Presented here are the notes I jotted down (well, typed) while playing Amy. Some I’ve deleted in retrospect, others I’ve expanded since beating the game, most are presented as-is. Think of it as a stream of consciousness way of expressing what I tried (and probably failed) to do with the 1000ish words in the review (which you can read over on Joystiq). Spoilers ahead, I suppose.
I’ve been scanning Ye Olde Internet today—as is my wont—and I seem to be very much in the minority concerning Silent Hill. That is to say, I liked it. While I won’t forfeit my belief that it was a decent film, I will concede a few points. Tycho over at Penny Arcade has posted a firm lashing of the film. He primarily picks apart the poor script. I won’t attempt to recreate his sentiments though, look for yourself:
You might have seen people say that this was a good movie, or a faithful representation of the game, and I would urge you to disregard anything those people say in the future about movies or, indeed, any other subject. Silent Hill: The Movie evokes the games without accurately expressing them – to the extent that the movie succeeds at all, it is because director Christophe Gans has mastered the series’ visual lexicon. It was weighed down by a faulty script, a terrible kind of smudge across the sheet, but brilliantly directed. It is in this way that it most closely mirrors electronic gaming in a general sense, though (ironically) not Silent Hill, in that it is the sterling execution of a poor narrative.
He is right about the evocation of the games. I hadn’t really articulated the thought in my head, but he’s right. In short, if you really want the Silent Hill experience, I suggest you go play the games, particularly the first two. And I suppose you can disregard everything I say ever again, but I still enjoyed the movie. Frankly, I’m not sure its complexities can ever be accurately captured on film, or at least not in a way that would stand up to mass acceptance. I’d like to see it happen but I’m certainly not expecting it.
Then again, Tycho is a verbal guy. Language is his bread and butter. I’m a little more forgiving of bad scripts. To each his own, I guess.
PS. Here’s a review from a horror fan’s perspective, if that’s your angle.
I finally saw Silent Hill on Saturday. If you read this site much, you’ll know that I have been very excited about this movie. I’ve basically been waiting for this movie since I first played the game years ago on a borrowed Playstation. Since then, I’ve been a fan. Needless to say, my expectations for the film were unreasonably high. As such, I feared there was no way I would walk out of the theatre with any sense of satisfaction. So, did Silent Hill deliver? For the most part, yes.
Condemned—one of the first titles available for the 360 last November—is an interesting experiment. What the creators at Monolith have attempted is to put players in the shoes of a detective, allowing them to investigate crime scenes while simultaneously defending themselves from the denizens of the night. The game aims to mix forensics with fear and brutality. Does it succeed? Read on to find out.
If you’re old enough to remember the original Game Boy, you probably remember that Tetris was its defining game. Tetris on the go is basically perfect, if done well. I picked up Tetris DS on Friday, and I’m happy to say it was done very well. Basically, this game is a no-brainer for anybody with a DS.
Continue reading “8-bit Ninja Feature: Tetris DS”
My introduction to the Elder Scrolls started with Morrowind on the Xbox. Morrowind played host to a staggering game world. Players could actually get lost. Multiple quests and myriad character customization options only made the game more daunting. In a way, that was my only gripe with Morrowind: it was too big. Still, I put lots and lots of hours into it. The game–constantly streaming data from the disc–basically ruined the DVD drive on my old Xbox, and I don’t regret it.
Continue reading “8-bit Ninja Feature: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion”
