minions that flow up each of these lanes for both teams, inevitably running into each other and fighting.  You use your unique choice of champion and their select abilities to help these minions push past the opponents minions, reach a turret, destroy it, and continue on in the lane moving ever closer to the nexus in order to attain victory.  Meanwhile the opponent attempts to defend their turret while trying to push yours.  It may sound pretty complicated at first, but is pretty easy to get the understanding during the first rounds of play and becomes extremely addictive and fun.

Each week there is a rotation of free characters to select from which allows you to try out champions at no cost and make a determination if there is one you would like to spend your hard earned points or cash on.  Characters range from tanks, support, damage dealers etc.  I have provided a pretty barebones description of the game for simplicity sake, but as you further in it there are all sorts of ways to customize and buff your characters via mastery points that you gain each level up (with a total of 30 levels.)   These are like talent trees in WoW for the familiar.  As well, there are different runes you can purchase that give certain perks to the characters as well.  Starting out, none of this matters though and as you progress it is pretty easy to pick up and understand.  It is a pretty competitive game.  Most people advise to start out versing in computer rounds so you may get the hang of your respective character.  If you have friends to play with, it is all the more enjoyable because it is a game that thrives on cooperation.  If you can get a group of friends together on skype so you can quickly communicate, you've already got an upper edge on a group of who aren't communicating.  One user's experience could vary drastically from another depending on this factor alone.

Regardless of that last notion, I highly suggest you try League of Legends out.  Right now it feels like the definitive version of this type of gameplay, while other game companies are scurrying to develop their own knock offs.  Both Valve and Blizzard themselves are working on "sequels" to Defense of the Ancients, which will inevitably provide a more of a fleshing out of this genre as a whole.  Right now though, you have nothing to lose but time by trying out League of Legends as it is free of charge.  Give it a try with some friends.  If cooperation and competitive gameplay is your thing, you are sure to have a blast.

Video Game: Bastion

Bastion takes a very unique approach to some tried and true gaming elements.  It is stylish, artistic, atmospheric, and although the story may not make a whole lot of sense while you're going through it, thanks to its excellent soundtrack and interesting narration, it feels heavy.

In Bastion, you are "The Kid."  The world has gone to heck due to an apocalyptic event dubbed "The Calamity."    All those that once existed are now gone, save for a few key characters.  Landscapes have been torn asunder.  Creatures that used to exist peacefully are now hostile.  Your task is to travel this desolate world in the sky and collect shards that will restore the Bastion, a place built for such an occasion, that has the power to restore the world to a previous time before the calamity occurred.

In Bastion, the action and game play reminds me a lot of Diablo. You collect choice new weapons and level up becoming stronger and with new perks each level.  You can upgrade said weapons and use a distillery to provide further bonuses to be used as you try to rectify the wrongs caused by the calamity.

As mentioned before, a key element to this game is its awesome narration which provides a very cool and unique atmosphere not found in many other games.  A grizzly voiced old man essentially recounts The Kid's tale as you go through with it.  The narration adapts to whatever you do.  If you select two oddly paired weapons, the narrator will make a comment about that.  If you walk off a cliff, the narrator will provide a tongue and cheek response to that mistake.  This narration, coupled with the appropriate music, culminates into what I considered a very enjoyable experience.  The game is not overlong, and does leave you with a yearn for more, and options to continue on with incentives to restart the game at the end.

If you haven't already, pick up Bastion for the PC on Steam.  If you can catch it on a deal, all the better.  It's worth the investment, in my opinion.

Video Game: Duke Nukem Forever

Gearbox, the developer behind the critically acclaimed FPS Borderlands, formed a subsidiary group, Tryptich Games to put the finishing touches on the game that the shut down 3D Realms left unfinished.  Many a Duke Nukem fan awaited Duke Nukem Forever for years, during its unnecessarily long development time.  Like anything that takes longer than expected to be released, while waiting, one wonders the two options, whether this delay was to polish something that would truly blow us away, or if the impending experience wasn't coming together quite right and in the end would be a product along the lines of which Duke Nukem might tell the game developers to "Blow it out your ass!"

