Should have been a game - Kill Bill

Originally announced in 2002, Kill Bill: the game was set to tie in with the second film’s release date around October 2003. Black Label, a games division studio of Vivendi Universal Publishing (VU Games), originally announced they had signed up for the interactive rights To Tarantino’s other work, ‘Pulp Fiction’ and ‘Reservoir Dogs’ along with Kill Bill.

Quentin Tarantino was to be involved in the project, named as creative consultant for the game, even providing the studio with footage from the first film. "The combination of our creative and technology teams coupled with Quentin's vision promises to deliver a high-quality interactive entertainment experience," said Jim Wilson, president of Black Label Games. "We are excited to extend this innovative franchise into an action game featuring a unique cast of female characters that will appeal to gamers everywhere."

Project named Kill Bill: The Video game, the story was based around the first film, Kill Bill: Volume 1. Starring Uma Thurman, David Carradine and Lucy Liu, the film tells the story of one woman’s revenge against several assassins who each took turns in trying to kill her and her baby. The main character is known as The Bride, the film is shown in non chronological order of her lust for revenge.

What little was shown of the game, the only clip released showed The Bride at the House of Blues – one of the most famous scenes throughout the whole film, which depicts The Bride fighting a bloody onslaught of enemies, known as the Crazy 88.

It was unknown if the actors of the movies were going to provide voice-overs for the game.

As fewer and fewer details emerged about the game, in November 2003, VU Games announced the game was to be put on hold. The website for the game no longer worked and several months later they confirmed the game had been canned.

Little reason was released as to why it had been canned, some blamed poor timing – the game still hadn’t reached the right level of development when the second part to the films was released. Others state that Tarantino no longer wanted to be involved with the project.

Another game, released for the PS3 and Xbox 360 named Wet, is said to have been inspired by Kill Bill, with 70’s music and a Tarantino-esque feel to the visual style.

Interestingly, Reservoir Dogs was released in 2006, but under a different games company.

As Kill Bill is one of my all time favourite films, it would have been amazing to play as The Bride, slashing away through the Crazy 88's. It could have had so much potential - adding more depth to the story of the films. If only the actors would provide their talents and somebody like Capcom could take over - appealing to so many fans of the  female assassin genre, begging the question, Lara Who?

Matthew Greenacre

PSN down for over 5 days!

The PlayStation Network (PSN) has been suspended for over five days now, with players unable to access their online accounts other than to receive error messages stating the network is "undergoing maintenance" or is "suspended"

The disruption is likely to have been caused by hackers, however Sony have not given a time or date when services will resume. In their American blog, Sony stated:

"We sincerely regret that PlayStation Network and Qriocity services have been suspended, and we are working around the clock to bring them both back online. Our efforts to resolve this matter involve re-building our system to further strengthen our network infrastructure."

Originally it was thought the hacker group Anonymous had attacked the network - however they released a statement saying "For once, we didn't do it"

The network problems come at a peak time for gamers over Easter - the long weekend and new game releases such as Portal 2 - have angered many gamers.

Still, Sony are wanting to secure their network - and why shouldn't they take their time? If it means a more secure network, they should take all the time they need!

Matthew Greenacre

Silent Hill Downpour - Latest!

With only a vague release date (Fall 2011) and very few details, Konami is keeping tight lipped on the latest edition to the psychological horror series of Silent Hill. Known as Silent Hill: Downpour, details on the story are scarce, however, it involves a prisoner named Murphy Pendleton who finds himself in Silent Hill, after his prison transport bus crashes. After that, is anyones guess. But here's some latest pics of the nightmarish game.

 Above, shows the main character, Murphy in some sort of cavern or cave where the bridge has collapsed...

Even though little is known about the game, it is confirmed that legendary composer, Akira Yamaoka will not be working on the game, nor will Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, who has provided vocals in the previous games. Instead, Daniel Licht of Dexter fame will be composing. 

Above, shows "A Cunnigham" holding a Colt, probably one of the police officers on the prison transport bus. Could she be called Alice? Adrienne? And how will she play a part in Downpour?

Shinji Hirano, President of Konami is quoted as saying: "In honoring the rich history and strong following of Silent Hill, we're working hard to build a next-generation horror game the fans truly deserve... This Silent Hill introduces an all-new storyline and unique evolutions in gameplay, building on innovations and successes from over a decade of true survival horror and terror."

Above and below show more recognisable shots of Silent Hill. Konami have stated that places such as the school and hospital will return, along with new places such as The Diner and the Devil's Pit. They also state it will be set in the South-eastern area of Silent Hill, not seen in the previous series.

I'm hoping it's nothing like Silent Hill Homecoming, but these screens are making it appear to be one to look out for. More news on Silent Hill: Downpour on the way!

