Dealing With Darksiders

Okay here we go, a game I was really looking forward to that get a bunch of mixed reviews. I was really looking forward to it when I first saw an advertisement on the television while watching Stargate Universe (we'll cover that show sometime later). What they showed us actually got me excited. It looked epic with huge style in the character and creature designs and when I found out you'd play as one of the four horseman during the apocalypse I was sold. Would it live up to all the hype I built up in my excited little head?

Darksiders

Turns out.... Kind of. Darksiders is such a difficult game to talk about because when you first look at it you instantly see influences from games such as God of War or Devil May Cry. You play as War the first horseman of the apocalypse so it's already set an idea in the players head what you'll be doing most of the time... Then you notice he has a sword on his back that'll make Cloud Strife jealous. It's well established from the get go that you, as War, will be killing things. A lot. And it's the apocalypse after all so there are legions of demons, monsters, zombies and angels to hack and slash your way through.

But don't just dismiss this as a simple God of War clone. This game actually has more in common with adventure games like The Legend of Zelda or Okami then God of War. Believe it or not Darksiders actually has dungeons for you to explore with puzzles, items, keys, maps and a final boss at the end, which in typical Zelda fashion requires you to us whatever new item you have in order to defeat it.

Speaking of items you might find, they are heavily influenced, and by influenced I mean borrowed from, other games. You get a giant shuriken which essentially acts as Link's boomerang. You also get a hook shot like Link which works in a very similar way. You even get a horse later on in the game which lets you fight on horse back, let's see Link do that...

...Oh yeah... However what Link never got that War does is a gun. Yes, War is given a gun eventually and you know what that means? Smash an enemy up in the air and then pin them in mid air with a hail of bullets. Now where have I done that before? Oh yes Devil May Cry.

These are all things I have noticed in other reviews. Constantly stating how Darksiders borrows everything about it from other games. And I can see what they are saying but this is the exact same argument the plagues MMO reviews. Any new MMO that is released 'borrows' a mountain of ideas from World of Warcraft. The argument here is that since WOW is so popular that taking aspects of that gold mine of a game can result in shared success in other MMOs. Darksiders is doing the same. Using aspects of existing games to use in their own. However Darksiders may do this a little too much. After all War does get a Portal gun.... and even a master sword! (Play the game to see what I mean).

One aspect of the game I enjoyed was the art design and the style of the whole game. Each enemy, character and location has been beautifully designed. War himself looks like he's stepped out of a Warhammer 40k book but that seems to suit the character. When the apocalypse comes I can imagine War riding through the streets on his horse, Ruin, with the other horsemen close behind. The lead artist for this games art design was Joe Madureira, a comic artist and writer. From what I've seen of his work after playing Darksiders I feel that his creative influences in the style of this game give it that step up it needs so it stands out amongst the other games released around the same time as this one, such as Bayonetta or Dante's Inferno.

After playing through the entire game I can say that it was a fun, enjoyable experience. I love the gameplay, despite having just one attack button, maybe a second would help to allow better combos, and I loved the art design. What's more is I loved watching the cutscenes. In some games I find myself getting bored of the cut scenes and wanting to just carry on playing. I recently watched a friend playing Bayonetta and got fed up of watching her flip around in the cut scenes doing things that you'd never do in the actual game. I felt that same when I first played Devil May Cry. Also with an ending that opens up for a sequel that I desperately hope they make, with the hint at there being four player co-op... what can I say, this game would be the great way to start a series of games based around the four horseman.

Thanks for Reading

EpicFlyFire

Elementary my dear Wats- No I'm not making that kind of joke...

Firstly let me wish a Happy New Year to everyone and Happy Holidays to you all!

Now on with what I really want to talk about.

Sherlock Holmes

I recently went to see the new Sherlock Holmes and I have just a few things to say about it. Firstly, I loved it. It was an entertaining film taking an already famous character, concept and plot and making it a hit movie for 2009... not that there wasn't enough of them already. Secondly, it's a classic British tale that was beautifully told with style and elegance. Don't get me wrong though I know people are going to be upset with how much "Hollywood" has been injected in to it but i don't think people can hold that against the film. If that was true you'd have to hate a lot of really good movies that are out there.

This problem may all come from the original material. The first time Sherlock Holmes entered our lives on the paper in the wonderful classics. Sadly, I have never read them but don't hold that against me! I know how most people view the character of Sherlock Holmes. I know the whole picture. The hat, the pipe, the coat, the voice and the manners. I must stress this to anyone and everyone.... Don't think about that version of the character as you enter the cinema to see this film. You will be surprised and in some cases, stupid narrow minded cases, disappointed. In my head Sherlock Holmes is the smart detective who walks in to a crime scene, finds the clues, does some science back at home, doesn't say a thing to Watson, calls the police on the suspect, tells everyone what happened, everyone is amazed, Holmes goes home and drinks tea. Well in this version that plot is only half true.

Holmes is unmistakably a genius. He can estimate recovery times, he knows chemicals and their effects as well conduct experiments to advance man kinds scientific advancement. In an early scene Holmes is trying to build the first every silencer; which unfortunately fails resulting in him blasting a series of holes in his wall and upsetting his Watson and his visitors.

But don't mistake Holmes to be all brain and no brawn. Holmes is an expert in hand to hand combat, I was told shortly after coming out of the cinema that in the original novels Watson states that as far as he is aware Holmes is undefeated in a fist fight. Which is displayed fantastically in in movie in a scene in which Holmes takes part in a bare-fist boxing match, which he wins.

The combat brings me to another aspect of this film that I loved. One a few occasions the audience is given an insight in to how Holmes' brain works. The action slows, which some people may say causes the flow of the movie to be ruined but i disagree as i think it happens perfectly in the flow of the action, therefore allowing the audience to see the details that Holmes picks up on instantly. Holmes supplies a narration as to what he plans to do, what will happen and how he will react to it. I'm not sure what it is but seeing how Holmes plans everything and then seeing it all unfold in real-time has something wonderful about it. Like when you are trying to draw something and you step back and see the finished picture. You feel proud of what you've done. It's the same with these parts of the movie. There is something joyous about seeing Holmes' plans come together.

Watson is also, for lack of a better word, revamped. Watson is also much more, again for lack of a better word, streetwise. Which is a Godsend. If Watson was still a bumbling side-kick who is only around for comic relief or so Holmes has some one to explain things to. Instead in this depiction of the characters it seems more like Holmes needs Watson much more then Watson needs Holmes. Opening up millions of slash fanfiction writers potential squee-fest.

Moving off that unwanted train of thought... (I'm not homophobic just don't want to picture Robert Downy Jr and Jude Law... you know...) This movie is defiantly one of the highlights, movie-wise, of last year. There were a lot of good films made but there was something about it that I found entertaining, almost too entertaining in some moments. I left the cinema deeply entertained...

However, yes unfortunately it wasn't perfect, I did have some issues with the presentation of this movie. There was a lot to go through. The plot as full of important sections, be it character development, plot advancement or and action scene. I didn't think any of it was unnecessary. Sadly all these things were rushed. It felt as though we were on a light speed tour of Sherlock Holmes and his story. It was a long film but at the same time I wanted it to be longer. I wanted more build up to the climax, I wanted more witty banter between Holmes and Watson and I wanted more action. Sadly, as i previously experienced when watching the film 9, films can never be as long as I want them to be. The same goes with Sherlock Holmes.

All in all Sherlock Holmes was a fantastic movie. I would recommend it to fans of action, mystery and movies in general. It's funny, smart, full of action and fantastic dialogue. If you haven't seen it yet then it's a must.

Thanks for reading.

EpicFlyFire