Well after playing it to the end, in my humble opinion it's neither.  It is about what I expected.  The game really is a victim of its own hype.  Duke Nukem Forever became so infamous for how long it was taking to be released, that fans and haters alike kept close tabs on its progress.  Take for instance Guns N' Roses album Chinese Democracy as a similar situation.  Both of these cases, the end result is something okay, but underwhelms the listener/player so much in comparison to their anchored perspective of what they expected versus what they're getting, that it results in an uneven judgment and inevitable backlash.

Duke Nukem was panned for its outdated graphics, lack of innovation and strangely its title character's elementary behavior among other things.  The game actually plays all right.  It has a few humorous quips, as it attempts to capture a faux universe where everyone worships the ground Duke walks on for saving them in the past and hopefully will protect them in the future.  Another common complaint I've noticed is the adoption of more modern FPS elements, such as recharging health called Duke's Ego (like Halo's health system) and the ability to only carry 2 weapons at once (akin to modern war shooters).  This too, as well as a more linear playing field, disappointed some people hoping for the more run and gun type of atmosphere from the older games.

Ultimately, the game suffers from delivering a different experience than what the masses expected and hoped for.  The game plays fine and is not boring by any means traversing through action packed sequences and over the top driving scenarios reminiscent of any 80's action movie.  I'd recommend picking the game up on a severely discounted deal on Steam or in the bargain bin where you can most likely expect it to be soon for the console versions.  Go into it without the hype and notoriety it gained for its long development cycle, and without the critically negative reception it received flooding your mind.  Instead, expect nothing amazing and you may find yourself enjoying a decent shooter, which if anything, may serve to make you look forward in anticipation for Gearbox's actual creation of the next Duke Nukem game.

Movie: The Adventures of Tintin

Another movie theater trip with friends, another audaciously mortifying experience with surround sound popcorn and foot stamping aplenty.  Whoever set the trend for it being all right to chow down with some of the most ridiculously loud food possible to eat while simultaneously paying money to watch something that commands the respect of silence and concentration, especially when surrounded by large groups of people that will most definitely be subject to the whim of the consumer's masseter muscles overture, should have a taste of their own medicine with ears wide open.

With that, I'd like to recommend The Adventures of Tintin.  This movie utilizes motion capture and 3D animation.  The end result is something that looks visually stunning and downright realistic in some situations.  The movie follows the story of Tintin, a journalist who goes on many an adventure with his trusty and intelligent dog, Snowy.  Often times, two similar looking bumbling interpol agents happen to be on the same case and often tie into the story with humorous effect.  Another key character, Captain Haddock, a seafaring man who's thirst for adventure is as unquenchable as his love for alcohol, generally gets dragged into the fray.  I had never read the books/comics, nor had I seen the TV show, so I went into the movie knowing very little about the source material, save my friends' high hopes for the film.  That didn't seem to matter though, as it essentially supplied the viewer with all the information they needed to know about the history of Tintin.

With Stephen Spielberg at the helm and John Williams doing the music, I could quickly tell this film wasn't going to disappoint, just by the stylistic opening credits and theme.  Apparently Tintin has gone on many adventures, but this one epic is definitely worth seeing in my opinion.  An action packed adventure filled with suspense and mystery, some humorous elements and fast paced forward momentum.  The movie had seamlessly excellent transitions between the scenes and some pretty neatly illustrated chase scenes as well.  It all fits neatly together to be a pretty enjoyable experience.  It is a pretty clever movie and I'd expect most people would enjoy it.  I recommend you give it a chance, especially if you've got a yearn for adventure you would like to whet. 

Video Game: LIMBO

LIMBO is an incredibly atmospheric platformer game.  I recently purchased it on Steam in response to a friend's recommendation.  It is really short, ending in only a few hours, but where it lacks in length, it makes up for in fun gameplay.
There is little to do with story in this game.  the details of the game read: "Uncertain of his sister's fate, a boy enters LIMBO."

