RROD'd

Yep, you're not an Xbox user if you haven't seen the Red Ring Of Death. I guess I'm part of the club now. So while you're all enjoying your new games (I have Left 4 Dead 2, Prototype and Rise Of The Argonauts waiting for me), spare a thought for me, all alone, looking at the empty space on the shelf where my beloved Xbox used to be. *Cry*

Call Of Call Of Duty - The Final Review

Well I guess I spent more time actually playing Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 than writing about it. I'll say one thing, it is very addictive. Now that I've had some time to collect my thoughts and of course some time to write them down, here is my final review of what will inevitably be game of the year. I'll break it down into three separate areas: Campaign, Spec Ops and Multiplayer.

The campaign, although not deviating too far from the tried and tested format of the previous Modern Warfare game, is still highly enjoyable, while being challenging at the same time. There is a lot more user interaction this time round, in both campaign and multiplayer, with ice climbing, snowmobiles, riot shields, breaches, guided missiles and the like, thermal scopes, bomb plants and much more. It's good to know that even with a lot more to do, you can still feel like you're in a real firefight. And there's a lot of action, so you'll get that feeling often. Picking up where the previous game left off, this time round sees you taking out the pieces which have moved into the gaps left by the terrorists you took out before. Although not all questions are asked or answered, the campaign is very satisfying, with a few twists to boot. Just the right length for a multiplayer-driven game, the campaign certainly does get you involved and drawn into the world of Call Of Duty, and no matter what people say about it, I enjoyed it a lot.

Spec Ops. Now this is just my favourite. Nothing beats being downright tactical with a partner on several missions, some easy, some near impossible. There's snowmobile racing, waves of attacks, AC130s in the sky and dogs leaping at you in Brazilian favelas. You can easily waste a night going through a mission or two and it's highly addictive with a large range of different scenarios - from stealth to brute force - and each make you think and work together as a team to complete the task. My only complaint would have to be the lack of midway save points and the incredibly hard mission which you are left with at the end. But otherwise, Spec Ops in my opinion is the best thing to be included in Modern Warfare 2 by a long shot and adds a nice aside from the multiplayer action and the solo campaign.

Multiplayer. That's what everyone really wants to play. And really, it does live up to the hype. There is tonnes of customizability with name tags, emblems and classes, but by far the most exciting addition are the killstreak rewards. Now you can call in helicopters, missiles, EMPs and even nukes! Of course you have to be good to consistently get those, but it's much better than the static UAV and then helicopter. Care packages are fun, giving you a random killstreak each time, and there's a lot of other polished bells and whistles hidden in the game. I mean, you can shoot down UAVs! The multiplayer still has the usual game modes and the like, although you can't be in a party chat in some of them (which I think is better as it encourages team work and communication). However, although the multiplayer is amazing, the players aren't. When Infinity Ward decided not to release a Beta version, it inevitably spelt the doom for any shred of reasonable gameplay we may have experienced. There's so many glitches I've lost count. So many that I stopped playing. Indeed it was primarily because of the very fucked up spawn points where you can die instantly from the same person several times, and the fact some of the maps are very bad, but the glitching bastards who corrupt the game were just the cherry on top.

So although Modern Warfare 2 is a legacy to behold, it fails miserably in some respects. If it wasn't for the highly anticipated multiplayer being tarnished by unfair gaming, then the game would be near-perfect. As it stands, with patches for current glitches raining down like rain, the game is still very good, if not one of the best this year. It is undoubtedly a definite must-have for everyone (you'll see half your friends playing it at any one time), and if you don't mind a bit of unpolished grit with your FPS, then this is definitely the game for you too.

A New Kind Of Film

Long time, no type, but here I am again. I've been busy over the holidays, so I apologize for my absence, but rest assured I'm here to bring you a great review of my latest film viewing; Avatar. You have to admire a director when not only does he produce a film, but actually invents a new kind of film making to do so. Now directors can view CGI and animations in real time and change everything to their liking, ala video game style. Although Avatar does feel like a test run for the new technology, it is in no way simply that.

Avatar is set in the distant future on a planet called Pandora, inhabited by blue natives, amazing plant life and an array of dangerous and beautiful wildlife. And of course, sizable amount of precious metals buried under its' forests and jungles, which the greedy human corporations want to get their hands on. Scientists survey the area using "avatars", a native's body which is controlled through genetic links by a human. Kinda like robots only human. It's complicated, don't hate me. One of the avatar controllers falls in love with a native and things start to unravel in his mind. And when it boils down to it, Avatar is a story of good versus evil, with scientist and native pitted against the might of the human army seemingly bent on destroying anything precious on the planet for little more than money. Like usual.

I came into the movie not knowing what to expect. Sure the film may have revolutionized movie making, but that makes little difference to me if the film is bad. But somehow, some way, we are drawn into this fictitious world, with unreal characters and impossible places, and still we are driven to care for them. To feel their pain as their world is raped by greed. It may be a bit similar plot-wise to other "going native" films, but who cares when your eyes are feasting on a special effects bonanza. Avatar really brings you into the world of Pandora and stirs your emotions. But not just in the film, but towards the world around you. It gets you thinking of the destruction we reap on our own planet every day in every way. On a fake planet made up a hundred light years away, and it still has the power to make you think of just how bad it can get on ours. Because our planet isn't fake. It's real. And we only get it once.

The story is emotive, the characters are varied and likable - and most of all believable even if most are computer generated - and the pace keeps moving along to keep you intrigued the whole time. I'd definitely recommend going to see it, as it really is a big-screen movie. You really do come away still thinking about the film, about the comparisons you can draw to our own lives, and that is why it is a great movie.

To Russia With Love

I decided to forget my thumb woes and dive into the campaign of Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 tonight. I haven't finished the campaign by a long stretch, but I've gotten my first glimpse and ideas of the new installment of the Call Of Duty franchise. Unfortunately (as per usual!) I accidentally stumbled onto a key plot point of the campaign on the internet. Darn! However, I'll try to push it to the back of my mind as I soldier on.

First impressions? Well the game is certainly good. I'm yet to see if it holds up to the hype and praise that has really been out of this world. The campaign is very enjoyable - if not a little short so far - but I can see where people are justified in saying there's a bit too much action. I'd really like to see some prolonged winding through streets battling enemies slowly, rather than the mass attack, next scene, mass attack, next scene-like missions I've played so far. But other than that, flawless. You really feel like you're in the moment and that it's life or death, while still having fun too.

