Alien Swarm Is a Free to play game available to everyone now on the Steam platform for PC, Its a top-down-4-player-coop-action-shooter and offers a campaign with a variety of missions for you and your friends to run through.
One of the more common aliens you will encounter, The Drone
Borrowing heavily from Sci-fi alien films such as well, Aliens it has a good tense atmosphere and can deliver some pretty pulse pumping moments whether its the unsettling noise of the Motion tracker (ripped straight from the colonel marines) or being surrounded by the aliens and mashing the rightclick button to riflesmash your way out of there .
It also includes character progression, levels gained through killing monsters and completing missions as well as unlocking new more effective firepower, items and powerups to help you succeed in your fight against the swarm and its plethora of nasties ranging from the common drone to things much nastier.
Take a look at the gameplay and watch me and Leest attempt the first level.
Overall I enjoyed the time we spent playing it and cant wait to pick it back up and complete the main storyline. Although the number of missions do bother me with asofyet only having the main campaign comprise of about 8 levels. Heres hoping the community modding and tinkering could heed more suprises for this little free gem of a game. So to conclude.....
....TRY IT OUT NOW WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE?, GO SHOOT STUFF!
I've recently been gifted the latest instalment in the famous n00bshooter Counter-strike, Having only played a few rounds I thought I would give my initial thoughts and feelings and also present you guys with a little video of what its like.
Although that may be the problem, if any of you have actually played a counterstrike game you will be right at home here. Why you ask?
It's pretty much the SAME GAME it's always been, and this isn't necessarily a criticism but so far I have been able to find one new game mechanic, apart from a small tazer zappy gun that now replaces knife rounds. (Don't taze me BRO).
Wait a minute...
Now this isn't me saying I don't like it, but I think me and a host of other fans were looking for something a little more modern, perhaps some new maps and some game play or animation refinements rather then just a few tweaks to the visuals and some guns like the Bizon. We still have the same old stiff hands while holding your weapon and the hostages still stand around like lemmings when the person leading them to safety dies.
"Hey, we'll you slow down and possibly get caught behind a corner or sumthin', LETS GO"
Anyways, enough babbling check it out for yourselves and watch me suck really quite hard.
So to close out, I feel that overall this isn't offensive to what came before In fact it almost seems that It's too afraid to change from what they know already works. There was a lot of potential for making this game a blockbuster, one to burn out the fire of respawn
happy games like Call of Duty and Battlefield but at the moment its
more of a homage and graphical update to the game they made in 2004.
Here's looking to the updates to give us veterans (even if they do suck at it right now) a new map or mode that isnt Gungame.
2013, Its time for Superman to return (again) to the big screen for first time since Brandon Routh tried to don the cape and act like he was Christopher Reeves.
So far we only have two teaser trailers to whet our appetites both showing the same footage, but narrated by either Jor-El (Superman's daddy, played by Russell Crowe) and Johnathon Kent (played by another man in tights, Kevin Costner).
"It ain't easy bein' bluuee"
For me, these look like what I've always wanted to see in a Superman movie and something the comics hit on regularly, that semi-tragic tale of an orphan boy raised on a planet that is not his own, the yellow sun of earth gifting him these powers, the powers to save the world. The responsibility heaped upon him to be the hero the people need, to prevent disasters no mortal man could handle and be that beacon of hope for Truth, Justice and peace.
He has to accept he is the man to change the world, but will it be for the better, or for worse.
If these teaser trailers are letting us in on the tone of this film I say its a step in the right direction for making people understand that being the Big Blue Boyscout is harder then a lot of other people think.
This was the aspect I loved about superman comics growing up the demons and weight of his decisions bearing down on him as the world looks to him for inspiration...hope. Comics like Kingdom Come and Mark Millars' Red Son explore this to a degree but a film about the journey of Kal-El and his alter ego Clark as he tries to become the shield he so proudly wears on his chest, leaves me hanging on to believe that this could be the Superman Returns, that Superman Returns was not.
Be the man, you were born to be.
He may be able to withstand an atom bomb, fly around in outer space, lift cars and punch mountains apart, but he still feels. He can't be
everywhere he isn't a god and doesn't want to be viewed that way. He
can get sad, he can get scared, he can feel washed up no use and feel
like its better if maybe he just stayed out of everything, run away,
hide and let Mankind decide their own path.
If they hit even close to the mark on any of these, this should be a fantastic superhero film and in my opinion could be one of the best.
So please Zach Snyder and Christopher Nolan, Let him be the hero we've all been waiting for.
The original movie (TRON 1982) was shown to me a ripe age that I cannot remember, but it was back when Yo-Yos were awesome and no one had even heard of the Poke'mon, It like my other favourite sci-fi series' did its job of embedding its story, characters and most importantly imagery into the back of my retinas for all eternity. I am often found referring to this when it comes to "Classic" sci-fi and is one movie that I will fight to the death to argue its place among the cinema elite.
DIGITIZING
Tron was the story of a computer programmer Flynn (back when being a computer programmer meant you were cool and hip not introvert and living in your mothers basement) who through trying to hack into the ENCOM computer system is zapped into a digital world by a digitizing laser. (SCIENCE!)
