New look for the blog

When i logged in a little earlier i became aware that blogger had been updated with some nifty new features which i am really liking, the template designer has proven to be really useful as you can tell from the surroundings.
The main changes effecting the blog are the layout which now is allot more user friendly and is generally easier on the eye from the old dark theme which i was never that fond of, the side bar is updated and is now a little more informative and hopefully now will be more useful.
Other than those things are a few minor changes such as the new search function,  also the colour of the place has changed i wanted to make the place brighter and more colourful from the previous version. I'm trying to make this version have a more relaxed attitude about it and blending it all together so it all feels natural and fluid and so far i think it's working, I'm really liking the new look of the place and i hope any readers like it.

A quick note to, i am going to be setting a schedule for the blog updating so many times a week, for one to get some more posts up and so any followers and readers know when to expect some new entries so look out for that.

Resident Evil: Afterlife Impressions

Now the Resident Evil films have never been known for their strong narratives or being high quality films but as movies based upon games, in that league they are near the top purely because they run with the source material while also weaving its own separate story arc while delivering plenty of fan service in terms of characters and scenes from the games which it is based upon.
This 4th installment seems to be no different and based upon the trailer it genuinely looks interesting as it takes the previous storyline from the past three films, adding and blending it with the latest Resident Evil game. These aspects are most noticeable with the butcher character (7ft dude with the big axe) and the infected from RE 4/5. This touch freshens up the series adding a new aspect which we haven't seen onscreen before, now if this proves to be tacked on or a pivotal part of the film remains to be seen but overall it at least looks interesting.

Two points that i see are positives and a negative for the film. The first being the inclusion of Albert Wesker as main character, to me is a huge positive not just for fans but considering that the film makers are taking a heavy influence from RE 5 means we could see some similar actions scenes that we saw in RE 5 which I'm all for because those fight scenes with Wesker were some of the best I've seen in a game to date, i just hope they do it justice on the big screen and if they can bring that kind of action to the screen.

Now the negative. 3D. I am not one of those that are against 3D who are lining up with pitch forks at every 3D release, i just believe it should be used when it adds to the film and is done in a subtle manner immersing the audience with what is happening on screen. For film they seem to of gone in the opposite direction and down the cheesy route with shades being thrown towards the screen which don't get me wrong has its own charm but i feel if it is overused as if to remind the audience it is 3D then yes it could bring the film down.. Now to end this segment just to finish off 3D when promoting a movie having a selling point being that the cameras used for filming in 3D are the ones used for Avatar is kind of scrapping the barrel for ideas to promote the movies selling point.

The film seems to be a nice addition in the franchise and switches things up enough that i think fans of the previous film will enjoy it, i don't believe it will win anyone over but it looks to be one of on par with previous films and if not above that which we have already seen overall I'm looking forward to it.

You can judge for yourself here is the trailer Click Me

Do or Die Feeling

That is the kind of way i feel at the moment in regards to the kind of job i want to have, given the current finical situation of the country in general and being a graduate trying to get into the industry it really feels, hard to make progressive steps forwards into a job as it seems allot if of places are looking for established talent with a track record of experience.

Taking that into account i feel i have two options continue on this path or try something different in the form of taking the attitude 'ok I'm going to make this' and give it my all, its all down to trying to get rid of the frustration and to really make some leaps and bounds to where i want to be. Seems like i can wait for it to happen or go out and make it happen for myself.

Back to the Horror

I believe i mentioned it in a previous post that i took a break from working on the horror concept purely because my head wasn't into it and there were things having an influence upon it which were sending it in the wrong direction. Now with that is aside i have gone back to it with fresh eyes and it is allot clearer now i am re working the story changing some key aspects which hopefully will help it flow allot better that it previously did.
I'm still not a 100% certain what media context it will slot into yet i have ideas for some really unique gameplay but also have a desire to film some of it and the base format will be written so I'm a little mixed about it but i have no worries applying it to either one.

I like the direction is going it is something that to me feels very fresh and it plays upon some choices that i feel strongly about from and an artistic and a story perspective.

This will just be a short one but I'm gonna try to get back into the act of updating this more often.

Been away from this for a bit

So it been a little while since my last update, haven't been in the mood recently to post stuff up i was planning on covering some stuff over E3 but for whatever reason that just didn't happen. I guess looking back nothing sparked my interest over E3 there was motion control madness which ill speak about in a later blog but for now this is just going to be an update and a run down of whats happening here.

For this month I'm going to be putting up quite a few blogs some of it being updates to current work, thoughts on some games and ideas also some stuff in regards to the motion controllers being released later in the year.

With all that aside some personal stuff, I'm still looking for work which is still an up hill struggle still hoping to get a break soon saying that though I'm going to start doing some free lance stuff be it graphic design for a website and such, or writing a few articles for a web site or working on someones game to flesh out a story/gameplay. If your interested in me working on your site/game etc message me and ill get back to you asap, i am not charging for anything just using this to add some stuff to the old CV and portfolio while out of work.