I haven't touched Spec-Ops yet, but I played a few games of online multiplayer. Maybe it's just my tendency for stats and awards, but I really love the retention of the stats system and the addition of the new accolades rewards. It adds just that bit more fun and playability to your games, because even if you're really bad, you're bound to have something unlock. I haven't reached the stage where I can edit my kill-streak bonuses, and I'm not too sure about those tag backdrops etc, but I'll give you my opinion when I've played the mode a bit more.

And So It Begins... With Rotten Luck

Of course the very day before I was set to purchase Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 I happen to break my thumb whilst playing cricket! So now all I can do is watch my friends play hours of supposedly the best game ever made, while it sits only feet away from me in my office, unable to be enjoyed. At least I was given a PS2 Singstar package, which I've found very entertaining. But that's old news - I'll keep you posted on what I think of the new Call Of Duty game when my hand heals up. Until then it looks like I'm going to frying my vocal chords, reviewing some movies if I see any and generally being bored as shit. Happy gaming you lucky, lucky bastards...

Argh!

As quickly as it was fixed, my internet suddenly decided it didn't want to work again. So it looks like no more videos for a while. *Sigh*

Better Apocalypse?

With the demo of Left 4 Dead 2 claiming better apocalypse in its' tag-line, I was eager to give it a go after I downloaded it last night. The opening intro was pretty spectacular, giving the game an almost movie-quality feel. I was unsure if I'd like the characters, but after seeing how they interact, I can say that they're as good, if not better than the last. Same old plot though by the looks of things, although it seems to have more continuity through the campaign levels than the original Left 4 Dead.

Graphics wise, I was underwhelmed. Of course it was a day level, but still, the graphics almost looked too clean and static. Some of the objects acted awkwardly (chairs and other items don't decay or break like I thought they would in this second installment) and some of the physics don't gel completely. I know of course that this isn't probably going to be the polished standard of the final game, but it's still disappointing that the game's engine hasn't been upgraded very much - whether its' the constraint of the console or just laziness on Valve's behalf, I don't know.

Melee weapons! Yes, they're finally here. In the demo there was a frying pan, a night stick and katana, all of which can be substitute for your side arm pistols. My only complaint was that you had to get very close for the melee attack to hit your target, even when it looked like your shot should be hitting from a distance. Again, a deliberate choice or a physics engine fault, who knows. In addition to the melee weaponry are some new and improved long range weapons. Apparently they can have incendiary ammunition too! There's a few more machine guns and a different type of pistol added so far to the existing weapons.

But of course, the new zombies are what really is exciting people. The charger is quite cool. He's like a mini tank with one less arm that charges (go figure!) directly at you and can trap you with its' enlarged arm. The spitter is also quite cool. Spewing out acid kind of like a boomer, and leaving it behind when killed too, the spitter has the shape of a witch zombie. However the addition of the jockey, I am not sure about. After seeing it in action, it really just does not fit in. Obviously it is intended for control in Versus mode (and admittedly it would be quite fun to play as) but in campaign, it just looks gimmicky. Jumping on someone's head and holding on? I just don't quite understanding it and I don't know what effect trying to resist the jockey does, as you are prompted to when attacked by it.

The new types of other zombies are pretty cool also. Although we only see the riot police zombie in the demo, they add a bit of interesting gameplay as you can only really kill them when shooting them in the back. As promised, there should be mud zombies, ones in Hazmat suits and of course the clown zombies, probably only there to scare the shit out of you (nobody can seriously like clowns).

Also present in the demo was the addition of two new items. Health packs and pain pills are back, but adrenaline shots have been added to speed up your character (although I did not see much effect when using them) and so has a defibrillator. I didn't get a chance to use this, but it's intended to revive dead team mates (probably to replace the weird closet system of the previous game).

All in all, I think the demo showed that Valve was receptive and was willing to solve some of the first game's oversights. Number two looks like a lot more fun, with some new game modes (although I am not too sure what Realism and Scavenger modes exactly are), new zombies and new weapons. However, I'm not sure if it's a bit too overwhelming. With the new bright colours of New Orleans and exotic zombies being thrown at you behind every corner, it kinda felt like the game lost its' scary secludedness from the its' predecessor. In some cases more is less and I hope that the campaign modes of Left 4 Dead 2 will not suffer. But versus mode? Oh it's on! Happy gaming!

Happy (Belated) Halloween!

Here are some Halloween videos for your trick or treat bag. Don't eat them all at once!

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Mercenaries, Space And Midgets...?

Yes, a weird combination, but a combination it is, with the release of Borderlands last week hitting Xbox 360s everywhere, in addition to several other consoles. I managed to purchase the game as one of my many buy/return gaming ventures, whereby I purchase a game I think may be interesting, play it for the seven day limit and then return it for a full refund. Naughty indeed, but it's worked so far with Gears Of War 2 and Halo 3: ODST, neither of which I wanted to keep anyway, and The Orange Box, which I re-bought a year later. Hmm, maybe I should start a blog feature out of it... Alas, I digress, on with the review!

Before I start breaking into which parts of the game I liked and didn't like, let me just say that I did indeed have a lot of fun playing it. The atmosphere and gameplay held me enchanted for a full week and although I'm saddened by a few faults with graphics, plot and loot, my experiences with Borderlands are enjoyable. My first impression was that Borderlands quite craftily combined elements from several other RPG and FPS games: BioShock, Diablo, Fable 2, Half-Life 2, Mass Effect and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Obviously the game is driven by its' Diablo-like loot, although I was disappointed to find that the bazillions of weapons promised were only divided into about 8 classes, with only minor adjustments between each one.

For those looking for meaning behind the mindless urge to find and collect money, weapons and creature hides, you will be sorely disappointed. Lets face it, there's no plot. Mario trying to rescue the princess from a terrible fate is a plot. Borderlands is simply a giant quest to get more stuff and the stuff happens to be found in a mysterious 'Vault'. With entertaining side-quests along the way, the game does offer some challenging and unique gameplay and characters, but ultimately, it does not offer much on storyline. Gameplay makes up for this somewhat, with engaging leveling systems and user interface. The creators, Gearbox, have done well to make Borderland's gameplay as accessible as possible, especially in the face of such overwhelming loot.

Sadly, the graphics aren't the best either. They almost hark back to the time of Half-Life 2, where textures are limited and characters are terrible up close. Done in an almost graphic novel style, Borderland's imagery works well on the whole, but the finer points of the rendering is poor and some glitches are present, especially in regard to achievements. The only other complaints I have are small in comparison - the lack of treasure from The Vault and the rapidly respawning enemies.

