'Fro Recommends: Spider-Man: Web of Shadows (2008)
Name:Spider-Man: Web of Shadows
Genre:Action-Adventure
Developer:Treyach/Shaba Games (PS3, 360, PC, Wii) Amaze Entertainment (PSP, PS2) Kriptonite Games (DS)
Publisher:Activision
Rating:T for Teen
Release Date:October 21st, 2008
Platforms:Playstation 3, Xbox 360, PC, Wii, Playstation 2, Playstation Portable, DS
Plot
Fans of the comic will be hard pressed to correlate this one with any of Marvel's timelines for the webslinger. The story takes place after Venom comes to the deadly realization that he can clone himself, in all his symbiotic glory, and thus begins a mass invasion of symbiotic lifeforms in Manhattan. Normal citizens are infected with the alien lifeform and transform into zombie-like creatures out for Spidey's spandex-wearing ass. S.H.I.E.L.D., the Marvel universe's international police force, puts New York under quarantine, and sends in multiple cross-over heroes into the fray to aid Spider-Man. Making matters worse is, at some point, all of them too succumb to viral symbiote, forcing Peter Parker into some presumably awesome boss battles against demonic versions of Wolverine and the Black Cat.
The emotional draw of the tale comes from Parker trying to combat the alien menace without falling into darkness himself. He regains his black spider-suit at the beginning of the events, and everytime he is forced to use it he is drawn further into the same dreaded state as the rest of the NY populace. The plot is usual Marvel fare, fantastically outrageous narrative arch with a central morality ploy, in this case the fight against evil leading to the confrontation of the evil in one's self.
Free-Roaming Goodness
These are the same peeps that doled out Spider-Man 2 and Ultimate Spider-Man, both games with amazing free-roaming capabilities for their generation. We can hope that they continue their streak with Web of Shadows, and by the looks we've gotten from trailers, we can at least expect some open-ending web-slinging. Treyach has confirmed that the player will have the choice on which villains to fight throughout the storyline, hopefully making the game have a chose-your-own-adventure feel as opposed to a half-of-the-storyline feel. The supposed multiple endings should help with that.
Gameplay
Nitpickers will be happy to know that Spider-Man can finally swim when he over-anticipates a jump and lands in the Hudson, instead of automatic death or a cutscene of him climbing out onto land. Most of the updates on Treyach's resume isn't all aesthetic though, players will have the ability to shift between both the Red/Blue and the Black Spidey-suit at will, each having their own combat style and combo mechanics. Spider-Man's black suit often leads to darker moral decisions being easier for the player to do, in addition to giving the player the ability to call in villains from the Spider-Man universe as help in combat as opposed to Marvel heroes. When serving up a steaming plate of pain in the Symbiote Spidey-Suit, expect a more grounded, destructive combat; while the traditional Spidey-attire is a much faster and agile beast. Agility will come into play dramatically when aerial combat is involved, the game's much toted original take on fights in the sky being one of the title's biggest drawing points.
As opposed to relying on webslinging momentum to kick/punch your opponent to death, players can change multiple attacks together, sending Spidey flipping about his enemies, using each moment of contact as a leaping off point, without ever needing to shoot a web. The result is, according to the developers, a sense of feeling like the actual super-hero while playing. If it's pulled off, Action games could see a definitive change in the way fighting is approached in general.
Versions
The majority of this article, as well as the game's press, has been towards the main versions of this game, the one developed by Treyach itself for the Playstation 3, Xbox 360, PC, and Wii versions. The Playstation and PSP version takes off half a dimension and shifts from an action-adventure free-roaming to a side-scroller with a bit of action-adventure mechanics thrown in. The DS version will be strictly 2-D, another side-scrolling adventure, this time focusing on brawler and platforming. According to the publisher, we can expect the same basic story from all versions of the game, but other details haven't been released as to all the differences between versions.
The main version of the game will have Black Cat and Wolverine exclusively, while the DS claims both the Green Goblin and X-Men's Nightcrawler to themselves. All versions feature the Black Widow, Electro, Kingpin, Luke Cage, Mary Jane Watson, Moon Knight, Rhino, Venom, and Vulture as NPC encounters.
