I recently picked up the newest game in a franchise that I've loved for some time now: Devil May Cry 4. It was fast-paced, visceral, and the combat both in cut-scenes and in gameplay was simply spectacular. At the same time I also picked up Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter, a game of which I had heard many great things, but never actually played. I have to say, I was incredibly disappointed. Devil May Cry brought me back to the days when games were intended solely to be fun, like classic Mario. Ghost Recon was trying to be as realistic as possible, quickly destroying any fun there was to be had. Unfortunately, Ghost Recon isn't the only perpetrator of a certain trend in games that I find annoying. The trend that makes me really angry is intentionally clunky controls. Games like Brothers in Arms, or the new Battlefield for instance, seem to have an annoyingly slow crosshair. When you push the stick to move the crosshair, it doesn't just move. It has to accelerate. While it may make the game seem more cinematic, it actually destroys realism, and fun. In my opinion, the controls make the game. The player has to feel as if his personal reactions are in tune with his character's. For example, in Halo, (while the game itself is a bit lackluster) what really draws people to it are it's simplistic, yet incredibly effective controls. When you push the stick to move, he moves. He doesn't walk slowly for a second than start jogging, he just moves. When you move the left stick to control the crosshair, you are in complete control of the crosshair. It doesn't move slowly for a second, than speed up.

In games where the controls are intentionally laggy, all sense of realism and connection to the character is lost. You may see a bad guy, and push the stick in his direction to shoot him, but your character reacts too late, and now you're dead. Everything comes down to control. If you're fighting your own character to make them do what you want them to, than the rest of the game is pure moot.

Jack Thompson is a name that sends waves of frustration and anger through the minds of gamers, but truth be told, not everything he says is misinformed bull crap. (though most of it is) Jack has made the point that it is quite easy for kids to get a hold of violent video games. Most game advocates will tell you that it's not their fault, and that it's the parents' duty to watch over what their children are viewing or playing. This is also true, but to a degree. Even if you are a good parent, and you make sure your children don't get hold of media that you have expressly forbidden, you can't cover all the bases. When I was younger my parents would not allow me to play Grand Theft Auto at all. However, if I rode my bike to a friends house, Grand Theft Auto III would be there prepped and ready for me to enjoy. The point is: unless you bar your children's windows and lock them in their rooms forever, they will get into things you don't intend them to. And it's not just media. It's just part of life. In this respect I believe there should be laws to prevent children from buying games that are above their age requirement. However, if a parent choses to buy a mature rated game for their child, that is their choice, not the governments. I promote video game awareness, not censorship or banishment. That's where I draw the line. Video games, just like movies, drawings, and music, are protected under the first amendment of the Constitution. These games have every right to exist and be sold, but just like movies, drawings, and music, it should be difficult for small children who aren't ready to hear or see mature materials to get hold of them. Another point that anti-video game activists use, is the idea that video games "train" you to be an efficient and deadly killing machine. This is quite a jump. It is undeniable that violent images will instigate violent thoughts, but it does not necessarily translate into real life violence. Playing GTA for three hours won't influence a guy to jump in his car and go murder someone. It might however make them more likely to resort to aggression over a more peaceful solution. Also, violent video games don't "train" you to do anything. The most they can do is improve your eye-hand coordination, but as far as I know there is no square button on an AK-47. One of the big questions about violent video games is 'why do they have to be so violent in the first place?' The answer is, they don't. If people only wanted blood gore and violence, Manhunt 2 would be a considerably more respected game than Portal. People don't play games for the blood, they play them for the thrill. In GTA IV, which is more fun? Killing someone with a knife, or careening at high speeds, on a bike, into a tree, just to catapult Niko high into the air? It's the same thing people look for in a roller coaster, or an action flick. They want big, loud, crazy, over the top, adrenaline pumping action. The blood in Gears of War is awesome, not because it is realistic, but because of how ridiculously unrealistic it is. It's the chaos people are after, the over the top extremities and wild craziness that these types of entertainment can provide. Hopefully the industry will begin catering more to the younger crowd, and let them have the thrill without the blood.

I'm going to be in a cabin in upper New York for the next two weeks so you won't be seeing me around. But when I get back I'll put up a new album review. EDIT: or not.

This is now my avatar. I changed the banner too. Just want to let the two people who read my blog know so you can recognize me. EDIT: Here's my new sig. All of this new stuff is probably subject to change. We'll see.

Slow Riot For New Zero Kanada – Godspeed You! Black Emperor

Rating: 9.5 I discovered this obscure gem only two days ago, and now it currently stands as one of my favorite albums of all time (noticing a trend?) It's an incredibly atmospheric album that's a world of its own. I've always thought that a telltale sign of a great album is your ability to lose yourself in it, to forget about the fact that a band, a group of people are playing the music and get completely sucked into the atmosphere it creates. This album does that with the first note. There are two songs on this album, track one running ten minutes and track two lasts for almost eighteen, and both contain no lyrics (if you don't count the recorded rant from Blaise Finnegan.) Those words alone turn most people off of it, but believe me when I say that somehow they can exert more emotion with just music than most bands can with lyrics. GSYBE consists of nine musicians. They have a more traditional setup with a bassist, three guitarists, and a drummer (an incredible one I might add). Then you've got the string section, the subtle electronics, the glockenspiel, and any other instruments they may want to include to produce their monstrous atmosphere. The album opener is 'Moya', which is easily the best song they've ever written. It starts out with quiet, peaceful, ambient strings that set the mood. Then, as is the GSYBE trademark, it slowly builds and builds to its incredibly epic crescendo that can only be described as enormous, that fluidly transitions into the next song. The second song also begins with strings, but through it you can hear the voice of Blaise Finnegan with his eccentric ranting against the government. As usual it builds into another epic high that surges with aggressive fervor, then fades out with an ambient sigh. 'Slow Riot' is an ambitious and unique experience that will have you addicted by the first listen. It's all killer no filler that takes a little bit of patience to truly enjoy, but the rewards are more than worth it.

