Launch Lineups Ain't Got Nothin' On Me!

In the past few weeks, we’ve seen both Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs and Sony’s Driveclub delayed. Naturally, this has brought on more than a few criticisms of the current state of next-gen launch lineups, especially the PS4's. In fairness, it’s always a bummer to see delays on games for which the general public was pretty excited; doubly so when they were launch day releases for the upcoming — and hopefully impressive — generation.

But here’s the thing: launch lineups are not as important as you may think.

Firstly, it’s financially unrealistic for us to desire five or more great AAA titles at launch. You’re spending either $400 or $500 on the consoles themselves, before taxes and any extra accessories. I don’t mean to presume anything regarding your financial situation, but I’m willing to bet that not many people can afford to dish out $60 several times over. Sure, those games we don’t end up purchasing will be knocked down in price by the time we can afford them, but at the potential cost of the developer not getting the returns they needed during those first few crucial months. And, at the end of the day, is that actually something we want?

On a semi-related note, when I purchase half a dozen games at once, I only end up playing one or two immediately. The rest sit there, and just when I get the motivation to play them, some fascinating new toy comes along and I forget all about that old junk.

My second — and more universally applicable — point is that it’s often better to have a slow trickle than a quick flash. The candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long, as they say. More often than not, the majority of titles during a console's launch end up being pretty abysmal. How about the PS Vita? Prior to release, it had a highly anticipated group of games backing it. But, as it stands now, people have been complaining about the lack of software from day one. Even the Xbox 360 — which had a great early run — was kicked-off in a rather lackluster fashion. There was Kameo, Perfect Dark: Project Zero, ports of King Kong and Gun, and a few sports titles. Despite all that, the 360 did quite well out of the gate, all because of Call of Duty 2.

All it takes is one system seller; just ask the N64 about Super Mario 64.

REMEMBER ME? YEAH.

Part of the reason for the so-so quality of games early on is the lack of experience on the development front. They’re in marginally new territory, and because they don't posses the understanding that comes with multiple years of development experience on single console, they play it safe. The upcoming launch lineups prove this to be true. Plenty of military shooters, familiar franchises, and zombie cliches. Frankly, that’s sort of okay. I'm not mad. Let them toy around with what they’re already comfortable with before going all out on a new franchise.

Finally, consider this. Whether you're looking to purchase a PS4 or Xbox One, the lineups are actually rather impressive in comparison to previous consoles. As far as multiplatform titles go, we’ve got Call of Duty: Ghosts, Battlefield 4, Assassin’s Creed IV: Blackflag. Those are three juggernaut franchises. I realize there are those who are burnt-out on some of those series, myself included, but there is no denying the power of these games. More next-gen systems will be sold because of their availability. Additionally, if you do end up playing COD or Battlefield, you're doing so for the multiplayer — which has countless hours of potential entertainment. I'm not even a diehard fan of either series, but it's safe to assume I'll be sinking 30+ hours into Battlefield 4's chaotic online fun-house.

But what about the exclusives?

Well, on the PS4 we may have only one seemingly sure bet in Killzone: Shadowfall, backed by the albeit iffy Knack. But with a solid number of indies such as Resogun and Contrast, I think we future PS4 gamers have little to fear. On the Xbox One front, there is plenty of potential. Dead Rising 3, Ryse: Son of Rome, Killer Instinct, Forza Motorsport 5, Lococycle, and Crimson Dragon all are on pace to be available day one. While I personally question the varying quality of these titles, I wouldn’t be the least bit shocked to see a few of them eventually deemed Worthy Time Sinks. 

True, there are no new AAA IPs like Watch Dogs to ring in the new generation, but we’ll be getting those sort of games in due time. Let's take what we’re getting and make it last just a few short months, because before you know it we’ll be knee deep in 2014 and its Wells Fargo Wagon of Games.

When it comes down to it, buying in for a launch day lineup is incredibly shortsighted. New consoles are an investment in the future. You’re taking a risk on what is to come in the long term, and not what we’ll be getting in just a few short weeks.