- In an interview with Metromix New York, Chris Scholz, Studio Head of Shaba Games confirmed that the game exist[s] somewhere in-between the comic book world and the movie world, but doesn’t follow either storyline.
- John Carpenter's film, They Live was said to be a huge inspiration in the game's creation.
- Mike Vaughn, the voice of Spider-Man, has done work for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
- Tricia Heifer, the voice of the Black Cat, is famous for her role in Battlestar Galactica
Outro
This section will updated with reviews and other prevalent information when it becomes available.
This game is more than just a buy for Marvel fans, it's combat should draw all gamers in for its interesting take on aerial controls. If the story is as strong as it seems, it could also lead to more of the Marvel universe getting stand-alone titles with their morality-lined tales. Anyone that's a fan of kicking ass in spandex has no excuse not to have this game. That, and you can just pretend the symbiotes are zombies.
Hello and welcome to the first ever edition of....
Daffy Gives Tribute To...
You know, the super heroes of our age really have a lot of work cut out for them. They have to save the world, keep the streets safe for people they don't even know, keep their girlfriend/boyfriend happy, make sure their friends and family remain oblivious to the fact that they are superheroes, and maintain their secret identity in the real world. Not to mention keep their job, pay the bills, and everything else regular people also have to deal with.
Everybody loves Batman. Everybody loves Christopher Nolan too, because he gave back Bats his dignity. And everyone speculates who will be the next villain or villains in the next Batman movie. I have read two top ten lists in this blog section alone, so I think you will be interested in this article about an interview with none other than Alfred Pennyworth himself, whom I think we can assume knows what is going on with the movie. So check it out here, and best regards until my next review. But who cares about me? It's Batman Time, baby!
OK, I know that there's at least more than one of these already on the blogs, but as some will say there's no official sign up sheet, and even though I hate repetition in TGWTG.com's blogs I still feel like posting this as I feel mine offers a more opinion based list and less an excuse for discussion, and is more for parody than to be taken seriously.
When it comes to big blockbuster Batman movies, we couldn't give a damn about the caped crusader. Generally we assume it will be the same actor as the last movie or it's announced around the same time as the film, and in the end they always play the same character: A cocky millionaire whose voice suddenly and inexplicably becomes deepened when he dons a bat suit. As well as you can play that role, it honestly doesn't matter, because the show is always stolen by the polar opposite: The villains.
Think about it. In every Batman film, the film always revolves around the villain, one in particular. The original Tim Burton Batman? The Joker, played by Jack Nicholson. Batman Forever? The Riddler, played by Jim Carey. Batman and Robin? Mr. Freeze, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger (unfortunately). The Dark Knight? The Joker again, this time played by the late Heath Ledger. The exceptions would be Batman Returns, where the villain hold is more spread out, and Batman Begins, where it actually revolves around Batman, who'da thunk it?
OK, most important thing to get out of the way before I start the ranting. Alien Vs Predator is actually one of two franchises based on the concept of pitting 20th Century Fox's most famous intergalactic killing machines against each other. The other, is called Aliens Vs Predator. Now it may strike you as odd, but that ‘s' at the end of Aliens that is apparent and missing in each franchise is a huge symbol of commercial greed, fan disappointment and a long running and loved series tarnished.
Let me give you the basic difference between the series. Aliens vs. Predator was a series of comic books, novels and games that was believed to have originated from a prop in Predator 2, an alien skull that hung on the Predator's trophy case. The series began as a comic series simply titled: ‘Aliens Vs Predator'. The story involved a farming colony on the isolated planet of Ryushi, a planet which unfortunately is a traditional hunting ground for the alien race known as the Yaujta, the Predators, to hunt Xenomorphs, or aliens. The comic book series was popular, and from it spawned a novel adaptation, a wide range of action figures, seven sequel comics, and new cross-over comics, some of which pitted the Aliens, Predators or both against popular superheroes like Superman, Batman, Green Lantern and Judge Dread, others against other franchises such as The Terminator.
In light of the new Dark Knight movie, I decided to rank the top 10 best and worst super hero movies that I have seen. Keep in mind, there are plenty I have not seen, but out of the ones I have this is how they ranked. And feel free to tell me what your favorite and least favorite super hero movies are!