This was back in the 80's when people didn't really know how a computer worked so seeing this physical representation of what perhaps went on inside a computer was fascinating and not as silly back then as we look upon it today with our broader knowledge of digital technology, and by god did it seem plausible to me at the time.
Once inside he is thrust into a host of gladiatorial battles which made up some of the most memorable scenes from the Disk battles, Light Cycle races to tank and airship battles. He eventually meets a security program Tron (Bruce Boxleitner) who vows to help Flynn to escape the grid and on the way destroy the MASTER CONTROL PROGRAM who has taken control of the grid and all its inhabitants and now even threatens the outside world.
It was new, bright, colourful, fun and engaging everything any computer fascinated child could ask for, a computer based world with fantastical constructions and landscapes that simply cannot exist but really gave the feel of this computer coded land.
Yori, Flynn and Tron, our protagonists!
It's was a story with many simple yet effective story and plot points such as the the MASTER CONTROL PROGRAM the ruling piece of software was waging war against any program who still believed in the users (the people who created this world, deity's). Tron the loyal security program who once again has a purpose (that of protecting Flynn) and the love interest of Yori. It was a classic adventure and one that seemed fresh through the frankly inspired design of everything, from the suits to the ships to the light cycles. This film oozed style and substance for anyone willing to ignore its few niggles.
And then.... HOLLYWOOD....
I don't know what it is but whatever I love is often later changed into a horrific glaring mess of shots and cheap dialogue that would make Arnold Schwarzenegger cringe. .....*SPOILERS*
So logically, TRON: Legacy was always lurking somewhere in the shadows. But I wasn't instantly against the idea, no when I first saw the announcement of a new Tron film I was literally back flipping around my room and hyping myself up for what surely would be the best sci-fi since Moon. Tron was back baby! and who would be with him? oh you know...just DAFT PUNK composing the soundtrack.
You hadn't seen a fanboy this ready to be blown away I gleefully followed all the press and news for this film eagerly awaiting the second coming of TRON, But what did I get?
LAZINESS. Nothing but disrespect for fans and the use of ICONIC imagery butchered to lure in new viewers to sell tickets rather than advance the plot of the first film. JUST A CASH IN.
The plot is that Flynn after defeating the MASTER CONTROL PROGRAM goes back to the real world, only to disappear 7 years later. Much after that we are introduced to Sam, Flynn's son and the new protagonist of the film, as he commits industrial espionage on the company ENCOM (of which he owns due to his fathers absence) by uploading their latest operating system onto the interwebs (oh noes) and then proceeding to base jump from the top of the ENCOM building. ( this is to establish that Sam is EXTREME!)
"I SUCCCCCCCCCCK"
Later Bruce Boxleitner as Alex comes to Sam and tells him of a message he has received supposedly from Flynn which originates from the arcade (Flynn owned an arcade in the first film) and asks him to check it out.
So we go to Flynn's arcade as we see the set from the first film and the audience wishes thats what they were watching that film as Sam instantly finds Flynn's secret door to his lab of SCIENCE! and sits down at his computer where he instantly hits the "Digitize self" button and is sent into the grid.
He is picked up by a Recogniser and is immediately sent into the gladiatorial battles Ala the first film. Now where this differs is that Sam is INSTANTLY amazing at these games, he takes one look at the disc fights and his Jock training kicks in "fuck yah" he thinks to himself and instantly derezzes (kills) about 4 guys kung-fu flipping all the way. And there is no explanation for Sam's skill in these games and even fights later as he back flips and pummels his way through the denizens of the grid.
Sam: "I know Kung-fu"
He meets CLU who is Flynn's doppelganger a program made to create the perfect system, who reveals he lured Sam here with the intention of using him as part of his plan to find the location of Flynn who has disappeared to use a bad turn of phrase ....off the grid.
Seeing this face moved made me want to cry at times. It is terrifying.
Looking slightly scary.
So his master plan to lure Flynn out ....he puts Sam into a 5 on 5 Light cycle battle where CLU immediately goes to chop Sam's head off with his disc (umm didn't you need him for your plan?). But, alas Sam is saved by Quorra a mystery hot chick in a dune buggy who springs Sam from the arena and takes him to a safe place that is to use a turn of phrase "off the grid".
Here we are finally introduced to the now much older Flynn (Jeff Bridges)as he channels the Dude from the Big Lebowski in all his "radical" glory. It was nice to see Flynn back in this movie but I really didn't understand his turn from happy-go-lucky computer programmer to The Dude MK II or Digi-Buddah it was unfounded and distracting and made it just seem like you were watching Jeff Bridges rather than Flynn from all those years ago.
"That rug really tied the room together."
So after a really flat scene where father and son meet for the first time in 10 years or something to that effect, We then are treated to some back story on Quorra, Flynn's Jedi apprentice as she is a rare anomaly of program code called Iso's who evolved without being created by either Flynn or CLU and are a new life form in the grid.