Other than that, there is no narrative.  Not a single spoken or written word in the game.  Instead, it relies on the atmosphere to tell the story.  There is little music, save for a few unsettling queues during some changes in pace within the game.   As the boy, you make your way across a forest that you originally wake up in, into new settings such as a cave, city, machine etc.  All of this happens seamlessly as you move from left to right, completing various physics puzzles along the way.  Although admittedly short, the developers of the game reasoned that rather than create repetitive puzzles or variations/clones, it would be better to offer the unique puzzles they did create, short but sweet.

Pretty, artistic and affective to the senses, one's short stay is worth the price of admission into LIMBO.  There really isn't a dull moment, only fun condensed into this short game.

Movie: Limitless

I thought Limitless was a pretty interesting movie.  It is currently available streaming instantly on Netflix. It centers itself around the ever fascinating topic regarding the fact that humans don't use the entirety of their brains, and humors the affects that would occur if a drug were able to allow one to harness that other portion.   

A demotivated writer named Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper), serendipitously happens upon his ex- brother in law from his past marriage, who also happens to be a shady drug dealer.  Eddie, being in such a depressed and uninspired funk, eventually decides to take a specific drug that he was ensured would help him focus, and transforms into an extremely intelligent, witty guy with an incredible drive for being constructive.  However, when the drug wears off, he loses this ability to harness the rest of his brain and becomes regular old Eddie again.  This sets the stage for a plethora of interesting events and engagements with other people Eddie would never have met or interacted with, had he not taken the drug.


The movie is pretty entertaining.  The colors of the movie are dull and gray when Eddie is sober and brilliantly colorful when he is on the drug.  Without spoiling it, obviously things start to happen that shakes the foundation of Eddie's new lifestyle.
If you haven't seen it, give it a viewing.  If anything, it will probably make you consider what you would attempt with new-found confidence and brainpower.

Video Game: Sonic Generations

I have always been a pretty big Sonic fan.  From the first games on the Sega Genesis, the combination of speed and platforming really appealed to me.  When the Sega Dreamcast came out, I was highly interested and ended up receiving Sonic Adventure for my birthday.  While some had concerns with Sonic's leap into 3d, at the time I had a blast playing it.

The majority's consensus is that Sonic games have been on a general decline since the beginning, many regarding the fault with the leap into 3d, accusing the series of never fully finding a foothold of success in modern gaming. I've personally played the majority of Sonic games that have come out from the Adventure series up through Sonic Colors, excluding the Black Knight Wii title which I heard was awful.  That list includes the likes of Sonic Heroes, Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic 2006, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic Rush and Sonic and the Secret Rings.  While each has had their share of respective flaws, some being universally panned by critics, I nonetheless trudged through them all and found something noteworthy about each of them, even if the games themselves didn't shine as a whole.  Now though, with Sonic Generations, I can finally once again recommend a Sonic game without the requirement being that one be a die hard Sonic fan that is willing to look past some subpar elements.  It's fast and looks great.  Sonic Generations is genuinely a good game.

As an homage to Sonic's 20th anniversary, Sonic Generations sees the classic Sonic as well as the modern incarnation of Sonic play through levels from other games in two different perspectives.  Classic Sonic plays the levels in a 2d sidescrolling with 3d elements, while modern Sonic plays through in a 3d field with some 2d sidescrolling.  Classic Sonic utilizes the spin dash, while modern Sonic uses homing attack and a boost feature.  Although this may at first sound like a rehash, it is pretty awesome.  The levels are handpicked from different iterations,  some being from the classic 2d Sonic games, some from the Adventure era, and some from the not so stellar modern era.  Regardless of which era the levels come from, each and every one of them is great.  All of them have been reimagined and play differently, while still retaining their original concept.  This makes for some very inviting nostalgic moments.  Even the music is similar to the original levels, but redone in certain ways.  Ever imagine hearing Chemical Plant from Sonic 2's catchy tune with the main instrument being jazz flute?  Well now you can bring that dream to realization.