However, beyond a few graphic troubles and a paper-thin plot, not much is wrong with Borderlands. The leveling system is impeccable. Enemies and characters are well done. Beautiful locations and maps. Action is well placed alongside treasure hunts and other missions. Easy, yet challenging achievements. Dialogue is well presented and enjoyable to hear - my favourites have to be "I can see the code", "This is where the cars live, get you one!" and "Look at me everybody! I'm dancing, I'm dancing!" In fact, those little robot Clap Traps and the other ingenious characters you meet along the way make the game and on the whole Borderlands is fun to play and explore.

I don't think replay value is very high in Borderland's case. Although there is a four player Xbox LIVE mode, once you have reached level 50 and acquired the best weapons, there's not much keeping you around. Although entertaining, the endless search for weapons and loot is not nearly enough to hold the game afloat for a second or third play-through with such a pathetic storyline. Borderlands tries its' very hardest to break barriers, but in the end is only confined by itself. However, as I've mentioned above, although there are several issues, some big, some small, the positives outweigh the bad and the game succeeds as both a sci-fi adventure and mission-based RPG. I wish there'd been a bit more thought and effort placed into polishing the game, but where it lacks shine, Borderlands more than makes up for in character, charm and gameplay. If you want the story of four bounty hunters on the search for gold and fame with some great settings, then this game is for you.

Joy!

For some mysterious reason, my internet suddenly decided to connect to the rest of the sites I couldn't access, so it looks like I'll be able to bring you some of those funny and shocking videos once more. I'm happy enough that I don't want to even ask why it suddenly started to work again, but it looks like things are looking up again for this blog. Keep you posted!

Xbox 720

I don't have much time to write, but I thought I'd open the discussion for the Xbox 720. I've heard a few rumours that Microsoft will be releasing it sometime between 2010 and 2011. I know that the graphics and engines that the Xbox 360 can support are becoming more and more limited, and obviously we need to push for better games, but as one of the biggest selling consoles ever, how are people going to cope? I certainly can't see myself dishing out nearly $1000 for a new console and games, especially with Microsoft's history of making back-compatible systems.

I'll research some more and see what I can find out. Have a good weekend!

New Games To Watch For pt. 6 - Left 4 Dead 2

The zombie apocalypse's answer to 50 cent, what better way to start your release with a bang than by having your game banned in Australia? Although (hopefully) only temporary, this ban will undoubtedly serve as more of a bad-boy launching tool for Valve's new game than a hinderance. Set in Southern USA, possibly New Orleans, this time the four new survivors must mash their way through hordes of zombies with familiar weapons, and a few not-so familiar. With the addition of several new ammunition-based weapons, they are complimented by a new variety of melee weapons, such as the chainsaw, baseball bat and frying pan.

With Left 4 Dead receiving some bad reviews for its' limited gameplay and low contrast of zombies and weapons, it's also good to hear that several new types of zombies are included. These include spitters, similar to boomers but with acid instead of vomit (undoubtedly to reduce the amount of corner-camping); chargers, similar to tanks except faster and with one larger arm to knock survivors over; and strangely, the jockey, a kind of weird-looking zombie which jumps on your back and steers you into other zombies and obstacles. These, combined with level-specific zombies, such as mudmen and Hazmat-garbed zombies, should make for more varied and interesting play.

Much of the story, campaign and gameplay is still rumour and guesses, especially since Valve is under pressure to change the game to a less violent version in order to market in Australia. There has been speculation that the health packs and pills will be gone for the next installment, instead replaced with adrenaline to help burst out of zombie crowds with the new melee weaponry. However, more likely, you'll have to choose which you can carry. The five campaign levels have been named as 'Dead Centre', a shopping mall ala Dead Rising styles; 'Dark Carnival', which awesomely, will take place in a fairground - yes think clown zombies; 'Swamp Fever', obviously in a swamp; 'Hard Rain', an industrial-based level; and 'The Parish' which is based around a church. Not much change to the game modes, although rumours of a Scavenger and Realistic mode have risen.

And finally the survivors themselves: A black coach called, go figure, Coach; Rochelle, a black television reporter; Ellis, a mechanic; and Nick, who has been described as a con/gambler. And so the pieces are there. The survivors, the zombies, the gameplay. The question is, will the public buy Left 4 Dead 2 after its' predecessor was released not too long ago? It is indeed a mystery why Valve decided to release number two so quickly after the first - maybe they realized that the zombie market is one which only they and a select few others fill and wanted to bring a new game to replace the outdated and severely limited gameplay of Left 4 Dead's first title. Or maybe they just wanted more dough for their back pockets. Whatever the case, Left 4 Dead 2 is definitely a game to watch for and hopefully I'll be buying it instead of just watching.

Videos For The Voyeur

As promised, I managed to smuggle a video out before I totally trashed my computer for being so slow. Not the best, but surely one of the cutest Mexican-based, chinchilla ads ever made!

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Grumble Grumble Computers Grumble Grumble

As you may know from my previous posts on NAT types and how they never seem to bloody open for me, I hate computers. That episode was only the beginning - now it's like revenge of the technology in my house. I'm just waiting to wake up one night and feel a USB cord slowly tightening around my neck and that creepy, monosyllabic computer voice laughing in my ear.

Well for starters, the NAT type problem I encountered was never resolved. And the internet is still chugging along slowly - it took me forever to simply open up one page in order to bring you, my humble viewers, a video. Unfortunately, to find an awesome one it would've taken me about 12 days to view all the ones I've missed for the past three months, so I just grabbed the one with the cutest looking chinchillas.

Now though I find that my computer screen is... fucked shall we say? Half of it is green and the other half is red. I hadn't noticed this since I received the screen, but since I needed to calibrate it for my photography work, it now sticks out like a sore thumb! Now I either have to pay through the nose or pay through the nose to get it fixed. So rejoice in the fact that you can watch funny videos, have a colour-quality screen and NATs so open they're considered bi-sexual, because my friends, I cannot. I must suffer long internet times on a green screen, with my only respite being that I can whine all day to you.

*Cry*

ODST Verdict

Sucks.

Oh, you wanted more? My bad. After much gameplay, I have concluded that my original Halo 3: ODST musings were probably true. The campaign's plot is thin at best (So the giant mystery is that some floating balloon knows what the Covenant are looking for? Puh-lease!) and gameplay is confusing for the most part. As the Rookie venturing through the large, open-world of New Mombassa, gameplay is tedious and seems to serve as nothing more than filler to distract from the dreadfully short missions. Getting lost and versing the same enemies in the same place again and again is not uncommon; in my view, the open world environment experiment of the game is an epic failure.

