#infinitestrike

-Marcus Lawrence

This is an old review but with the online multiplayer DLC release, we thought to bring this back for old times sake.

WE ARE SEX BOB OMB AND WE’RE HERE TO WATCH SCOTT PILGRIM KICK YOUR TEETH IN!!! Ahem…sorry about that, I just couldn’t contain my level of excitement for what I’m bringing to the table. I present to you Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game, available only for the XBLA and PSN. There was even a movie that came out back in August of 2010 starring Michael Cera and the oh-so-sexy Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Now this may be a small title but don’t be deceived, Scott Pilgrim will blow your socks off while giving you a nice healthy dose of nostalgia.

Plot: Based off the graphic novel, Scott meets the girl of his dreams, the mysterious yet sexy, Ramona Flowers and proceeds to date her. Only problem is that in order for him to date her, he must defeat her seven evil ex-boyfriends. Scott, his best friend Stephen (The Talent), Kim, and even Ramona take to the streets in order to deal with these evil exes.

Gameplay: It’s quite simple really; you go around beating the stuffing out of hipsters, bouncers, ninjas, dogs and many other odd sorts. By stringing together punches and kicks, you can pull off combos for more damage. Plus you also get two special moves, one you get once you level up enough and the other is a secret. If you ever find that you’re getting pounded on, you can call for help which drains some of your special, but is very effective. Just like any old school side scroller, you progress through the level, defeating enemies until you get to the end stage boss. The more enemies you beat, the more experience you get. This leads to getting new moves and updating your stats. Believe me, you will need the help because this game is surprisingly hard. And trust me when I say, you will be replaying levels over and over until you’re strong enough to beat the next one. The boss fights are amazing and go along well with the story from the graphic novel. Thankfully, Scott Pilgrim is such a fun game that you won’t even notice or care.

Graphics/Audio: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is straight up old school using 16-bit graphics. Even with these graphics, this game looks beautiful. The characters are well designed but still looks and feels like an old arcade game that could be spotted in pizza shops or laundry mats. This is all thanks to the world famous pixel artist, Paul Robertson and many others. The crisp graphics make this game a pleasure to look at and that’s not all that. The music has to be by far, some of the best I’ve heard for a game title. Pretty much, it’s just epic music and doesn’t stop until you stop playing. From the start and all the way to the end of the credits, your ears are blessed with a soundtrack of legendary proportions. I know that me and a couple of my friends have downloaded the entire soundtrack just because of how amazing it is. It’s pretty obvious that time was spend on it. 

If you like simple yet addictive games, I would highly recommend this. Great graphics, epic soundtrack, easy to pick up gameplay and a nice game to play with your buddies. I mean, for a game with such a simple concept, this is pure gold. The only quarrels I have about Scott Pilgrim are that for one, there’s no online play and that the difficulty is pretty high. Yes, it would be fun to have your friends come over and play but if you don’t have friends close by or something like that, you have to play all by yourself. As for the difficulty, even on easy, you’ll find yourself replaying a level because the boss killed off all your lives. Other than that, it’s a keeper. And for only 1200 Microsoft points and $12.00 for the PSN, this game is a steal. I give Scott Pilgrim vs. The world: The Game for the Xbox 360 9 out of 10.

-Jovan St. Lawrence

I want to see many things at E3 this year. I'm really interested in what Microsoft has in store for us considering their only main exclusives this year are Halo 4 and Forza Horizon. I have been on the fence about buying a Kinect and while the technology is great, the software isn't. I'm looking to see if Microsoft can finally reveal a hardcore Kinect game for all to enjoy. Being the Nintendo fanboy that I am, I really need to be wowed with the Wii U. Although, I think it is a good console and a good step for Nintendo already, they still need a successful launch of games. The 3DS didn't have one and hopefully they've learned their lesson from that. Their getting great third party support for the Wii U however so I'm glad to see them going out of their comfort zone, which they hardly ever do. Other than that, I'm looking forward to seeing Tomb Raider, The Last of Us, Halo 4, Overstrike, Quantic Dream's new game, not Black Ops II, hopefully Beyond Good & Evil 2, and maybe Rainbow 6 Patriots and a new Splinter Cell game will be shown off as well. Last but not least, I'm looking forward to not seeing the return of Mr. Caffeine.

-Marcus Lawrence

Thing I'm most looking forward to at this year's E3 convention would be Quantic Dream's new game. It will be revealed at some point during E3 and honestly, that's has me more hyped than anything else. Yes, there will be new console info but that's not really something I'm interested in. Especially since I think the current systems have plenty of life in them

But back to this new game, I loved playing Heavy Rain and Indigo Prophecy. I'd even go as far to say that those two are part of my top 50 games. Add into the equation of Quantic Dream's demo of "Kara" and I'm ready for anything they can bring. I've never been let down before with them and I doubt I ever will.

