Home Blog Page 5987

Rainbow Six: Shadow Vanguard HD – iPad Review

Dustin Spencer
-
0
Rainbow Six: Shadow Vanguard HD – iPad Review

Game Name: Rainbow Six: Shadow Vanguard HD
Platform(s): iPad (reviewed), iPhone
Publisher(s): Ubisoft
Developer(s): Gameloft
Genre(s): Strategy/Shooter
Release Date: July 14, 2011
Price: $6.99 Buy Now!

Since originally releasing earlier this year for the iPhone, Gameloft’s Rainbow Six: Shadow Vanguard has been rather successful for the platform due to the way the game handled multiple commands on the touchscreen. As you would guess, having a property such as Rainbow Six on such a small device is a stretch, but Shadow Vanguard somehow pulled off this task with ease on the iPhone and set a bar for future contenders in the market. Fast forward just a few months, and we now have a brand new version of the tactical shooter out on the iPad, boasting HD visuals with the same gameplay that made the title a hit, and now with a much larger screen to make your thumbs even happier. So how does this Rainbow Six title actually handle on the device? Here is my review for Rainbow Six: Shadow Vanguard HD for the iPad.

Story
As with most Rainbow Six titles, the main story in Shadow Vanguard revolves around leading a squad to defeat a terrorist organization. It’s not to deep, but the game’s small cutscenes do a decent enough job at making these tasks feel important, so this plot is pretty easy to follow due to the simplicity. One thing about the story I would have liked to see more of was a bit more background on the main character I was playing as. Not having that depth lead to everything feeling rather generic character wise, but thankfully this genre is more about the gameplay than some elaborate story, so most fans of shooters shouldn’t feel too unfulfilled in the long run.

I always have felt the iPad is more of a pick up and play platform, and I can easily say that Shadow Vanguard’s lightweight plot fared well for this game as you can just jump right back in and not have to worry about the details you left behind during the last play session.

Gameplay
If you have ever played a title in the Rainbow Six franchise, you should feel right at home here. Instead of using the run-n-gun method of gameplay one would expect from a shooter, everything is much more tactical where you must think before you act. Doing otherwise will lead to a lot of game over screens and frustration. That is the main charm of Shadow Vanguard though, as this style fits well with the iPad, where nearly all of the strategy can be thought out and easily executed with the touch screen commands.

There are 11 missions to go through within the game, where the player takes their squad through different areas, planning out a strategy before attacking foes. Players control the main character with the touch stick, and pull the camera on the right side of the device to turn and look up and down. The active weapon is located in the upper right-hand corner, and the player can quickly switch between guns with the slide of a finger. While this mapping of controls certainly works well, extra commands appear at times to allow control for your squad members. For instance, you can have both members stand on each side of a door or behind cover and issue an attack based on the command selection given.

This cover-based combat is the main gameplay style that Shadow Vanguard utilizes throughout, as players can duck behind pillars, boxes, and any area where a green marker is shown. Team members can also be assigned to these points, but sadly, this system also takes away a bit of freedom as the player must only take cover at the pre-determined points. Thankfully, each stage provides missions that each have a different feel, adding in a bit variation, so you never feel too much repetition in this formula.

One of the most useful tools in the player’s arsenal consists of the snake cam, which allows for you to get a sneak peak at the next room. While in this mode, any foes can be marked with a simple touch behind the safety of a door or barrier, allowing for your team to make quick work of their targets. Enemies behind doors can also be stunned with a flashbang or blinded with a smoke grenade, giving your squad the upper edge as they burst into the room.

As the game progresses, XP is rewarded and as a result, new ranks can be earned that give perks such as new weapons, gadgets, and upgrades. None of these change the feel of the general gameplay too much, but they can result in better accuracy (such the red dot sight) and add in bit more strategy overall. The game rewards the player for performing these missions well, so head shots and speed are just as important as the element of teamwork.