Indeed, the only real action you get is in the short "flashbacks" the Rookie gets every time you find a clue somewhere in the city. These flashbacks don't last long, leaving you yearning for more action which just doesn't come. Enter Firefight. Of the entire game, Firefight seems like an honest attempt at adding some value to the game. Unfortunately, it can get boring after a while. I managed to zap headshot after headshot, and with a reasonably good team, you begin getting restless after unlocking the level's achievement.

Let's face it. Bungie were cheeky indeed. Instead of releasing the second part of the Mythic Map Pack as a downloadable content package, they thought they'd try and rip $100 for a full game filled with fillers, weak gameplay and woeful action. And it actually worked. Coupled with the fact that people could now try and unlock Recon armour, releasing ODST was always going to suck out a fair bit of the kiddie's pocket money and I'm annoyed. Bungie should be expected to deliver top-grade games every time, rather than trying too fool the public into buying a campaign that adds nothing inherently new to the Halo mythos and what can only be described as a DLC pack trying to pass as a full fledged game. Firefight and the new maps could easily have been added as a DLC; Left 4 Dead did it, so why not Bungie? Let's hope they actually spend some more time on Halo: Reach and don't just make another farce for gamer addicts to lay their wallet out for.

Left 4 Dead Crash Course?

I was surprised when I found out that Left 4 Dead had released another DLC pack today, due to the fact that it had not been advertised, at least on the Xbox 360 side of things. Apparently the new download adds another campaign level, "Crash Course", for use in Campaign, Versus and the like, in addition to a number of new achievements. Annoyingly, the new content is not available for free on the Xbox 360 as it is for computer users! Seeing as I'm not one to buy a mediocre DLC package for nothing other than the obvious reason of more achievements, I think I'll sadly have to pass on this one, unless it becomes cheaper further down the track.

The campaign looks like it's set in the usual post-apocalyptic landscape, probably with a helicopter involvement of some sort - probably the rescue vehicle. In addition, the campaign has been stream-lined to make for a quicker Versus game time. I don't see how this will entice buyers, on the Xbox at least, who to pay for a shortened campaign version with Left 4 Dead 2 just around the corner, unless they are truly die-hard fans. Good news for those said, die-hard fans; Valve has pledged to keep the DLC coming for the original Left 4 Dead, even after its' sequel has been released. In any case, here's a preview image from the new Crash Course pack.

My ODST Ventures

I succumbed! I'll admit, I did view Halo 3: ODST as a bit of a cheeky money draw for Halo fans, but that didn't stop me from purchasing it today. I did plan to make use of the shop's 7-day free return policy, so it wasn't really that big of a deal however. I won't write too much now as I've only begun playing, but already I have a few opinions about Bungie's new Halo entry - some good, some bad.

New plot aside, ODST is frying my mind in regard to navigation. I'll admit it was almost as though being spoon-fed, but I'm longing for the closed worlds of Halo 3 in this strange, partially open-world of Halo 3: ODST. If it wasn't so dark, I'd be okay, but I find the majority of gameplay is through my night-vision and walking around in circles. For someone trying to find all clues and audio files, it poses a real pain in the neck. In addition, I can't stay in my VISR database for very long to check the map because it doesn't stop the gameplay, often leading to me being shot half to death while I mindlessly search for the next checkpoint.

Other than some hiccups with the navigation and objective system, the gameplay, scenery, weapons and enemies are good. I will say that as of yet, the plot hasn't been that inspiring or difficult and the whole flashback schtick seems a bit gimmicky, but with trepidation I will soldier on. I'm hoping that firefight will lighten my spirits - it's good see that they have included skulls and several other features to distinguish the game mode from numerous others in Gears Of War or Left 4 Dead. So bear with me - my view may wax and wane as I go along, and I'm really hoping that ODST won't have to be returned.

Inglourious Basterds

I had been meaning to write a preview on this film before I inevitably went to see it, but I guess my real life workload took precedence. So now here I am writing more of a review after seeing Inglourious Basterds last night. Right off the bat, you have to enter a Quentin Tarantino movie knowing that it's going to have gratuitous violence and a quirky plot. This film didn't disappoint in that regard. Overall, the film could have been a lot better, but in saying that, it could have been a lot worse as well.

Set in Nazi-occupied France during World War 2, the story centres on the plight of a group of American soldiers sent into the country to kill Nazis with brutal force in order to strike fear through their ranks. Basically, the plot is about killing Nazis. Pretty simple and often gory. Along with the various subplots which combine pleasingly, the story winds its' way down to an inevitable violent climax and mass shoot-out. From the very start of the film however, there is a tense air. Several parts of the movie have you on the end of your seat, unsure as to where the scene will travel and just who has an ace up their sleeve. Excellent as it is, this does not convey to the rest of the film.

Indeed, although the film has a fair amount of action and peaceful drama alike, they don't seem to mesh as well as they should. Edited in a peculiar way, the film is quirky and different to what even I am used to viewing, leaving you wondering if you really enjoyed the film or not long after you exit the theatre. However Tarantino is a black sheep and he makes films by his own book, so in a way, which ever way you feel about Inglourious Basterds is a success. And this film definitely brings out the shock factor and mixed emotions which Tarantino is successful, and infamous, for.

Apologies

My apologies for the decline in posts lately - my internet has really broken down and some sites, especially the ones I get my videos for this page from, do not load at all. Hopefully things will be back to normal when the situation calms down, but until then, I'll do my best to bring you the best of games, films, the internet and my own personal ventures into the world of pop-culture.

New Games To Watch For pt. 5 - Halo 3: ODST

Originally titled Halo 3: Recon, the next installment in the lucrative Halo franchise is set to be released on September 22 to a good reception. Halo 3: ODST continues the Halo story as a sort of prequel, by allowing play as an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper (or ODST) instead of the Master Chief, as he searches through the ruins of New Mombassa for his missing team mates. At the same time, there will undoubtedly be lots of Covenant baddies to blast away. Seen as more of an expansion to Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST will be followed by another prequel in Halo: Reach later on in 2010.

Halo 3: ODST aims to leave behind the shackles of the previous games in the series and reinvent itself with new characters, a new era and an open-world environment that will undoubtedly shake things up a bit. The question is will it be for the best? Leaving the Master Chief out could be a franchise killer, with the new character being more susceptible to attacks and obviously not as kick-ass as we're accustomed to with the Chief. Having an open-world environment will obviously change the game completely, while making the game a prequel may give the feel of retreading covered ground.