Not a Harry Potter Review

Films are an interesting thing when compared to generations. Hit all the right notes and they become a cultural zeitgeist. The original Star Wars is the most obvious of examples. So what do the rest of the millennials and I have? I think you could make a solid case for several series including The Dark Knight trilogy, or the superhero genre as a whole, but every time I think of this my train of thought always comes to a screeching halt at Harry Potter. There’s no getting around it. For better or worse, Harry Potter is my generation’s Star Wars.

Confession time. Prior to about, oh a week ago, I had not seen any of the films beyond Chamber of Secrets. Not out of lack of interest, I simply fell behind the hype-train and never got back on. However, upon concluding Deathly Hallows Part 2 a few days ago, I have come to this conclusion. While mildly flawed, I am perfectly okay with Harry Potter being the flagship franchise it is.

Beginning with the first two films, Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets, both gave off the same feeling: fun but lacking substance. They do a tremendous job of setting up and building the world, but beyond that they fall a bit flat. Most of the characters, especially the core three, are caricatures at best. There’s Harry, the not so typical hero. Ron, the protagonist’s dopey best friend. And Hermonie, the know-it-all girl who keeps the boys in line. Dumbledore? Gandalf. Malfoy? Any bully ever in the history of mankind. See my point?

Moving on to the positives however- as I said- the setting is truly remarkable. Yes, wizards and witches have been done to death but placing them within the confines of modern day society feels rather fresh. Add all the more minute details such as Quidditch or the fact of how Hogwarts castle is more of a living being than a stationary structure, and you a rather memorable universe.

Now here’s where the series really took off for me. For those who are unfamiliar, Harry Potter went through four directors in all, and by the third film the first change of management took place. Alfonso Cuaron, known for Children of Men and Gravity, came in for Chris Columbus and rectified all the reservations I had. I was no longer only watching for the uniqueness of the setting. The characters had finally become, well... characters. As Harry learns of Sirius Black the innocent child begins to fade away in favor of a vengeful teen. Best of all is the time travel scene in the latter moments. Repeating the same events of the previous 30 minutes could have been disastrous. The clever changes in the plot however, work towards making the viewer feel smart in one “aha moment” after another, culminating in the first big twist of the series.

At this point I was hooked. Harry Potter was the near-perfect mixture of fun and intelligently intriguing. Then what good graces were imparted by Prisoner of Azkaban were dashed against the rocks thanks to Goblet of Fire. My biggest gripe with GoF has to be the jarring effects of the Triwizard Tournament. Throughout the entirety of the series we are made to believe the wizarding world, while it dabbles in some dangerous dealings, is by no means barbaric. So why do these seemingly modern and civilized people get their kicks by watching friends and students face life or death trials? There is zero rhyme or reason to such nonsense. It’s just as out of place as the Roman Coliseum would be in New York City. But let’s not forget the hilariously stereotypical guest schools which also participate in the tourney. Let’s see, vaguely Russian people doused with far too much machismo? Check. Dainty French girls? Check. Me nearly falling asleep? Check. The only reason GoF isn’t a complete waste of time is entirely due to the final 20 minutes. The graveyard scene where we finally set eyes on Voldemort was brilliantly tense. Paired with Harry’s return to Hogwarts and the terror that strikes everyone when he screams out “He’s back!” It’s arguably the best scene in the entire series and was so well done it saved GoF from being a complete wash.

Continuing along to Order of the Phoenix now, this is where I began to seriously doubt the quality. After GoF being a near disaster, OotP poured salt in the wounds. It is the only film in all eight that I feel is genuinely bad.  Every single one prior, no matter the tone or the direction, always had the unique feel intrinsic to Harry Potter. OotP did not. The majority of the locals and characters were -or felt like- a rehash. Worse yet, after the terrific ending of GoF which so brilliantly set up Voldemort's return, what do we get? He’s imprisons a few people. Fights Dumbledore, but that ends in draw. Hell, he isn’t even responsible for Sirius' death. In an attempt to make the conflict more grandiose and widely encompassing, they strayed too far from what made the other films work. Caring for the humdrum good vs. evil plot was next to impossible and my hope for the remaining movies was nearly drained. That is until Half-Blood Prince went and decided to be all sorts of awesome.