Sam concerned about his father asks him to leave with him and says that they should head for the portal straight away, but Flynn doesn't like this idea as he cannot risk CLU getting hold of his disc and starting his reign of terror on earth. After a sissy fight Sam leaves in a huff Quorra telling him that he should visit Zuse a program who can get anyone anywhere.
Sam Visits the End of line club and is instantly betrayed by the blonde haired douche that is Zuse as he eats millions of pounds worth of what is very nice scenery with his oh so fay Billy Idol on smack routine. CLU's guards storm the club and a fight ensues, again with Sam knowing kung-fu he dispatches most of the guards single handled. Quorra and Flynn turn up to help but Flynn gets his disc stolen almost instantaneously as he arrives and Quorra loses an arm. They flee the club.
"My scenes were pointless" *Idiotic Dancing*
After this we have a brief scene with Rinzler one of CLU's bad ass bodyguards who captures Quorra and who is revealed to be the reprogrammed TRON (You saw TRON killed in a flashback) and we quickly skip away to another scene without the character who's name is in the title.
Hopefully the "T" didn't ruin it for you.
We then have Sam recovering the disc in literally 4 minutes from right under CLU's nose and he manages to leave without much trouble. He just jumps in a ship with Daddy Flynn and Quorra and its off to the final showdown.
Seriously this scene had so much wrong with it I recommend you check it out here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgiZM-0B5oA&NR=1) as I cannot embed it for some reason.
We then rush off towards the portal in your typical chase scene, Sam gets onto the turrets and begins firing away like he was in A New Hope and Rinzler/TRON sees Flynn and decides this would be a good point in the movie to come back to the good side and sacrifice himself unceremoniously crashing into CLU only for CLU to steal TRONS back-up ship and continues the chase. Watch the movie below and try not to laugh at Jeff's "Tron..what have you become".
The crew finally reach the portal where we are confronted by the badly animated CLU doing his best to stay in the shadows so that we don't see his horrible claymation face. Flynn realises that CLU won't let them leave so activates his....disc hoover powers and sucks the evil CLU into himself thus rejoining the two so they get...deleted? I'm not sure by this point the stupid dialogue and events killing my childhood had taken its toll.
Kind of sums up the ending.
So to wrap things up Sam and Quorra hit the TRON pose from the first film and are ported out to the real world where Quorra can somehow exist (the plot holes her being in the real world raises were simply too many to try and confront in my brain) and they ride off into the sunset.
Wow...that actually hurt to try and remember that much stupid at one time.
I hadn't walked out of a film so angry in literally years. It took everything that was likable about TRON and upped it to a level of Michael Bay incompetence that any sane person cannot bear for longer than five minutes. The dialogue was simply too stupid to comment on at times, hence this review of the plot being quite simple and fast. Because if I had to point out every plot hole in this film this blog post would not be finished anytime in the near future and I have already poured enough time into reliving these horrible events.
The updated look was fancy and effective at points and I feel that's where most average viewers get lost, as the TRON imagery is so unique and fascinating it can't help but capture your imagination. But as soon as you stop to think about the reasoning behind any of the plot, characters and their story arch's you see just how lazy this film is and how much the studios have turned what was a great original idea, did nothing to update it apart from visually and hurt themselves as they could have turned this new film into a beginning of a new trilogy of something that would really echo the era of digital and technological advancements we have made. Instead all we got was another big dumb action film. And one that this fanboy couldn't enjoy.
I have spoken about TRON long enough now. I am going to go lie down...Maybe watch TRON 1....yeah...
As we all know a blog is nothing without its segments as such I have drummed up a rushed hurried and not very well thought out idea that I shall defend as genius until the very end.
And so without further ado welcome to the new re-occurring article, Confessions of a Fanboy,*fanfare*
"WHAT IS THIS I DONT EVEN.." Clip from SPIDERS 2 (It's Awesome)
The basic premise will be text or filmed reviews/retrospects on Games, Films and Memorabilia that I have grown up that I feel have fallen into obscurity over the years,Some old some new, usually cheap B-movies found at 4am on a Tuesday morning. Or old PC games that no one else wants to play or something that over the years people have just forgotten about.
I feel there is a lot to talk about here and I can even branch off into segments about specific actors.Complete retrospects of Game or TV Series.Or even Tackle the problem of terrible sequels threequels and ....fourquels.
Here we can laugh together (or individually, your choice) at the maddened recommendations of an impassioned individual as I try to lay out the general story, best scenes or set pieces and characters along the way that I hope will warm your heart as they have mine.
So with the introduction out the way I can put down a few ideas of things to look back and discuss with you lovely people.
Mark Hamill (YEAH THATS RIGHT) In Wing Commander 3
Picture courtesy of MOBY GAMES http://www.mobygames.com/
1) Wing Commander Series (Game)
2) Baulders Gate (Game)
3) Spiders 2
4) Jackie Chan
5) Mark Hamill
6) What was the deal with 90's Merchandising? *In my best Seinfeld impression*
For Now I leave you but I shall return more powerful then you can possibly imagine.