Multiplayer is very similar to Halo 3, with 24 shipped maps including the Heroic, Legendary and all 6 Mythic maps. A new addition will be the Firefight mode, which runs along the same line as The Horde in Gears Of War 2 and Survival Mode in Left 4 Dead, and was a sure-bet for inclusion after its' highly rated reception in other game series. In my opinion however, it's a slightly tired game mode - let's hope this time round it includes some new twist. Owners will also get a chance to test out the Beta multiplayer mode for Halo: Reach. Other than a few tweaks to the HUD (including some night-vision), weapons (fans of the original, unadulterated pistol rejoice!) and play, ODST looks like more of the same from Bungie. Lets' just hope that its' more of the same in a good way and that the game doesn't reach too far away from what fans loved in the original series.

District 9

After seeing the trailer for District 9, I was hesitant to agree when my friend said he wanted to go see it with me. Things went from bad to worse after we arrived, only to find that most of the theatre was sold out and that the only seats left were in the front row to the side. The biggest screen in town, the closest seats to said screen and two hours of film is not a combination for the faint hearted. Luckily, the film exceeded my expectations by a long way, so it was worth it. Kind of.

The film is typical of a Peter Jackson-billed release and you can't come away not thinking that everything he touches turns to gold. With a strong setting, an interesting and unique plot which pushes the current boundaries, and a lot of amazing effects and aliens, District 9 pleasantly surprised me in both its' free-hand filming and editing, acting and overall story. With undertones of apartheid and company ethics running through the film, District 9 takes being a dumb sci-fi and turns it into a cinematic gold mine.

There were laughs, shocks and the odd tear, but after leaving the theatre (with eyes the size of plasma televisions and a neck like Michelangelo's), it only made me yearn for Jackson's next release, The Lovely Bones, which isn't that far off now. Let's face it, the guy could shit out a brick and make it watchable. This just goes to show that you can't judge a book by its' cover, and certainly not a film by its' trailer. So although I wouldn't recommend getting front row tickets, I will recommend that you go out and see District 9 and indulge that inner alien in all of you.

August 11th Xbox 360 Update Review

Another month, another update for the Xbox 360 LIVE experience. At least there wasn't any major disruption this time while they added the changes, other than taking a few minutes to install when I turned on my Xbox in the morning. Despite all the videos and advertisements detailing the arrival of this great new update, it affects relatively few people's gaming experience and in the end, doesn't accomplish a whole lot. A few of my friends are still scratching their heads wondering what the fuss was about. Others don't even know there was one.

The most notable change is to the customization options available to your avatar. You may have seen a few of your friends wielding lightsabres or donning COG helmets, or even a couple playing with remote-control cars. If you're inclined to throwing out Microsoft points for new avatar items, this update may excite you. But if you're like the rest of us - normal - the thought of dishing dollars out for pixels will disgust you. Apparently you can earn new items by playing games, and although I haven't received any as of yet, this will probably be the only joy I will get out of this aspect of the update.

The marketplace has had a few new bells and whistles added; you can now rate games and downloadable items, hopefully saving others from purchasing dud-arcade games or themes. It looks like an item must have at least 10 people rate it before the rating shows, so don't be alarmed if your ratings don't show immediately. Also added are Games On Demand, a feature similar to the Xbox Classics room, except for Xbox 360 games like Mass Effect and Viva Piñata. Unfortunately if you don't have a credit card enabled on your account, you're going to have to go out and purchase enough Microsoft points, which means you probably could get the game you're after while you're out too!

A few other features included in the update are advanced friends list sorting, a few tweaks to the achievement system and of course the number of years you've been with Xbox LIVE posted on your gamertag. While overall this is an painless update, it didn't warrant the hype for what is also a fairly mundane update. The few features it adds aren't all that special and for most gamers, won't be noticed.

Gaming Stories

This past week I've been playing quite furiously on the Xbox 360. Sadly, although I haven't been able to afford any new games to write reviews about (although there are quite a few which I have my beady little eye on - see my series of "New Games To Watch For"), I've been keeping my range of games played wide open. A friend got me interested in Fable 2 again, so for the last week I've been swapping between Albion, a post-infection Earth in Left 4 Dead, Worms 2: Armageddon and Gears Of War.

Fable 2 is a good game. Definitely not as emotive or special as its' predecessor, but still a good game. This week I tried to round off those last few pesky achievements which I still hadn't unlocked yet - The Gargoyle, The Dollcatcher, The Completionist and The Hoarder. By chance, I bumped into a friend of mine which I hadn't played with in a long time that was handing out free stuff. Stuff like dolls. I also managed to score The Enforcer off him, which I had lost after I gifted it to my ex-girlfriend foolishly.

The Gargoyle and Hoarder achievements were easy once I enlisted the help of the internet, which led me to Arkon's Knot in Brightwood and behind the Gypsy Camp in Bower Lake. The Completionist followed not long after with the last upgrade of my Inferno spell. Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to get all expressions in order to unlock the achievement. While I was at it, I decided to gift my wife another baby. Imagine my surprise when I returned a few days later to find the grown boy was in fact black. My wife had a very guilty look on her face...

Well guys, stick around for some more upcoming game previews, a look at some interesting new movies and of course, hilarious videos for you to laugh at. I'm pretty busy of late with new job opportunities, but keep your eyes out for new updates.

Videos For The Voyeur

By the end of this video I couldn't stop laughing. It reminded me so much of my relationship with my ex.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Time To Put Out The Ashes

I hadn't even noticed a new cricket game sneak up on me this year until I saw the big Ashes Cricket 2009 advertisement on the Xbox 360 dashboard yesterday. A huge fan of Shane Warne Cricket '99 when I was but a lad on the Play Station, and cricket in general, cricket games since then had seemed overly complicated or reasonably dull. I'd all but given up on cricketing games until I downloaded this latest demo for the Ashes Cricket 2009 game. From the demo, I was unsure whether it'd just be a game based on the Ashes series (boring!), or if it'd have world tournaments as well - thankfully I've discovered it will include a multitude of teams as well as some pretty cool gameplay.

Game play seems enjoyable and user-friendly. I was able to bowl people out and hit sixes with equal measure in the demo's limited 3 over play, and there was plenty to do. Graphics were pretty horrible, but that is about the only complaint I can have for what was an enjoyable gaming experience. After reading a few previews online, it's good to learn that the game will include lots of unlockables, teams and commentary - not sure whether it will include statistics however. Cricket is a hard game to convert into a video game, and one never quite knows when a game such as this will fall under the cricket curse. Nevertheless, this seems one time when CodeMasters have got it right.