As far as I’m concerned HBP is the quintessential Harry Potter experience. Not only does Harry return to form as a complex character, Ron, Hermione, Malfoy, and Snape are all vastly improved. They each have their fair share of troubles, some more worrying than others, but most important of all, they’re human. Not every action they take is entirely good or bad. There are layers to every decision which made no choice easy. HBP is also the first movie where Harry and friends suffer utter defeat. Snape and Malfoy betray Hogwarts which results in Dumbledore’s death, and as a kicker, the Horcrux Dumbledore died to obtain was a fake. Nearly everything that could potentially go wrong, went wrong and it was interesting to see how the trio handled their first significant defeat. While HBP was great, no movie is perfect. Maybe it’s just me, but I often find many writers fail to properly employ foreshadowing and end up revealing too much, too early. This is exactly the feeling I got when the details of how Voldemort was able to split his soul and create the Horcruxes was revealed. I instantly knew there was more to Harry’s lightning-bolt shaped scar and that at some point, he would have to die. Thankfully the all-around excellence of the rest of the film outweighs this single negative aspect.

And here we are at long last. The conclusion of Harry Potter, Deathly Hallows...err Part 1? Well, I suppose we aren’t done yet.

The running theme of DHP1 -and by far its greatest is strength- is that characters are far more interesting when faced with adversity. After the disaster that were the events of HBP, Harry, Ron, and Hermione are forced out of their element. Being on the run and having no one to turn too causes the group to have their first real fracturing. As things progress the situation only gets more dire and the trio more desperate. While there are a few pacing troubles mid-film, Ron’s departure was fairly awkward,I found it difficult to find any significant flaws. Well other than Dobby’s death. After not seeing hide nor hair of the Harry Potter franchise's Jar Jar Binks for four movies. I was quite frankly glad to see him go. Maybe I’m a heartless bastard, but his reintroduction into the series seemed forced. I assume he played a bigger role in the books and maybe it didn’t feel right not to included him, but ending on a insignificant character’s death after the finale of HBP was a bit of a letdown. Though a mishandled ending  is certainly not enough to ruin the entire experience, DHP1 ranks among PoA and HBP as the best in the series.

Here we are at long last, Deathly Hallows Part 2. I’m going to cut right to the chase. The ending is a complete mess which works to unravel everything done right thus far. Firstly, the loophole of Harry being able to cheat death by use of the Resurrection Stone was bullshit. Not that I was rooting for him to die and Voldemort to bring about his awful reign, but it was incredibly anticlimactic. The majority of the series had done a terrific job of bestowing a sense of taking the good with the bad. Balancing your failures with success. Of course, this was when Voldemort made a difference by manipulating people and staying relatively far away from the heat of things. Then when we finally get to see the villain whose power had been hyped up over the course of seven movies, what happens? He’s a cream-puff. He avoids the brunt of the fight and only manages to kill one person, Snape, his apparent ally. It’s not even that Harry or any of the core trio had to die, though it would have made for a far more impactful finish. In fact, I can think of one simple way in which the ending could have been nearly the same but the tension wouldn’t have died so early. If the the order in which the final two Horcruxes were destroyed was flipped, this whole mess could have been avoided. The moment Harry came back from death with roughly 30 minutes left, the tension was demolished. However, if Harry had been the final Horcrux and died in battle to Voldemort only to be brought back to life by the Resurrection Stone when all hope seemed lost. Well, that would have been a proper ending. Cheesy, but undoubtedly better than what we ended up with. Instead I sat there knowing exactly what was going to happen. Oh, and as if they hadn’t screwed things up enough already, seeing Neville Longbottom deal the final blow was adding insult to injury. Simply stated: the DHP2 nearly makes me never want to go back to the world of Harry Potter.