While the gameplay is pretty top notch in this title, my biggest gripe comes with the game’s AI. Your squad-mates are not too proactive through the campaign unless you actually tell them what to do. Sometimes a team member will actually go after a terrorist on their own, but most of the time I would look behind me to see both of my squad members turned around, staring at the nearest wall. I guess you could also say that the enemy AI balances this, as many times the terrorists would just stand there as I busted through a door, begging to be shot in the head. With such sharp and tactical gameplay, I would have liked to have seen more of a challenge in Shadow Vanguard, as it was rare to see competence from any of the NPCs or enemies on the map.

Multiplayer
Found within Rainbow Six: Shadow Vanguard is a well designed multiplayer, allowing for co-op with up to two extra players, or a competitive online mode where you can do battle with up to ten competitors in 5 different maps. I really enjoyed the competitive mode, as the gameplay actually got a chance to shine with the much smarter human opponents. I also encountered very little lag or slowdown over wi-fi, which is a rarity for any online iPad game. I can say that the opponents online seem to treat the Deathmatch as a run-n-gun experience, rather than a game of stealth, but I was still quite impressed with the way the game handled itself online on the device.

Graphics/Audio
While the visuals in Shadow Vanguard are not going to hold a candle to their console and PC brethren, I must say I was very pleased to see the level of polish that went into the models and environments for this mobile offering. Animations are fluent and each character’s attire has been nicely detailed to look as realistic as possible. Environments are also beautifully designed, with blown up vehicles and tattered buildings providing a fitting atmosphere that the player can lead their team through.

The music in the game wasn’t too noticeable, but the high level of voicework stood out with the cast giving decent performances to pull of the characters they portrayed. Minor touches such as the sounds of grenades blowing up and a silenced gun shooting a bullet truly put the player right in the action and tied in with the visual presentation nicely to provide one of the more realistic shooter experiences in the iPad’s gaming library.

Overall
Rainbow Six: Shadow Vanguard is a perfect on-the-go experience for fans of shooters and utilizes the iPad well to pull off it’s clever control mechanics. The AI does hold the game back from providing much of a challenge, but I still felt the game was fun throughout due to the high levels of production and the strategy that was needed to succeed in the single player campaign. The multiplayer found within was also memorable as it took all of the best elements from the standard game and let them shine with human opponents. While it is by no means flawless, for only $7, Shadow Vanguard delivers a well crafted formula that fits nicely with the iPad’s touch screen controls and proves that there is room for more hardcore titles on the device.

I Give Rainbow Six: Shadow Vanguard HD for the iPad:
7-5-capsules-out-of-10

Howl Review

Kelly Teng
-
0

Genre: Arthouse/Experimental/Drama/Biopic
 Director: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman
Featuring: James Franco, Jon Hamm, David Strathairn
Running Time: 81 minutes
Available for purchase at: Madman Online Store ($34.95)

Overview

Sometimes, a film requires a monstrous attention span, a plethora of concentration, and multiple viewings in order to understand it in its entirety. Allen Ginsberg’s poem, Howl, is one that requires several re-readings to fully comprehend, and Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman seem to have successfully translated this onto the screen.

The film Howl is one part life story, one part flashback, and one part courtroom drama. While together, they perhaps do not project the most accurate or cohesive reflects of Ginsberg’s life, there is still a degree of arthouse charm that lives within the film and gives us what can certainly be called a unique experience.

Plot

The film is separated into three different and key sections: Ginsberg’s reciting of the poem, Ginsberg reflecting upon his younger self and his inspiration to write Howl (accompanied by flashbacks to said self), and the court case that sparked from the poem. For those who don’t know the history behind the poem, here’s a brief run-down: Ginsberg’s poem, Howl, was published in 1956 as a part of the Beat generation of poets. Upon the release, the publisher was charged with disseminating obscene literature, and went to court.

The court scenes in the film were relatively weak.