Videos For The Voyeur

This video will sum up the childhood of most people out there. The sad look of the baby as he gets dragged on by will haunt many. With laughter.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

New Games To Watch For pt. 4 - Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

This is the game on everyone's lips it seems, despite a distant release date of November 10th. The highly anticipated sequel to Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Modern Warfare 2 will undoubtedly sate the fan's hunger after the poorly received Call Of Duty: World At War. Rumours are rampant, but a few things are known: The game will serve as a kind of sequel directly following on from the events in the first Modern Warfare game, with usual characters such as Sergeant "Soap" MacTavish returning. The game will involve countries such as Afghanistan, Brazil, Khazakstan and Russia, in what looks like more of the same war-torn environments and besieged forts as before, although some of the snow environment play looks particularly interesting, with mountain climbing and snow-mobile action to boot.

From the multiplayer trailer (embedding was disabled on the main reveal trailer unfortunately), the graphics look significantly better than the previous game, undoubtedly boosted by the new IW 4.0 game engine which is a whole generation beyond the first Modern Warfare's engine. It's good to see that the experience point system that was so popular in the first game is retained, with some new features added as well. I didn't even buy or play Call Of Duty: World At War due to the dismal multiplayer reviews, so seeing Infinity Ward reprise Call Of Duty 4's multiplayer action is a big relief. After just a few minutes of game footage scrounged from various sources, I can safely say that Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is going to be epic and is well worth the hype. Enjoy the trailer.

Great New Photojournalism Site

For those of you out there who are avid photography enthusiasts, the recently launched http://www.life.com/ may provide some great inspiration and an unseen look into photojournalism's history. A joint collaboration between LIFE magazine and Getty Images, the site pumps out 3,000 new images every day, most never published anywhere until now. An astonishing 95% of images submitted to LIFE magazine alone were never printed! From celebrities, to animals, to world events, the site collects a huge number of themes, images and collections for your convenience.

The site has some cheesy activities such as "Real Or Fake" and "Sexy Or Sleazy", but overall, the content is excellent. With thousands more images added every day, the content will only get better. One of my favourite all time photographers is André Kertész, considered by many the father of photojournalism, so the site's mix of world events, images which shaped the world and those which comment on society, is right up my alley. Even if you have only a passing interest in photography, the site is still well worth checking out.

Videos For The Voyeur

Caught this guy through my usual sources today and I must say I'm impressed. He acts, he sings and he takes great photographs. Here's Miles Fisher's take on The Talking Heads' "This Must Be The Place", set to the film American Psycho, because let's face it, the guy is the love child of Christian Bale and Tom Cruise. Check out more Miles Fisher at http://www.milesfisher.com/ or on his blog, http://leslie-miles.blogspot.com/. And I apologize in advance for the nudity and violence.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

New Games To Watch For pt. 3 - Batman: Arkham Asylum

A big release later next month is set to be Eidos' comic-based action game, Batman: Arkham Asylum. Billed as a gritty addition to the growing Batman universe, Batman: Arkham Asylum pits the caped crusader against the likes of The Joker, Bane and Killer Croc on the menacing backdrop of the Arkham Asylum compound. Being a huge Batman fan, this title definitely caught my attention. Sadly however, it breaks one of my gaming rules which have kept me from being disappointed thus far on my gaming ventures: Never watch a film based on a game or comic and never play a game based on a film or comic.

However, after the likes of The Dark Knight and games like Dead Space, these rules which I live by are getting harder and harder to follow. With film and game makers blurring the lines to make good product across all formats, I'm actually very tempted to give this game an honest go. However, I'm not that big a Batman fanboy, so rest assured you won't see me cuddled up under a Batman blanket, in Batman pajamas playing this latest Batman game addition, especially after a few setbacks I've noticed in game-play.

Gameplay looks, although accessible, very bland. Watching the walk-through trailer on one of the game modes made me feel the game was in fact too accessible, to the point of being pathetically easy. The voices of Batman, Commissioner Gordon and The Joker are extremely disappointing and distracting, and the plot looks rather thin. Fighting looks interesting, but with all the gadgets and gizmos, it looks like it's designed for a Batman fan to experience being the dark knight rather than for serious gamers. The graphics look great and give a real gritty sense to the whole game - something I'm used to from Eidos. However, despite the honest attempt to make a good game for all players, Batman: Arkham Asylum still fails to escape from the fan-fiction feel of other comic and film-based games. I hope I'm wrong and that this game is another great Batman release, but for now I'm going to stick to my golden rules and hopefully, I might be proven wrong for once.

Videos For The Voyeur

Here's one from the Two Ronnies archive.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

New Games To Watch For pt. 2 - Dead Rising 2

The second installment of my musings on upcoming games casts its' shadow on Dead Rising 2, sequel to the hit release Dead Rising from Capcom. Out of all the upcoming games, I am most underwhelmed by this release. The first Dead Rising showed next-gen owners their first taste of zombie action, and they lapped it up feverishly, which may be the only reason the original game was so successful. However, after some serious gameplay issues, in my books, Dead Rising was utterly annihilated by the far superior Left 4 Dead, which provided a better alternative to those zombie fans. For some reason Capcom insisted on a problematic save system, poor AI and of course, keeping that infamous screen text which only HDTV owners could view. Between these issues and the timer constantly ticking away while I still flailed on the first mission, I usually ended my Dead Rising sessions with a bunch of survivors getting eaten and my controller flying across the room.

With games like Left 4 Dead circulating on the market, what makes Capcom think we'll line up for another round of Dead Rising? They are no longer the only option for next-gen zombie enthusiasts and yet they still stubbornly refuse to meddle too greatly with the annoying save system and, at times, boring gameplay. The new game, although receiving a boost from a larger environment, better weapons and graphics and characters, still looks like the same, tired game we saw the first time round only in a different setting. For a studio like Capcom, who has never made the best games in their field, to simply ignore their consumer's requests and stick to the same formula, it is very disappointing. I was hoping to see more than just a zombie mash-fest with every weapon you can find. I want to see an emotive story line with moral choices and bold characters, with a more hands-on feel than the third-person viewer from the first game. and yet, even from the trailer you can see it is not. Dead Rising 2 is set in a Las Vegas lookalike and of course the main protagonist has changed, but most else seems unchanged. I'll keep an open mind, but from what I've seen on the game so far, it's lessons not learnt by Capcom, and ultimately, the game will be gathering dust with its' predecessor on my shelf.