Moaning and groaning about how horrible the ending was aside, I was ultimately happy with the experience I received. Though I may have burnt through the eight films in a little over a week, I came to deeply care for the characters and their world. I often get sentimental about the fiction I absorb, especially when it focuses on younger protagonists. No, not in some creepy fashion. It’s just that seeing characters develop over the course of their young adult lives makes me reflect upon my own teenage years, and Harry Potter did exactly that. I deeply loved the notion of living in the world and being that fourth member of the gang, which the films so superbly conveyed. And if a piece of fiction can create such childish desires, then job well done.

I Watch Things Too: Mechs, Kaiju, and Magica

Pacific Rim- What do you get when you mix Guillermo Del Toro and giant mechs going toe to toe with kaiju? One of the best action movies I’ve seen in years, that’s what. Del Toro has always been known for his creativity and while he borrowed plenty from anime and other forms of fiction, Pacific Rim never felt too derivative. The world wasn’t some cookie-cutter futuristic Earth melded with woefully unoriginal mech and kaiju designs. No, it was a truly glorious experience. Many well made action films are often praised as “big dumb spectacle,” this is something I find to be miles from the truth in Pacific Rim’s case.  Sure it’s an action heavy film but there are plenty of interesting little details such as Hannibal Chau’s black market trading of kaiju remains. Or even the briefly mentioned religion which views the giant beasts as gods.

But back to the action. To an unawares viewer, the big robots may give off the sense of Transformers. Whether you love or hate Michael Bay’s movies, praising the action of those films as anything more than dumb spectacle, is a fool’s errand. Slow motion and gigantic explosions are overused in an attempt to please the viewer on very basic level. Often times the sense of scale of the Transformers themselves is menial at best. In Pacific Rim however, fights don’t just looks big, they feel big. Each and every kaiju is an entirely different encounter and the stakes rise with every subsequent fight.

I don’t care what you’re a fan of, be it Tranformers, mecha animes such as Evangelion, or My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic; Pacific Rim is a blast for everyone. Unfortunately, the theatre going crowd were not overly zealous at eh box office. So I’m telling you know, take a shot on Pacific Rim, you won’t regret it.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica-Yes, this is a thing that I watched. No, it’s not what you may be thinking. I know I’m not the first to say this, but I’m going to anyway in a desperate attempt to appear intelligent. Madoka Magica does to the magical girl genre what Evangelion and Attack on Titan did to theirs. To the unawares, initially appearing as nothing more than an example of a dead genre unwelcomely coming into the world of anime once more, you would think Madoka Magica would be a shallow piece of pandering drivel. However, when it comes to flipping preconceived notions on their collective heads, the job is more than adequately done. I find it difficult to really discuss how this is done about without divulging significant spoilers, but I’ll do my best.

High school setting? Check. Giddy Japanese school girls? Check. A seemingly overwrought plot? Check. So what’s so awesome? Or maybe I’ve just gone off the deep end. Maybe I think girls saving the world from witches, with powers gifted to them by some cutesy little animal is the best thing ever.No, I assure you, I’ve not yet taken the plunge into insanity.

So what made me enjoy Madoka Magica? Well, for starters the story takes more than a few unpredictable turns into some rather dark and depressing places. And no, simply being morose isn’t enough to warrant praise, but it’s the gifted writing which really sells it. Alas, this is where spoilers would be needed to fully explain anything, so I’ll just leave it up to you find out what I mean.  One gripe I do have with the narrative is its ambition. When dealing with the concept of wishes with no boundaries, you open up a portal of potentially story-shattering plot holes. While loose ends were tied up the best they could have possibly been, that didn’t stop me from noticing a few missteps along the way.

How about something I can openly talk about, like art style and animation? The surrealistic design of the witch labyrinths are absolutely stunning. Mixing concepts from Alice in Wonderland with a vibrant, yet foreboding color scheme gives a true sense of individualism to each and every witch and their layers. In fact, I dare say it’s the best looking anime out there.