BEST SUPER HERO MOVIES 1) Spider-Man 2 - This movie represents the ultimate comic book film to me. And no, not just because I'm a Spidey fan. The action is thrilling, the story interesting, and the characters are well developed. While Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst aren't too special, Alfred Molina steals the show as the charming tragic villain Doc Ock. But what truly makes this movie enjoyable for me is that it's not non stop action. It gives the audience time to relax and throws some great gags their way. A story that is enjoyable for audiences of all ages.
2) Dark Knight - A wonderfully dark and complex story, with an amazing cast. But perhaps a bit too dark which limits it's audience. Still, this did not stop me from enjoying it. This movie keeps it's audience on edge the whole time with spectacular action and sinister characters. I was personally a little more drawn to the under hyped Two Face, who got very little commercial focus after the late Heath Ledger. Yes, Ledger was definitely exciting to watch, but don't ignore other great characters and actors. The only thing that separates this film from Spider-Man 2 is that there were no moments where the audience could relax and laugh.
3) Spider-Man - A great starting point. Like the sequel, the action was good, and had a nice sense of humor. The sequel definitely built on everything this film already had going for it. And a personal side note, the scene where the citizens of New York tell the Green Goblin "if you mess with Spidey, you mess with New York" is very touching.
4) Batman Returns - This is why I don't trust critics. Batman Returns was criticized for being "too dark", but Dark Knight is praised for it's dark and sinister characters. MAKE UP YOUR MIND PEOPLE! Anyways, until Dark Knight came out, this was my favorite Batman movie. I liked it because it was dark, and the villains were incredible. And it has Christopher freakin Walken in it! How can you not like that? The score for this movie is also one of my favorite by Danny Elfman. It's dark, but adds a nice heroic touch.
5) Batman Begins - Well, Joel Schumacher screwed up Batman. Think we can fix the series? No, so let's just restart it! Which was a brilliant idea! Christopher Nolan had a lot of balls when he did this movie. Not only did he dare to make a movie about a super hero that failed before, but he chose to use villains the are not well known, and took his time in showing how Bruce Wayne becomes Batman. And somehow, he pulled it all off. My complaint about the movie was the villains. It seems like Scarecrow is the main villain, but then he gets discarded and Rah's Ah Ghul comes in again during the last 20 minutes. If it didn't work for Venom, it won't work for Liam Neeson. But other than villains, the movie is able to hold up very well on it's own.
6) Iron Man - I was never a fan of Iron Man or Robert Downey Jr. until now. When I heard they were making a movie about Iron Man, I figured it would be a piece of crap thrown together to make some more money. I have never enjoyed being wrong more in my life. Iron Man is just plain fun. My only complaint is the last part of the movie. The end fight was very anti climactic, which is just a nasty little tease. But then Samuel L. Jackson shows up and saves the movie after the credits end. Seriously, that man is good in anything. Hopefully they will learn from their mistakes in the sequel and we can expect another great movie.
7) X-Men 2 - I was not a big fan of X-Men 1. It just seemed too cartoony for me. But this film had a very nice realistic touch that by far surpassed the last film. I particularly liked that Magneto and the X-Men joined forces. The action scenes were nothing amazing, but the story is over all enjoyable.
8) Batman - I'm gonna say this right now. Jack Nicholson may not be the best Joker, but nobody ever complained about it until Heath Ledger commercials showed up! I'm telling you, if you put Heath Ledger's Joker in this movie it would not work! Stop comparing the two! They were both fine for their time and separate movie! With that said, this movie is a great 80's action flick. Lots of explosions and guns and cool machines for Batman. It's certainly not the best of the Batman series, but not the worst. It was good for it's time.
9) Incredible Hulk - never really liked the Hulk too much. He's not exactly a super hero in my mind, just a big green disgruntled guy that we are supposed to root for. This movie is interesting and fun to watch, but mainly it gets my vote for Edward Norton who I think is an amazing actor. Blonsky was a pretty cool villain too (up until he became Abomination and was just like Hulk). The fighting was fun to watch, but in the end the Hulk just seemed to randomly get the upper hand. It just did not make a lot of sense to me, but was still entertaining.
10) Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer: I HATED the first movie. So I watched this one with the lowest expectations possible. And because of that, it actually seemed like a good movie. The characters were a bit more enjoyable this time and actually got along instead of always fighting with each other. Another reason I was a little more drawn to this movie is because Monsters 2 was filming when I watched it. A movie with 3 guys and 1 girl as super heroes hit home for me.
WORST SUPER HERO MOVIES 1) Spider-Man 3 - This movie single handedly managed to kill the franchise for me. They took everything good they had going for them and fucked it all up. The jokes were so over the top they weren't funny, the acting was terrible and stale, and the music was disgusting (that's what happens when you replace Danny Elfman). And the villains just were not interesting by any means. There was so much they could have done with the "black suit" but was never shown. There is no character progress except for Harry. In fact, the character lose progress. In Spider-Man 2, MJ and Peter are happy, but now their relationship has gone to shit. *Sigh* this movie had so much potential but it all failed. What really sucks is I assumed it would be so good, I bought tickets for two different days! I will constantly criticize this movie until Sam Raimi personally admits he wrong me and gives me my money back.
2) Batman and Robin - Bat nipples and bat asses. Need I say anymore? The plot is just ludicrous. Freeze the world? Are you serious? This movie series has ceased being dark and complex and instead has turned more colorful than a Las Vegas casino. Many often criticize Arnold Swarchenager's ice puns, but in my opinion that is the one and only thing this movie had going for it. It was so bad, at least it knew it could make fun of itself.
3) Batman Forever - Many say they actually like Batman Forever. When they do, I ask them why. "Uh, Jim Carrey was good". I would like to set the record straight. Jim Carrey was not good. Jim Carrey was Jim Carrey! He was over the top and manic, which would have worked for the 60's Riddler, but not the modern one who is much more collected. And second, you should not say a movie is good just based off of one actor. The villains sucked, the scenery sucked, and the story line was "eh" which I guess is a good thing. Not only that, but they totally ignored the last two movies. In Batman, we see Harvey Dent. Yes, he is black, but none the less that is the established Harvey Dent. But in this one we get Tommy Lee Jones, with a totally different story. Actually, we never even see his story really. He's just kinda there. The only real reason this movie is number 3 on my worst list is because they kept Elfman around to score the film.
4) Dare Devil - I don't remember much about this movie. All I know is I hated it. It was just Marvel's attempt to get some more success like they did with Spider-Man. End of story!
5) Hulk - This movie was interesting right up until the Hulk's 3 appearance. By then it was nothing but 30 minutes of the Hulk jumping and smashing military helicopters and tanks. There was no real villain in this story until the very end. And for some reason, they made the final fight (which was very short) so dark you can't even see anything. This movie makes me angry. And you wouldn't like me when I'm angry!
6) Fantastic 4 - Yet another film that is trying to cash in on the success of Spider-Man. The heroes only fought the villain for 5 minutes. During the other hour and 25 minutes, they fought with each other! And why is it that these 4 can cause a major accident and then make up for it and are considered heroes, where spider-man is constantly hounded by people for doing good things? The only good thing that came out of this movie is my cousins "Fantastic Four in a nut shell" and the song Noots by Sum 41.
7) Hellboy - another movie I don't remember much about except the fact I did not like it. Many say "Guillermo Del Torro does good movies" and think this would be amazing like his other stuff. Something I've learned about movies. Don't think every movie a director makes is going to be good or bad just because one is. Judge each movie independently. I think I was one of the few people that was not looking forward to Hell Boy 2.
8) X-Men Last Stand - This movie isn't necessarily bad, but it's not very good. It focuses pretty much on Wolverine and only him (like we have not got enough exposure of him from the last films). Almost any other character takes a major back seat, but we're still expected to connect with them. The end fight could have been seriously epic, but wasn't. And Magneto got taken out in a matter of seconds. I think the only part that lived up to the hype was the infamous line "IM THE JUGGERNAUT BITCH!"
9) Superman - I don't think this is really a very bad movie, I just personally did not enjoy it. I can't really explain it, it just was not my cup of tea. Maybe I would have loved it if I was around when it came out, but I didn't.
10) The Spirit - This one is personal! There is already a Spirit in a movie, and that's The Spirit in the Monsters trilogy! FUCK YOU OTHER SPIRIT! FUCK YOU!
Super Hero