The film is similar to many other contemporary films, in the respect that the narrative can be confusing to follow. The voice-over of the poem is interspersed throughout the film in its respective four parts – with each part correlating to a related flashback or court scene -, whereas Ginsberg’s reflection on his younger self is told in an interview with an unknown person. It does require a few viewings to fully comprehend as it is a complex film, but the shifting from one narrative point to another was a unique and layered experience.

While the film is more like a maze than a straight road, the narrative style really works well. The poem adds a great strength to the story, and when it is told in correlation to Ginsberg’s life story it really layers the narrative and adds a deeper level of understanding to the entire film. With that being said, however, Howl was actually let down by its courtroom scenes where the validity of the poem was being discussed. The rest of the film had a certain tone of uplift and nostalgia; the courtroom had clichés, weak dialogue by the prosecution lawyer (who really made it seem like there was no case), and just didn’t fit in with the experimental aspects of the narrative.

Characters

Within the film, there are several characters which come and go as secondary ones (the lawyers, and people involved in Ginsberg’s life), but Ginsberg (James Franco) is the central figure. Franco does a superb job at capturing Ginsberg’s voice and his idiosyncrasies, and although his character was explored in more depth as I would have liked it – thank you again, poorly constructed courtroom scenes – there was enough in there to satisfy most viewers. Ginsberg’s younger self and his present self were contrasted well: his younger self housed all the traits of a man who was at a crossroads with his sexuality, writing, and discovery of self, while the present Ginsberg shows a mature writer who stands by his work – and his past.

Ginsberg recites his famous poem.

The other characters are only briefly introduced, and are really only a fleeting image designed to take the film away from its monologue roots. However, in these brief performances none of the actors really showed how much they can shine – not even Jon Hamm, who played the defendant’s lawyer Jake Ehrlich. With very little character development and a poorly written script for all aspects which didn’t directly involve Ginsberg, it was hard to have any break from the central focus of Franco’s character.

Audio/Visual

As Howl is an experimental film, the visual elements are to be commended as unique and wonderful – although it is a question of whether or not they fully fit in with the rest of the film. Flashbacks to Ginsberg’s younger self are shown in black and white; the interview with him has a blue-green filter, the court scenes are saturated in yellows; meanwhile, when Ginsberg is reading his poem the film will often show an animated segment which puts images to the words.

Doesn’t Franco look lovely here as a young Ginsberg?

The animated segments are perhaps the most interesting, and make the poem come alive. Ranging from 3D rendering to images which look like they have been plucked from a Monet painting, Howl truly plays with the use of the voice and animation to break up the figures in the film. This experiment is bold, but – when combined with every other visual element in the film – can become overwhelming. While it was a good move in part to visualise the poem, Epstein and Friedman may have thrown too much in there for audiences this time.

In terms of the audio elements, the number one aspect I need to comment on is Franco’s voice. He nailed Allen Ginsberg’s tone and his inflections, and although it may sound odd to some, the voice contributed to his convincing portrayal of the poet. The soundtrack of the film also did its job well; the backing music with the animated scenes worked in enhancing the emotions of the poem.

DVD Extras

The DVD is jam-packed full of extras: audio commentary with Epstein, Friedman, and Franco, a “making of” segment, and two shorts titled “Ginsberg reads Howl” and “Franco reads Howl”. If there’s nothing else to say, it definitely made me feel like the DVD was value for money.

The audio commentary was probably, to me, the most intriguing part as it gives insight not only to what the directors’ intentions were, but also allows us as an audience into the mind of James Franco. As I mentioned earlier, the film is quite complex to grasp in its entirety to begin with, so re-watching it with commentary really helps.

Aside from the commentary, the “making of” was interesting to have but not really necessary for me (I was exhausted after the film finished for a second time, anyway). “Ginsberg reads Howl” is also a good reference point as a comparison to Franco’s rendition, and really reflects how Franco managed to capture much of Allen Ginsberg’s tendencies in speech.