-Greg Livingston

It was hard coming up with a good answer for this question, since I don't really keep up with gaming news. One piece that recently caught my attention, though, was the rumor of Retro Studios working on a Metroid/Starfox crossover. Supposedly, the rumor has been debunked, and I hope it stays that way. However, I am interested to see where Retro Studios goes next. Even through some pretty big changes in staff, they've put out solid reboots of two Nintendo franchises. It would be neat to see Retro try something new. With the Metroid Prime series and Donkey Kong Country Returns, Retro was able to take some core aspects of the original franchises and reinterpret them for a new generation. I'd like to see how Retro does without a franchise to start from--to build something from scratch.

-Geoff Barry

This year's E3, like always, will be very exciting. What I'm looking forward to hearing about the most is Assassin's Creed III. Ubisoft will have my undivided attention for sure. But I also am going to be looking for info on Black Ops 2, RE: 6, TF: Fall of Cybertron, and Bethesda's Dishonored. It's not likely, but maybe we'll learn of the plans for the new Xbox and Playstation 4.

-Samer Farag

I'm hopeful for new information on the Wii U, such as pricing, native apps, and the like. Also, while there's a large amount of third party support, there's no concrete stuff coming from Nintendo. I'd like more of that. 

I'd also like to see something on the Last Guardian. What's taking so long?

And lastly, while this is a stretch, a new Zelda announcement for the 3DS, be it new title or Majora's Mask remake.

-Phoenix Robbins

Quantic Dream's next game and more info about the following: GTA V, Halo 4, Resident Evil 6, and God of War: Ascension.

-Keith Michael

The thing that I am most anticipating for this years E3 is Nintendo. I want the big N to pull their head out of their buts, I have been a huge Nintendo Fan my entire life and it is a little sad to see them lose focus like they have. I am really looking forward to some information about Pikmin, Zelda 3DS and hopefully some word on a 3D Pokemon game and maybe some Smash Bros. information, though I doubt that will happen. I am also pretty pumped for Halo 4 and I want Sony to change my mind about the new God of War game.

-Eric Lee Lewis

-Marcus Lawrence

It's been 5 years in the making and darkness has finally descended upon us...well The Darkness that is. Jackie Estacado is back and he's bringing the stuff of nightmares with him. I'm talking about The Darkness II, people and I couldn't be any more pleased with this sequel. A lot has been improved upon and there are things that have been scrapped, but that doesn't stop this game from being one crazy ride.

Plot: It's been two years since Jackie inherited The Darkness in his blood and when his childhood sweetheart, Jenny, <SPOILER BEGINS> was brutally taken from him. After seeking and acquiring revenge on his uncle Paulie and NYPD Captain Eddie Shrote for the death of Jenny, Jackie became the don of the NYC Mafia and vowed to never use the demonic powers of The Darkness again.<SPOILER ENDS> That is until a mysterious group attacks Jackie and the family, forcing him to unleash The Darkness. Fueled by anger, Jackie embraces his dark powers once more to find out why he was targeted.

Gameplay: The Darkness II is an FPS with a twist. Implementing the "Quad-Wield" system, players can slash, grab, and throw with the Demon Arms as well as fire two weapons. This is a huge improvement from the first and allows for a much more effective way to end your enemies’ lives in a not only effective, but also quite entertaining way. Think about it; you could grab a pole and use it to impale someone, infuse your guns with dark essence and shoot the remaining foes all at the same time. There are plenty of weapons that you can find in the environment to grab as well, ranging from car doors to parking meters. Then, once you finished maiming all life, and if you're feeling a bit hungry, you can devour hearts from the dead bodies. This helps you to gain health and a small bit of experience.

Speaking of experience points, depending on how you kill someone, you gain experience that can go towards upgrading your weapons and Darkness powers. They can range from increasing the amount of bullets you hold to summoning a swarm to attack and distract foes. You can customize these powers so that they suit your playing style. The best powers to invest in would be the executions. There are four different kinds of executions and each one has a different effect that tips the odds in your favor. Early on in my game, I upgraded these before anything else because I tend to get up close and personal, which the executions are perfect for. One thing I heard a lot of people complain about was the way you had to travel in the original, people didn't seem to enjoy the subways for some reason. Well, now all of you people can't complain because the developers made it chapter based. Once a mission is done, it's done and you move onto the next chapter. Oh, and there is no longer an option to choose which kind of Darkling that helps you. There's one main Darkling that follows you on this bloody path and he even helps you by distracting and killing enemies. Some segments even allow you to play through as the Darkling to perform actions that Jackie can't do himself. If you played the predecessor to The Darkness II, then you will notice some major changes but nothing that should make you frown upon this title.