Look out for the next blog soon.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution takes the spotlight

Ill admit that I've never played the original game it is something that I've never got around to playing for whatever reason. So seeing this i was going in fairly blind, going by some of what i had heard of the years.
Long story short i am hugely impressed in the direction they are going with this game from a pure story standpoint it looks incredibly epic seems more like a movie trailer than that of a game the voice acting seems superb and it has a real sense of connection to the characters and the world, its hard to put into words but this kind of things ticks all the boxes in my book.

From what is out on the market this just seems really refreshing to me, there is a sense of influence from the likes of Blade Runner in the aesthetics which I'm a fan of but they haven't copied but taken it and gone in their own direction with it.

Towards the gameplay not much is known, only that it will be a FPS/RPG I'm sure it will bring back update features from the original. I'm hoping come E3 some in game footage is shown to back up what they have shown in this trailer, to me in terms of story, going purely by the trailer it seems like the studio has something special on their hands.

If you want to check out the trailer i recommend going over to gametrailers to watch it in HD. Here's the link Deus EX, HD Trailer

Black Ops: Treyarchs Time To Shine

For many years the Call of Duty franchise has been held in the firm grasp of Infinity Ward, but with the recent implosion of the studio and key figures MIA the future of the franchise as a market leader is on rocky grounds or is it?

Treyarch could of been seen as Activisions backup, always there to put out a Call of Duty game in between the times when Infinity Ward were creating the next game or in recent years the next Modern Warfare installment.  Though maybe not intentionally Treyarch were always working in the shadow of Infinity Ward, with the studio now looking like a bare bones affair the juicy bit of steak is gone its come the time when Treyarch can step out from the shadows and become something more than what they currently are or what they are perceived to be, Black Ops is a great opportunity for themselves to set their mark in the aftermath of the self destruction of Infinity Ward taking the helm and driving the series forward in their own direction.

This is only greater cemented by Activision recently announcing that Treyarch will be strictly Call of Duty from now on which in my eyes means they are stepping in the shoes as the main Call of Duty developer at Activision, what this means for the rest of Infinity Ward is uncertain at this point.

From gamers and the press allot of love was given to Infinity Wards outings, though Treyarchs efforts were good games in there own right they were not received on the same level, this has kind of changed from the build up to Modern Warfare 2 and post release, to the bad press for abandoning PC gamers with the lack of dedicated servers and post release criticism from players concerning the multiplayer aspect of Modern Warfare 2. It leaves allot of disheartened people which if Treyarch play their cards right can come out smelling of roses if they warm up to these players bringing them over to their side, it sets a foothold for them to build on in the future and if they go in their own direction much like how Modern Warfare was for Infinity Ward.

We wont find out what will happen come November but it will be a good impression how Activision handles the buildup and also how the game is received by the press but until then we will have to wait and see, but i wish Treyarch all the best in their efforts to be the top dog.

Backbreaker Demo Impressions

Backbreaker is the new game from the people over at 505 Games working with the Euphoria physics engine by Natural Motion it strives to redefine the American football genre which for many years has had only one real contender in the mix which has been the long running Madden series.

I was interested in the demo as I have had an interest in some of the previous Madden games and the NFL in general, and with the touted new gameplay on offer and Euphoria it was worth trying out and from the short time playing the game i am shockingly
surprised at what they have produced the core gameplay is terrific.

The demo includes the standard exhibition which allows you to play one half of a game, a training mode which is essential to get the most out of the game without it the game can feel a little overwhelming on a first impression.
A nice little feature they added is a tackle alley mode which has you running from one end of the field to the other dodging your way through an ever increasing variety of defenders, it plays like an arcade game in principal with a set number of lives and a scoring system which rewards you for dodging consecutive tackles and also taunting, the mode includes a massive 100 different challenges though the demo is limited to i believe 5 in total.

For me the best way to describe the game is that this is the Skate of the American Football genre because it uses a similar control mechanics to interact with the game this coming from the unique use of the analog controls.
The controls essentially work as follows, for passing pushing back on the right stick then pushing forward will vary the strength of the pass another option is a quick pass which is simply flicking on the right stick forwards. With the running game the right stick can be flicked left and right to make quick dodge or a half circle motion to perform a spin, both of these are very intuitive and certainly beats pressing a button it makes you feel more involved in the game and when you succeed in a certain situations be a it a first down or a late touchdown it is because of your skill you pulled it off and less down to chance, it feels very rewarding.

The game has a fresh feeling much like what Skate was to the long running Tony Hawk series, it has sort of an anything can happen vibe, and well just feels more alive and intuitive when your making a crunching tackle or a long pass when your the quarter back, overall it feels and looks amazing. Making a long run from a pass running down the wing with defenders trying to take you down left and right and finally making a dive to get the touchdown its very much down to you and your skill if you succeed. If you mess up it does not feel cheap in anyway and makes you change up your game and the way you may approach the same situation a second time overall the more you play you will learn to play better to overcome obstacles.

Simply put its just a fun game to play, i can see this being a great game to play with a few mates or online the only downside is the lack of licensed teams but seeing as I'm not a loyal NFL fan which wont effect me too much but some NFL fans may be iffy about picking it up given the option of Madden later in the year.
I would recommend this to any sports fan who likes gaming its a fun rewarding game and personally i cant wait for the full release later this month.

The demo is currently up on Xbox Live and i believe should be on PSN now so go and check it out.