Nevermind – Nirvana

CENSORED BY MOD REQUEST Rating: 9.7 Another one of my favorites. Kurt Cobain's unwilling masterpiece is easily a quintessential album of the 90's and one of the greatest albums of all time. Though the album rages and thrashes with a Seattle punk rock spirit, it never ceases to be melodic and catchy, even if it is a bit abrasive. Of course, it's impossible to speak of Nevermind without mentioning the four chord blitzkrieg of 'Smells Like Teen Spirit', the run away hit that shot Nirvana to the top of the charts, killing the cheesy, pelvic thrusting, mediocrity of 80's glam rock, and putting real rock back on the radio. This song is damn near perfect. Listen to it once and you'll be headbanging by the end of it, and you won't stop humming the melody for weeks. It's one of those rare songs that rocks super hard, but if you slowed it down and softened it up a little (like a piano version) it remains catchy and even becomes gorgeous. And that's just the first song! The best part about this album, is that even though Teen Spirit is an amazing song with a huge impact on the music scene, it's debatable as to whether or not it's the best song on the album! 'In Bloom' is another great song with an incredibly catchy chorus. It's also pretty ironic, because the majority of the people who loved this song, were actually being made fun of by it, because (as stated in the song) they like to sing along, but they don't know what it means. It was a general attack on that guy at the art house who uses big words to describe paintings, despite the fact he has no idea what he's talking about. 'Polly' ends the first half on a disturbing note. It describes a pretty sadistic situation from the point of view of a torturer with a sort of warm fire-side sway. 'Lithium' is the most playful song on the album that is guaranteed to rock your face off. 'Come as you Are' has a sweet rubber-band-style bass-line that makes you nod your head along to the beat… right before it rocks your face off. ("This album will rock your face off" – Bulldog19892) It does start to slouch slightly after 'Territorial Pissings', but 'Something in the Way' ends the album on a peaceful, and somber high. Basically, if you like hard rock, you should already have this album. If you don't, shame on you sir. Shame on you.

I know, my first blog post since my angry tirade against the Hollywood big wigs, it's crazy! Ok, enough of that, now on to the sweet milky goodness that is my newest blog post. Since this is a gaming website (and mp3.com is about as useful as a quadriplegic in the army) there's really no place to talk about my other biggest passion, music. So here it goes. Album review #1. OK Computer – Radiohead Rating: 9.8 Definatly one of my favorite albums of all time. It's a modern musical masterpiece with plenty of high points and no real low point. It rocks hard but at the same time creates a beautiful electronic soundscape to rival Pink Floyd. The album also exerts the kind of melodic mastery that captures the imagination while also remaining highly listenable. As much as Radiohead may deny it, it definitely comes off as a concept album. The theme: distrust of technology, paranoia, and blissful ignorance about life. These concepts together make for a very disturbing and dark album. It's most obvious in songs like 'Climbing up the Walls', the album's most disturbing track. It lurches forward in horror movie-like fashion only to explode into an epic wall of sound, all while chanting some seriously haunting lyrics. 'Electioneering' is another strong track, and the album's hardest rocking song. It just one of those songs you can imagine being played at a party (granted the people there have good taste in music) while still retaining the running theme of being a spacey electronic testament to the power of the studio. I could go on forever about the brilliance of all the songs. 'Karma Police', 'No Surprises', 'Paranoid Android', 'Let Down', there are simply no weak songs on the album. It's innovative, unique, spacey, all while remaining melodic, and extremely addictive. If you are a big music lover, and in particular a rock fan, I highly recommend you pick this one up.

We've all seen it. Those terrible excuses for movies based off of video games that suffer from either: 1. The fact that the games aren't movie worthy 2. So far off the game's story and theme that it makes you want to headbutt a brick wall. (thanks Uwe Boll.) What is it with directors that gives them the need to pick the game that would be the most horrible movie. If you're going to make a movie out of a game at least pick one that would make sense, unlike this gleaming in-production crap sandwich. WTF!!!!!!!!! For those who don't know, Dead or Alive is a fighting game with lots of scantily clad women. This is such an obvious choice to make a movie out of. I mean seriously, chicks, weapons, fighting? Except it sounds a lot more like my birthday parties than a movie. I go to the movies to escape reality for a few hours, not to relive parts of it. It's like making a movie out of Ridge Racer. The only way you could possibly make a movie of any substance out of it, is if you made an army of super fast sports cars that talk, and had them fight a giant enemy crab. But only one man and his abnormally small black friend can tame the leader of all cars to make the revolution begin. It would be a touching love story that might look a little something like this: ...bone chilling. Seriously though, how come no one picks the obvious choices to make a movie out of, like Bioshock, or The Darkness? You know, games that actually put the focus on making a thought-provoking storyline? Instead, they go for non-nonsensical bullcrap that couldn't possibly make a good movie. These monstrosities have to stop, before some money grubbing twit gets the idea for 'Tetris: The Movie'. (Note: Hitman the movie was released recently. What a disgrace. They portray him as some kind of gruff ninja hero, when he's supposed to be a ruthless killer. He's an antihero, the bad guy, he's supposed to be stopped, not encouraged.) (Note: Now they're on to a new fad, bastardizing old cartoon shows. A live action film based on Speed Racer? Are you serious? Even Thundercats? Dragonball Z!? Why don't they just cut to the chase, put my childhood on a pike, and beat the money out of it?)