The story is what you would expect from a Sonic game.  It really is just there to set the stage to be able to do what the game does, bringing you through Sonic history, so the story is largely not what the game is about.  What is really great about this game is its re-playability.  After you go through the actual levels, in both classic and modern sonic mode, as well as the bosses, many other unlockables remain, such as 5 challenges per level x2 taking into consideration that both classic and modern Sonic have 5 per level, plus S-ranking each of the actual levels, boss hard modes, and challenges.  As well, collecting red rings per level.  Each of these things unlock art, music and skills that can be applied to Sonic.  On top of that, you can compete on the world wide leaderboards against other people's fastest times, so there really is a lot to do in this game.

Potentially the greatest thing about this game is that it goes back to what made Sonic fun originally.  Rather than speed taking a backseat to other tacked on gameplay elements, it instead takes the forefront here.  Sonic is once again all about speeding through a level, looking for the fastest routes, mastering twitch reaction with, for the most part, tight control. 

If you were ever a Sonic fan but have been put off by the games as of late, give Sonic Generations a try.  It is available for the HD consoles, soon for the 3DS, and cheap on Steam for $30.00.  At least, it will bring you back to a different time in Sonic's career, when he could actually walk the walk and not just talk the talk with weird voice acting.  This is probably the best Sonic game ever made.  Welcome back, Sonic.

Television: Prison Break

Over the past couple months, I've taken the time to watch the show Prison Break, which originally aired on Fox from 2005 to 2009. The entire series is currently viewable on Netflix.  After recently finishing the last few episodes of the series, I'm pretty taken aback at how incredibly captivating the show really was.

This show felt big budget.  I suppose that's rightly so, being on network television, with the later episodes budget being around $3 million per episode.  So many startling over the top twists and turns would happen in each episode, by the end I would be extremely curious as to what would happen next.  Like many of the suspenseful shows I've watched archived in the past, I can't imagine how suspenseful these episodes must have been for die hard fans watching each week, or waiting for the next season.

Prison Break really brings to the forefront what we often take for granted on a daily basis; that being our freedom.  Prison Break tells the story of two brothers, one being wrongly accused of a high profile murder and sentenced to death.  When there is no hope of stopping the execution by legal means, the other brother, a brilliant structural engineer takes matters into his own hands, landing himself in the same prison to attempt to break his brother out.  The brothers soon realize that they are in way over their heads and must try to clear their names while trying to just survive.

The complex dynamic story and well done character development, each with their distinctive unique personality, results in one really caring for the characters, even at points the antagonists.  The writers use this to their advantage to really shake things up from time to time,  by placing the characters in perilous situations.  Any time things seemed to be calm in the show, I started to get concerned and begin to brace myself because of the sheer fragility of the characters.  Any one character you may have paid attention to and grown to care about may be plucked away and gone for good in a matter of seconds.  While the vast majority of action and events in the show made a lot of sense and panned out very cleverly, there would be the occasional blip of some inconsistent action done by some character, or something that would happen that would seem utterly stupid which would cause upset because everything until that point would lead one to believe the characters or the show itself was too smart for that.  I think that just stands as a testament to the shows ability to mesmerize, when some inconsequential action could be picked up upon because the story called for close attention.  It often would leave you guessing whether a character was genuine or had their own ulterior motives.

A lot of what I'm describing may not make sense without going more in depth, but that would also serve to ruin plot points and surprises, so I'll stop there and finish with a resounding suggestion that if you haven't given this show a chance yet, you do so.  It's an amazingly suspenseful and intriguing series that may keep you infatuated with it until the end, leaving you wanting for more after such investment in the characters and story.

Video Game: God of War

Simply put, God of War is a great game.  it is a near perfect blend of action, platforming, puzzle solving and storytelling.  I had always wanted to try it and had heard good things, but for some reason never did wind up getting it for the PS2.  More recently, I found the God of War collection fairly cheap for PS3, which contains the first two PS2 games with enhanced graphics.  I was not left disappointed.