Co-op Play: I have a question for you; do you remember the online multiplayer for The Darkness? If not, you're saving yourself a lot of bad memories. If you do remember...well, sorry for bringing it back up. The developers over at 2K Games made a smart move by not including multiplayer, but instead adding a four player co-op campaign called Vendettas. In Vendettas, you can play as one of four unique characters that all have some sort of dark power. Nothing like what Jackie can do, but they can handle themselves. The campaign runs parallel to Jackie's story and ties up some of the unknown factors. Each character has their own weapons and abilities unique to them. Honestly, this was the best way to go in terms of online. It's fun, fast-paced and you get to play with friends.

Graphics/Audio: As many of you know or don't know, The Darkness is originally a comic book published by Top Cow Productions and created by Marc Silvestri, Garth Ennis, and David Wohl. The first Darkness game had a very gritty and dark vibe, which did a great job to capture the comics. But, what better way is there to capture the feel of a comic book? By making the graphics look like a comic book and that's just what the developers did. The Darkness II looks like it was ripped right out of a comic and it doesn't lose that gore or dark ambiance, this is definitely a step in the right direction. The Darkness is still voiced by musician Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle), but the voice actor for Jackie has been replaced. The same goes for pretty much all of the other main characters from the first one. I just wished the old voice actors would have come back, but these ones are just as good. All of the shootouts are accompanied by a nice track that makes the killing seem more...stylish. It is indeed a step up from the original. 

Honestly, I'm a huge fan of The Darkness and I did this without being bias. It may be a great game to own or even rent, but it definitely has flaws. For one, the game is way too short. I picked this up on release day and beat it the very same day. Plus the ending... I won't say anything to give it away but just be ready for a Darkness III. As much fun as I had with ripping people apart, the action can get a bit repetitive, especially if you're playing for hours. But the good outweighs the bad; I can't find one terrible thing about this title besides how short it is. If you never played the first one, but you are curious about this, give it a rent at least. Before you start, there's a "previously on" cutscene that fills the gap for you.

Verdict: 85%

The Darkness II- Launch Trailer

-Marcus Lawrence

Hey followers and readers alike! I’m coming back to you with my review for a game I should have beaten long ago. Blur is the name of the game and sadly, it did not get the credit it deserves. However this is not without reason. With an interesting twist of combining real model cars with the gameplay of a Mario Kart title, Blur seeks to captivate gamers with flashy power-ups, real world locations and a way that brings social networks into the fold. Well, why didn’t it work as well as it could have? Read on to find out, my friends. Plot: Honestly, there is no real plot. The basic concept is that you’re a newcomer to the racing streets and in order to make a name for yourself, you must defeat 10 rivals on their home turfs. Other than that, there’s no real progression of a story besides the narrator telling you of the new car you received or how you can continue on to a new rival. Gameplay: Take the Burnout series and the Mario Kart series and mash them together and what would you get? Blur is the correct answer and it plays out just as one would expect it too. Cars fashioned out of real life cars and power-ups that closely resemble those from Mario Kart. The cars can be re-painted with your favorite colors and can even have mods equipped. For example, one of the mods allows your car to push other cars out the way if you use nitro. You have four main mode of progressing through the career mode. You got the normal Races, Destruction, Checkpoint and finally the One-on-One. The Destruction segments have you destroying cars to rack up points. The more points you get, the higher place you achieve. Checkpoint plays out that you beat a previous rival’s time to place at either first, second or third. As for the One-on-One, before you even get to play those, you have to complete career demands. These are a series of challenges that each rival puts in place. They can be done in any of the Race, Destruction or Checkpoint modes. As the name says, One-on-One means going up against the rival and either coming in first or wrecking their car. So what is the problem with Blur and why did it fail? Well, the further you get into the career, the harder the challenges get. Some of them are aren’t too challenging but when you start getting to the ones that ask for you to maintain 120 MPH for an entire lap, or to perform surgical accuracy by destroying cars ahead of other cars, so that the wrecked car can damage the car behind it. Yeah… that’s actually one of the challenges and you have to do that a total of 10 times. Then there's not many people bought the game to begin with. In theory, this should be an excellent party game or even for the online community. However, because Blur flopped in sales, that dream is gone. As for the social networking in the game, it’s pretty useless. The Blur servers can link to your Facebook and Twitter accounts, allowing you to post your scores and challenges to friends and strangers alike. But since no one really bought the game, the Blur community is borderline dead. However, the few games that I got into and was able to stay in, had some of the best highlights of my Blur career. Graphics/Audio: There’s nothing special about how Blur looks but that doesn’t mean it was done in a hurry. The cars are well designed and based off their real counterparts. Everything in the game is shiny and bright, even the environment you race in. Your car even takes damage and shows after extensive damage. As for the racing music, it’s not bad, just the generic racing beats. If anyone is familiar with the Anime, Initial D, I took that soundtrack and played Blur with it. Best racing music you could ever hear. Even though Blur does have some redeeming qualities, like succeeding in combining racing and destructive action into one game, the bad still outweighs the good. By having not a lot of people for the online community, challenges that seems impossible and impedes the progression in the career and by being just average. Lowest prices I seen Blur for was at Gamestop for $27 .

Verdict - 65%