Final Comments

Howl is a film which truly does experiment with many aspects of film; however, in experimenting Epstein and Friedman seem to have taken it too far and created a film that is often disjointed and weak structurally. While watching the film is a unique experience and requires a bit of mulling over in order to get the full picture, I’d have to say I’m quite certain that Howl, the film, is not going to be remembered in history like its namesake poem was.

I give Howl

7-0-capsules-out-of-10

Madman: Father’s Day 2011 Gift Ideas

Kelly Teng
-
0

Let’s be honest: finding gifts is always a mission, and shopping for a father is even more difficult. However, if you’re looking for an easy solution, you can’t go wrong with DVDs. Madman have put together a list of DVDs that fathers will love, and we here at Capsule have added our own (which I have personally reviewed!) so you have a perfect list to choose from when choosing gifts for the old man.

Dad – The Complete First Series

Surely your dad can’t be as painful as Brian Hook? Join U.K. comedy icon, George Cole (MINDER) and Kevin McNally in the misadventures of an annoying, overbearing father and his put upon son. DAD makes its worldwide debut on DVD in Australia!

Read more and order here: Madman Official Site ($24.95)

Fish

Okay. Obvious gift number one! MY KITCHEN RULES host Peter Evans and his best mate take to the iconic coastlines around Australia for a fishing adventure full of inspiration and information. It’ll be sure to have dad frothing at the mouth in anticipation of his next weekend away with the lads.

Read more and order here: Madman Official Site ($24.95)

Carlos the Jackal

Dad will well remember ‘the man who hijacked the world’. This explosive new epic, starring Edgar Ramirez, chronicles the life of the globe-spanning activities of world’s most notorious terrorist, Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, aka CARLOS THE JACKAL.

Read more and order here: Madman Official Site ($29.95)

The Lady Vanishes (Director’s Suite Edition)

Dad loves the mystery and thriller films, and what guy doesn’t love Alfred Hitchcock? In this British 1938 film, Hitchcock gives us a great dose of comedy and mystery all in one, plus a bunch of special features to last for hours after the film finishes.

Check out our review here: The Lady Vanishes (Director’s Suit Edition) Review

Winter in Wartime

Fathers also love war films, and here’s one with a difference. This visually stunning film is set in Holland during World War II, and follows the life of Michiel, a 14-year-old boy, and his family during the Nazi occupation.

Check out our review here: Winter in Wartime Review

NHL ’12 videos slide in and show us new features

J. Bradshaw
-
0

EA may have fallen down on the court when it comes to basketball, but their other sports games are skating along just fine. While hockey may not be the most popular sport to watch in the USA or Australia, it certainly is always fun to play. Of course, the best way to play hockey is while your sittin’ in a Lazy Boy.  Today, Electronic Arts released two new videos for the upcoming game, NHL ’12.

The first video tells us how goalies have been improved, while the third video discusses balance control.  The second video shows how the AI functions and it was released a little bit earlier this month.  Watch them all (or not) and then comment and tell us which video you thought was the best.

 

[pro-player]http://www.youtube.com/user/EASPORTS#p/u/6/E2Sx1591REc[/pro-player]
[pro-player]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0FpT4T5muw[/pro-player]

Get your name in Soul Calibur V

J. Bradshaw
-
0

Would you like to have a chance to have your persona immortalized in video game form?  Namco Bandai is offering you that chance in Soul Calibur V.  Draw your mouse and keyboard, fight your way to the following, link and enter your name and favorite weapon to be chosen as an enemy CPU that will be available to fight against when the game launches next year.

Soul Calibur V is set 17 years after the events in SOULCALIBUR IV, and it has new warriors and returning legends.

It tells the tale of “Patroklos Alexandra, son of Sophitia Alexandra,” as his “his family’s destiny intertwines with the Soul swords.”

Soul Calibur V includes several new features like: “revolutionary 8-way run, allowing for true 3D movement during matches, a refined battle system, and stunning graphics.”