Pulling from Greek mythology, God of War tells the story of Kratos, a mortal Spartan warrior, who's thirst for fighting never seems to be satiated.  From ancient Greek cities, to the multiple notable Greek Gods, God of War paints an epic story from start to finish, revealing the history of Kratos as the game progresses.  Eventually, this bloodlust results in Kratos having to make some difficult sacrifices.  Everything comes at a price.

As you journey through the game, you do a lot of killing of various demons and skeletons and collecting red orbs that upgrade your weapons and magic.  Seamless transition from fighting to puzzle solving is a trend the game makes as well.  The puzzles aren't anything mind boggling, but leave you with a sense of accomplishment once you've completed one and a grand entry to a previously blocked pathway opens up grandiosely.  At the end of each major area, you fight a major boss, smiting it with a combination of attacks and strategy, normally ending the fight with a cinematic QTE (Quick Time Event originally introduced in the game Shenmue and imitated in many other games henceforth). 

God of War is very atmospheric.  You really get the sense that you, as Kratos, are this coldhearted warrior with an unending drive to finish your objective.  Anything else is irrelevant and anything that stands in your way must be disposed of.  The game does a great job illustrating that Kratos is no ordinary human, as you watch as soldiers of various cities crumble or meet their demise, while you stand to the side and do nothing to help their situation, or worse, directly involve yourself with their demise.  A strong sense power and weakness is prevalent, with Kratos seeming like the only one who stands a chance against the conjured demons throughout the game.

If you have never gotten the chance to play God of War, pick it up cheap for the PS2, or the collection for PS3.  You're sure to have a blast.  After beating it, I'm anxious to try the second one and eventually the third specifically made for the PS3.

Movie: Batman: Under the Red Hood

Batman: Under the Red Hood is an animated film, currently available on Netflix.  Batman has had a stellar career when it comes to his animated adventures.  If you are a fan of the 90's series or any Batman that is not really campy, you will feel right at home watching this.


Most people don't adapt well to change.  Consistently, in most of the animated films and tv shows revolving around Batman, Kevin Conroy has voiced Batman, while Mark Hamill has voiced the Joker.  The most recent (and perhaps final appearance of these two voice actors together in the same media) would be the new Batman games, Arkham Asylum, as well as Arkham City.  At first I was a little disappointed to discover that neither of them were involved in this film.  Even further, I was disappointed to find out that the story would revolve around Robin.  A good majority of Batman fans will attest that when Robin is included in a story, it often times results in a less than appealing outing for Batman.

I was really content to learn that although most of these factors seemed to spell out disaster for this film, it is probably one of the better, if not the best animated Batman I've seen.  The film really captures what is so cool about Batman.  It also tells a pretty touching tail that makes one rethink Robin's position in the series.  It definitely made me eat my words.

If you're a fan of Batman, I highly recommend you give this a shot.  It is really well animated, dark, action packed and intense.

Video Game: Red Steel 2

I recently found the Red Steel and Wii motion plus bundle discounted in a Walmart bargain bin.  Although Red Steel 1 hadn't been my favorite game or anything, I had heard some really good things about Red Steel 2.  At the time, I also realized that at some point, Skyward Sword was going to require Wii motion plus, so I decided to give it a shot.  Man, Red Steel 2 did not disappoint.

Red Steel 2 shares only a few similarities with its predecessor.  The main character uses a sword and a gun.  That is about where the similarities end.  For those that never tried Red Steel 1, the game could be described as a very cheesy 80's action movie.  Horrible dialogue coupled with Wii launch controls and strange comic book cutscenes that didn't really help to immerse the player.  The game was not awful by any means, but the consensus what that it really left the player just wishing it would have been what they had hoped; a game that would satisfy the player's urge to wield a sword and slice up bad guys.  