Harry Potter And The Great Big Disappointment

I went to go watch Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince early this morning at the big theatre in town to beat the lunch-rush. Soda in hand and a darkening theatre filling in around me, I was bracing myself for what was going to be another dark, thrilling ride film from the Harry Potter franchise. But what I saw was not a tale of the Half-Blood Prince, but a big, fat disappointment. The first Harry Potter film to be rated PG since The Prisoner Of Azkaban, the reduced rating really did stick out like a sore thumb. Just when the film series had grown to its' darkest with The Order Of The Phoenix, the director pegs it back a notch to make for a more family-friendly movie which for those who have grown up with the characters, is a big let-down. If you are like me, a teen who has grown up with the books and early films and was enjoying the intuitive leaps the franchise was making in keeping up with the maturity of its' viewers, this film will disappoint.

From the opening frames, the film fails to capture its' audience. The first hour or so barely entertains, stringing together only the bare minimum of dialogue and plot to lay the foundation of the movie, jumping from one scene to the next with a furious pace and little cinematic joy. The second half of the film gets markedly better, although it consistently fails to keep up the dark themes from its' predecessors. Forget monsters and high action, The Half-Blood Prince focusses more on relationships, intrigue and churning the plot out before anything else. The acting of the leading three impresses, but some of the supporting actors disappoint and they only serve to water-down the maturity level further to a point where five year olds in the audience were laughing uncontrollably. 

As the lights rose in the theatre after nearly three hours of movie, a pebble of disappointment grew in my stomach. What I had just seen was a major step back in the Harry Potter franchise which will take some work to be undone. If the plot of The Half-Blood Prince did not end with a lot of loose ends, I'd probably be thinking twice about seeing the next installment. And now I hear they producers are splitting Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows into two parts, undoubtedly to milk the franchise for all it's worth. I really hope that the final Harry Potter films return to their original fan base, the now late-teenagers and early twenty year olds who have grown with Harry through the years, because The Half-Blood Prince has strayed so far from the sinister and dark film they deserve. Although I've heard some argue that The Order Of The Phoenix was worse than this latest installment, I think we can all agree that if the final films are anything short of a near R-16, or at least an M, the franchise will undoubtedly end in an anti-climax.

BioWare Shocker

Just as I was hoping to be playing BioShock 2: Sea Of Dreams long before Christmas, the game's makers BioWare have just announced that the game has been delayed until 2010. That's right, the return of Rapture is still a long way off and I am not pleased. BioWare also delayed the release of Max Payne 3 and others, to make for a dismal outlook at their press conference. It makes you wonder how this set back will affect other studio releases, such as Mass Effect 2.

But do not despair, I'll be bringing you more updates on BioShock 2 and other games which might tickle your fancy. Watch out for my next reviews on the upcoming releases of Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Dead Rising 2, Mass Effect 2 and anything else I can get my hands on.

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince

After a long absence from the big screen, Harry is back in what looks like another dark tale for wizarding fans. That's right, Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince is coming to theatres near you and from this trailer, it looks like the plot is coming to a head. I wouldn't know though since I stopped reading the books after they reached brick-size.

Videos For The Voyeur

I laughed so hard to this video. Crazy cats played to crazy music. Too funny.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

New Games To Watch For - The Return Of Rapture!

I was in town today and picked up a copy of the new Xbox 360 magazine. I usually don't read it, but I haven't seen a new game I've liked in quite a while now, and the ones I have bought have been promptly returned to the shop (you know who you are Gears Of War 2). While Prototype looks interesting, it's not one I'd spend over $100 for, so reading up on what will hopefully be an exciting gaming season ahead is the next best thing. Although I saw several upcoming games this year which I'll place my thoughts on, such as Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Mass Effect 2, there was one game which I could not wait another day to write about.

As you can tell from the title, the under water city of Rapture is making its' return back to the Xbox 360, PS3 and computer in the next installment of BioShock! The original BioShock was ground-breaking and easily one of the best titles of all time, but BioShock 2: Sea Of Dreams seems set to break the mold once again and bring yet another great game to the next generation. Set several years after the events in the first game, BioShock 2 takes place in a now crumbling Rapture. Same splicers and mayhem, but the big difference is that you now play as a Big Daddy. Of course this changes gameplay a tad - being stronger than splicers, battles will now need to include multiple enemies to make them challenging. However, the greatest threat in the game will come from a new enemy, the Big Sister, a mysterious, stealthy and devastating version of what could be called a girl Big Daddy.

My main concern is how the new take on Rapture is going to pan out; playing as a Big Daddy changes things a lot, and it might not be the best thing. If there's anything I pray for, it's that BioShock 2 does not suffer from the sequel curse. As long as the graphics are fresh, the play is new and the story has that old BioShock feel, then I'm pretty sure, we won't have to worry. I'll let the new gameplay video I've included talk for itself (after all, it is narrated by one of BioShock's game designers), but suffice to say I will be buying the next addition to the BioShock series almost as soon as it arrives in shops. If you haven't played the first game, go and do it now! Strangely, the graphics are still pretty nice despite the game now being a few years old, so you've got no excuse.

Happy 4th Of July!

To all those who celebrate 4th of July out there, enjoy a few holiday-themed contributions to this world of web we live in. And when I say contributions, I really mean people setting their asses on fire with sparklers.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Worms Come To Next-Gen!

Although the hugely popular, almost at a cult-status, video game Worms had debuted on the Xbox 360 a while ago, there is no doubt that with this latest installment just released on the console, that the worms have finally arrived with the response they deserve. Worms 2: Armageddon bring the little pink buggers back to the Xbox 360 with bigger weapons, better scenarios, cooler toys and landscapes, and more options than the previous game, which was, lets face it, a pretty empty ride. Unlike the previous game, Armageddon brings back old favourites like the Baseball Bat, Holy Hand Grenade, Concrete Donkey and the Super Sheep, along with more goodies such as Napalm Strikes and the Buffalo Of Lies.

A great new feature is the shop system, where players can buy new items, weapons, landscapes and features using credits won from the single player campaign. It adds the sense of reward which the last game lacked and really makes for addictive gaming. This, in addition with the return of Forts, new game modes and landscapes, will likely make this the best worms game for the Xbox 360 for years to come.

It is pretty obvious why Armageddon was released. With such a hit following like the one Worms endears, it was a mistake to release such a watered-down version as the first incarnation on the Xbox 360. This is a key example that, in conjunction with demand, fan pressure really can change the games which are released and what features they have. I expect to see similar initiative taken on games such as Gears Of War 3 or the next Call Of Duty game where fan reception was poor for the sequels. In the end, we are what drives the computer game industry and although just a small example, Worms 2: Armageddon shows that if we want more destruction, more insanity and more lil' pink dudes flying off into the depths of the ocean, then all we have to do is ask.