Red Dead Redemption Myths and Mavericks DLC announced

Travis Bruno
-
4

You can’t keep a good man down, especially if he is a cowboy. Rockstar had recently teased that they would be releasing a new DLC package for Red Dead Redemption and today they have detailed what that package is and what it will be called. Titled the “Myths and Mavericks” package, it will cost players nothing to download as it will be entirely free to download.

The package will add in “fan favorite” character skins such as Landon Ricketts above and new battlegrounds to Deathmatch, Gang, Grab the Bag and “other popular online modes.” The package will be ready some time for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 sometime in September, and I’m sure we’ll learn much more about who will be added with this content between now and then.

Red Faction franchise not continuing “in any meaningful way”

Travis Bruno
-
1

If you were hoping that the last Red Faction title would have been redeemed by a new, actually enjoyable title then you are sadly mistaken. THQ CEO Brian Farrell discussed the franchise during an investor call today and unfortunately, he sees that the franchise is not worth continuing in any form found Joystiq.

He exactly said that “Given that that title, now in two successive versions, has just found a niche, we do not intend to carry forward with that franchise in any meaningful way.” This news is a little bit of a surprise due to the fact that the series even had a SyFy original movie named Red Faction: Origins. This news is certainly disheartening for fans, though after seeing the Red Faction series devolve from a unique series with a unique mechanic into a cookie-cutter third person shooter was already sad.

Humble Indie Bundle 3 breaks $500k in under a day

Travis Bruno
-
1

When presented with a pay what you want offer, a lot of people may just put in a $1 payment and call it enough. However that obviously isn’t the case considering the amount of sales and money made by the current Humble Indie Bundle. This third iteration of the package has broken the $500,000 mark in only seventeen hours since launch and this was only with 105,000 sales at that time.

Gamasutra was the first to notice this landmark in sales and it is very impressive. There is still two weeks left to buy the bundle and this early outpouring of support is certainly a sight to behold. At its current mark at time off writing, the average payment for the five game package is $4.77. You can buy the bundle yourself here if you haven’t already.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution gets the gold seal

Travis Bruno
-
1

If you were worried that Deus Ex: Human Revolution may suffer another delay then you don’t have to worry any longer. With a little under a month left to go until the title is released in North America Deus Ex: Human Revolution has gone gold and is ready to be on your local store shelves on August 23rd.

This news comes from Square Enix themselves and the general manager of Eidos-Montreal, Stephane D’Astous had the following to say about the title’s gold status and being their first title. “We couldn’t be more excited that Deus Ex: Human Revolution has gone gold and will soon be in the hands of expectant gamers. As the first release for Eidos-Montreal, it’s impossible to express how extremely proud we are of the final product and all of the hard work that went into its creation.”

When it is released Deus Ex: Human Revolution will be available on the PlayStation 3, PC a the Xbox 360. With many different approaches to gameplay, amazing looking visuals and an impressive storyline following Adam Jensen, it seems Eidos-Montreal’s first title may just be a hit.

Kung Fu High Impact announced for Xbox 360 Kinect

Travis Bruno
-
1

The Kinect has been getting a relatively small stream of games released for it over the past few months, though a number of these have been mini-game collections. What about a game that really puts you into the experience and allows you to beat up jerks on the street? Well a company known as Virtual Air Guitar has a game for you, or will soon as they have announced a beat’em up title named Kung Fu High Impact on the Xbox 360.

The game will use the Kinect sensor to put the players image into the game and then allow them to beat up the thugs on the screen through punches and kicks. Something PS3 owners may notice is that the title looks similar to Kung Fu Live, which it is. The only difference is the Kung Fu Live used the PlayStation Eye and didn’t work very well, while hopefully the Kinect will work better. No news w given as to whether or not this game will be arcade or retail as of yet.

1...5,9865,9875,988...6,727Page 5,987 of 6,727