Considering there are only 12 episodes in all-not due to cancellation, it’s just an especially short show even by anime standards- Madoka Magica is certainly worth your time. Most importantly, be willing to give it at least three or four episodes to grow on you. Once you do so, I’m sure you’ll be pleased with the results.

Mad Men- Well, I had my doubts about the longevity of Mad Men’s plots and now it’s safe to say I’ve been proven wrong...sort of. Seasons two through four are top-notch examples of how to write interesting characters. Don’s struggle to handle his not so pleasant past and desire to run away, starting anew is something we all can relate to. Other characters such as Pete, Roger, Peggy, and Joan were all vastly improved and diversified. The constant moral and social dilemmas create for plenty of enthralling stories without violence, and there you have Mad Men’s most interesting aspect. It’s a drama following a group of office workers during the 1960’s. While this doesn’t always provide for easily engageable drama, it’s well done nonetheless.

My one major gripe is the amount of conflict that revolves around adultery. After the third or fourth time of nearly every character cheating on their significant other, I have to wonder if some sort of pheromones are being pumped into their offices. That or they're all secretly rabbits.

As for the fifth season, it certainly suffered from the same problems as the previous four seasons only amplified because nothing felt new. What’s that? Someone is cheating on their spouse for the seventh time? Oh, Don is taking credit for the work of his underlings? See what I mean? This is not to say the entire season is terrible, it’s just a step back after three remarkable ones.

All in all, Mad Men is quite the show. Miller’s top 10 material? No, but I’d still wholeheartedly recommend it.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters- As a young lad I was awfully fond of Godzilla. Whenever I went to the rental store around the corner, chances are I’d walk out with a couple of VHS tapes featuring the king of kaijus.

With the upcoming 2014 film looking great, I’ve decided to try and relive my childhood in preparation for the upcoming second American take on the infamous lizard.

Many may remember the Godzilla films for their laugh-worthy dubbing or all around goofiness, but King of the Monsters packs quite the punch, even by today’s standards. Don’t go in expecting Oscar winning acting by today’s standard or the aged practical effects to wow you, and you’ll surely enjoy it. The subsequent films from the Showa series, 1954-1975, took on a campy persona.  The films were certainly enjoyable, but possessed far less depth than the nuclear war allegory of the original. Much of the film focuses on Steve Martin,  an American reporter, who just so happens to be in Tokyo when Godzilla strikes. His reaction to the tragic destruction of Tokyo is strangely dark for films of the era, but at the same time incredibly relevant. The feelings he conveyed could be compared to any who saw the effects of the two atomic strikes Japan suffered only a little over a decade before and because of that, I was shocked to see how poignant and powerful Godzilla: KotM still is roughly 70 years later.

Carrie(1976)-After hearing so many compare Beyond: Two Souls’ revenge scene to Carrie’s, I figured it was high-time I finally got around to this beloved film. And you know what, those people were right. David Cage did try to emulate some of the theme’s and scenes of Carrie and he did so very poorly.

Oh, well. How about I discuss the actual movie, shall I?

The horror genre has never been a favorite of mine, and that’s mostly thanks to the modern day films we see verging on nothing more than torture porn and mindless blood baths. While Carrie isn’t modern, at least not the version I watched, it certainly falls in with my favorites of the genre.  Awkward teen picked on at high school by the “in-crowd” and a religious zealot of a mother mistreating her child isn’t exactly treading new ground, even by 1970’s standards, but it’s for the best that the audience isn’t slapped over the head with too much exposition.

Carrie’s strongest feature is by the far the excellent use of foreshadowing. After suffering a traumatizing amount of harassment from her fellow students, the innocently ignorant young girl is sent home and two separate plans are hatched. One aiming to help her become more social and the other rearing to kick her while she’s down. The remainder of the film is spent anticipating. Anticipating who will win. Anticipating if and how will Carrie use her telekinesis. The result is a highly satisfying 15 minute stretch near the end. Though the ending may taper of in terms of quality, what with some cheap scares and tacky scenes, I still rather enjoyed it all. Carrie never floored me, but it certainly kept me entertained.