I Hate Computers

Well, what a fiasco! A call to several computer support help lines, a night spent until three in the morning experimenting on modems and routers, and what do I have to show for it? A couple of large bags under my eyes, probably there to catch my falling tears because it was all a waste of friggin time! But alas, I get ahead of myself - let's start from the beginning...

I use the Xbox 360. Well, saying that I'm more in-tune with my Xbox 360 than any other human counterpart would be more accurate, judging by the amount of time I waste on there. So imagine my disgust when I find my NAT type is set to Moderate! Yes people, I have no idea what it is, but it's apparently bad. There's all kinds of warnings popping up and blasting at me, so I call the Xbox 360 support line. If you're against racism, my following comments could be construed to be prejudiced, but believe me, some of my best friends are Asian! I mean, my Playstation 2 is made in Japan and I love that thing like a best friend if that counts!

Of course, I ring up and who do I get? An half Asian, half Indian hybrid with a Canadian accent. You cannot make this shit up. It's like taking the most annoying telemarketer and telling them to man the help desk for quantum mechanics. So suffice to say, all I understood from the conversation was that my NAT type needed to be set to Open (like my one was some kind of prude or something), and that I needed to type in a bunch of codes into somewhere. I look down at this paper with stuff like TCP and UDP and it explodes my mind. I don't know where to start, so where do I ask? A teenage friend of a friend online from Australia.

To tell the truth, he was far more helpful than any help desk. He was spewing gibberish out at me like he was the love child of Bill Gates and Stephen Hawking. Turns out I needed to find my IP address for my modem and use some port-forwarding crap to open up these ports to the Xbox 360 servers or something! Everything was going well until I went online and everything was fine. My experience with computers is that if everything is going well, you are about to get screwed. Sure enough I restart the modem. No errors pop up! Hooray! I test my connection again, to make sure. The errors begin again. Sigh. I test it again. Now it says it can't even connect to the internet, even though I can manually. Grumble.

I go back to the ports and I find they've all disappeared. Where did they go? I can't have some random portal flapping around in my cyber space can I? It might get together with some other portals and start some trouble and then I'd really be screwed. So I enter them in again. I restart the modem, and the same thing happens. Except now the Xbox 360's IP address has been swapped with the computer's! Then the cycle starts again, and ends up with the IP address swapping over several times, 4 hours wasted of my life, a still Moderate NAT type and my in a defeated state on the floor hugging my console.

Well, the friend said nothing bad should have happened, except that this route should have worked. The story of my life with computers: I have problem, problem happens on weekend when no help lines are open, problem nearly gets fixed, revenge of the problem, problem wins. I have decided on one thing however; I'm going to lure and capture a computer nerd and keep him as my own personal helper. It's the only way.

Videos For The Voyeur

This one is a guilty pleasure. Who can resist a teen throwing a tantrum and a remote up the anus?

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Bale Verse Depp

It's a question I often fight over with my mother - who is the best actor,  Christian Bale or Johnny Depp? I know there's several other contenders out there which people may consider, such as Daniel Craig or Brad Pitt, but let's face it, Bale and Depp are in a class of their own. Both can reel in the big scripts any time they want, have adoring fans and are both household names. Both Bale and Depp have acted in indie films and block-busters alike and we all know their acting range. But who exactly deserves the title of Best Actor - surely Johnny Depp secured it long ago, but is he about to be overthrown?

I think we all like Johnny Depp. He's a nice guy who stays out of trouble and is a great actor. But in my humble opinion, he's stuck in a rut. This love triangle between himself, Tim Burton and Helen Bonham Carter is not doing him any favours. Fans can only see the same zany plots, sets and characters re-tried so many times before one wonders why he doesn't branch out a bit. His consistent, self-imposed exile from the world of Hollywood only surfaces when he chooses Tim Burton fan films over the bigger scripts and if he ever wants to win that elusive Oscar, he needs to get smart and break free.

Christian Bale on the other hand has been a busy boy. Re-launching two film franchises and starring in both indie and big-hit movies in his short career shows his versatility and ability. After hitting a few duds in his early career with films like Equilibrium, he's learnt which films to take on and often triumphs. But does film choice alone make him the leader in this battle of the actors? With Johnny Depp taking on yet another Burton film in Alice, one begins to think so.

Enter Public Enemies. Pitting Bale verse Depp for the first time in a film will surely show which actor is the true king of film. One of the few non-Burton films Depp will have starred in for ages, it will give the public a unique insight into how the pair level off against each other. And if Public Enemies doesn't give the desired result, at least we'll get another chance to decide when Bale and Depp team up again for the next Batman film. But for me, as long as Bale continues to make sound script choices and Depp sticks to his safety zone with Tim Burton, Christian Bale will be the new king of film and will likely stay there for years to come.

Videos For The Voyeur

I have to try this one day...

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Terminator Salvation: Saviour Of The Franchise Or False Prophet?

A couple of hours to waste in town and nothing but the cinema open was bound to end in me inevitably buying a ticket for one to the new Terminator Salvation movie. The question on everyone's mind - will Christian Bale be able to relaunch yet another movie franchise? No one thought the Batman would be able to make a comeback after Batman And Robin, and yet The Dark Knight was born from its' ashes. Arnold Schwarzenegger's Terminators had become comedic and could be likened to flogging a dead horse for a tired plot. But Christian Bale is no Arnie. He's better.

Terminator Salvation makes Terminators scary again. No more catchy punch lines or puns; these Terminators give you a sense of terror which the first three films failed to capture. And it's not just the Terminators; despite retreading old ground, Salvation seems to capture the story in a new light, making us look upon the film as if with new eyes. Brilliant acting all round, with a powerful performance from Bale as John Connor, and Moon Bloodgood is exceptionally sexy in her role. Growl.

The film does its' best to re-boot the franchise, while still fazing out the old lore to make way for the new, much in the same way as Batman Begins. That super-confusing dynamic between John Connor and his time traveling father is simplified, and Arnie even makes an appearance as a CGI Terminator as a nod to the films passed, although I feel this was quite gimmicky and actually hindered the film in moving away from the old series. But overall, it provides a nice clean canvas on which to build upon.

I came away from the film knowing it was two hours well spent. Bale proves once again, despite his numerous faults, that he's on top of the acting world and the go-to man for action roles and franchise reboots. If he keeps making sound film choices, he may even de-crown Johnny Depp for the position of best actor. As for Terminator Salvation and the Terminator franchise? Well, Salvation turned out to be just what the doctor ordered - an intense roller-coaster of thrills, spills and great film making - so rest assured that the Terminator will return to a theatre near you.