Red Steel 2 delivers in this department.  Ubisoft once again didn't take the story too seriously, but this time its far more clear that zany is what they were going for.  In a heavily Western like setting, for some reason lives different samurai clans.  Some enemy samurai want a very special sword that the Kusagari clan has, so they slaughter all of the Kusagari.  Unfortunately the "hero" who had the sword was away while all this happened.  This premise allows the "hero" who looks like a mix between Vash the Stampede and a red mage, to seek bloodthirsty revenge.  The graphics are reminiscent of borderlands.  While there are a few things one could go about collecting in the game, like tokens and sheriff stars, as well as side missions, it is fairly linear.  This is a good thing in my opinion.  The game really just feels like a roller coaster of pure action.  You get a mission, head in that direction on the minimap, knocking into barrels and boxes that for some reason always have money in them, (money being used to upgrade your weapons and armor).  Once you reach the green arrow on the map, you fight the enemies.  Rinse and repeat.  This does eventually become a little repetitive, but a mixup between what type of enemies you fight and what type of moves you need to execute keeps it fresh.

Red Steel 2 is everything Red Steel 1 wasn't and more.  Pure action.  No extremely cheesy love interest with a damsel in distress.  Tight controls ala Wii motion plus.  Stylish graphics.  If you're looking for a game where you don't necessarily need to think about where to go next, but requires some good eye hand coordination and reflexes, give this awesome game a try!

Video Game: Portal 2

Portal 2 is just one more reason why the game developer's at Valve are master's at what they do. Valve has created some of the best first person shooter games in the past years, including my favorite multiplayer FPS, the Left 4 Dead series. During the Steam summer sale, my friend and I snagged a Portal 2-2 pack which made it even cheaper than what it currently was discounted to. Needless to say, once I started it up, I beat it in almost one sitting. That's not to say it is extremely short or anything, it is definitely longer than its predecessor. However I was hooked from start to finish.

Portal 2 is the sequel to the short but sweet Portal of a few years ago. In it, the protagonist is a human test subject, forced to go through demeaning "tests" while utilizing Aperture Science's Portal gun. It is a unique concept to the series. Basically, by using the Portal gun, one is able to step through walls, fall from ceilings, enter from the ground up and so on in order to solve puzzles that the infernal computer wants to put you through, all in the hopes of reaching the end of this maze. It makes for a lot of fun and is consistent with physics.

Without spoiling anything, Portal 2 starts up where Portal 1 left off. This time, the story is fleshed out a lot more. The game also plays like a sadistic comedy. The dialogue between the AI's is a riot to hear and really engages you in the atmosphere.

I have yet to try the Cooperative mode, which essentially is a whole other campaign in which you and a friend work together as portal toting robots, after finishing the single player game, but I will be doing so in the near future. If you enjoyed the first Portal, you are sure to love this next entry. It expands on the original concept in every way, going above and beyond.

 It is a shame to hear that Valve is considering not really focusing on single player games as much in the future, in lieu of preferring to create multiplayer games, as they certainly have a knack for it.
Give this one a try. It will not disappoint.

Television: Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad is an intense show.  It is one of my new favorites.  My brother had urged me to give it a watch over a year ago, but I only more recently took the time to do so.  I was hooked from start to finish.

Breaking Bad tells the story of Walt, a brilliant overqualified chemistry teacher, who becomes ill and has trouble paying for medical bills for cancer treatment.  Walt is a very prideful man and does not want to accept monetary support from his friends.  Through a series of coincidental events, Walt decides to put his chemistry background to use, cooking crystal meth and coming up with ways to sell it, in order to pay the bills.  This results in Walt and his partner Jesse, a former flunky student of Walt's, ending up in over their heads as they try and hide their second lives from their loved ones, try to stay out of the dangers that this line of work comes with, all the while trying to maintain a profitable albeit illegal business.

The first three seasons are available on Netflix instant streaming, while the fourth season just finished airing on AMC.  There will be one more major season of 16 episodes that promises to bring satisfying closure to an already stellar series.  Give this show a watch.  From the great acting and writing, engaging believable characters and genuinely intense situations will keep you on the edge of your seat.