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West Review

What developers should realise is that games must be made around the player’s experience. As camera angles are one of the most important factors in making a good game, whatever the genre, the camera itself needs to be positioned correctly to enhance the gamer’s experience, not hinder it. Camera placement can alter how the game is played altogether if positioned poorly.

For example, Resident Evil had fixed camera angles in earlier games, due to the pre rendered backgrounds. Some players found it hard to view the environments or to actually move around due to the way the camera flicked from one set angle to another awkward set angle. Thus, in Resident Evil 4, the developers opted for an “over the shoulder” camera, which gave the series a much needed boost in terms of how it was played.

Enslaved is such a great game, however, there is just one fatal flaw and you guessed it, happens to be the camera.

Still, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is a stunning looking game with some clever ideas and brilliant voice acting. The story is based on the ancient Chinese story by Wu Cheng’en, except Enslaved is set 150 years into the future in a post apocalyptic world after a global war, where the main characters Monkey and Trip escape a ship, which would have forced them to become slaves.

When they crash land, Monkey awakes to find that Trip has attached a headband device that forces him to do Trip’s bidding. She wishes Monkey to help her get back to her village that just happens to be 300 miles away...And if he chooses not to, the headband will kill him and if anything happens to Trip, the same will become of Monkey. So it’s up to Monkey to act as Trip’s protector.

Further into the game, Trip discovers her abandoned village and sadly, of her father’s death. She then intends to free her people with the help of her father’s friend, Pigsy. (All the names come from the original Chinese story in case you were wondering).

The ruined New York City makes a perfect setting for the game – with Monkey being able to scale large buildings, climbing up the fallen slabs, swinging up in order to help Trip on her way. This is where Enslaved excels, the relationship between Monkey and Trip is enthralling to watch – Monkey must often go ahead to defeat enemies or enable switches so Trip can get across. Trip can create distractions so Monkey can proceed past enemies unharmed. She can also highlight where Monkey needs to go, how many enemies are in the area and even upgrade Monkey’s skills.

The fighting mechanics are quite easy to use – Monkey has a staff like weapon, which can have a short attack or a stronger attack with a flick of square and triangle. He can mash up the mechs and use their own guns to kill other enemies. Sweet! He also has a hover craft board known as a “cloud device” which breaks up the action, cruising round water when needed.

And who knew a ruined city could look so vibrant? The lush landscape is particularly pleasing to the eye; the stark contrast of overgrown green plants against fallen rusty buildings make the art style very pleasing indeed. Along with some excellent characters models add to Enslaved visual style making the story and characters more believable.

As mentioned, the downside is due to the camera. It can all be well swinging up buildings to make crucial jumps, if only for the mad swinging camera would stop shifting, forcing you to position Monkey in an awkward way to see where to jump to. The camera can be become very irritating during boss battles too as it can lead to many deaths just because of the way it swings and shifts.

If only the camera was sorted, Enslaved would be a rich and fulfilling game to play, if a little on the short side. Visually and emotionally stunning, Enslaved is well worth a look if you can see past the dodgy camera.

You can pick a copy up cheap too – I got mine for less than a tenner!

7.5 / 10 Matthew Greenacre

Resident Evil classic review

Flesh hungry zombies, giant tarantulas and erm, dodgy voice acting, are all elements which make the horror phenomenon that is Resident Evil. With countless fans across the globe, tonnes of sequels and spin offs across a range of different platforms, Resident Evil is one of the most successful game franchises in history. Here, is your guide to Resident Evil, you may need to grab a few green herbs along the way along while making sure your nerves are made of steel to survive....You have entered the world of survival horror...Good luck!

Created by Shinji Mikami and developed by Capcom, Resident Evil (known as Biohazard in its native Japan) was one of the first games to spawn the genre of survival horror. The game was originally intended as a remake of Sweet Home – a survival horror Famicom game released only in Japan in 1989. This is why RE is set inside a mansion, mirroring Sweet Home’s setting.

Released in 1996 for the Sony Playstation, RE delighted fans with the blend of zombies, puzzles and third person game play. The story was based around bizarre murders happening in the fictional North American setting of Raccoon City. The Bravo team for the Special Tactics And Rescue Service (S.T.A.R.S) are sent in to investigate the murders, but contact with the team is lost so the Alpha team are sent in. They become stranded and chased by ravaged dogs, entering a nearby mansion which isn’t all it appears to be...

Selecting either Jill Valentine or Chris Redfield to play as, the characters must investigate the mansion and search for their missing team members. Jill and Chris each have unique abilities – Jill being able to pick locks and carry more items while Chris is stronger against enemy attacks and has more powerful weapons to start with. Their stories take alternate paths, involving other characters, such as Barry Burton and Rebecca Chambers. With the discovery that Umbrella, a pharmaceutical company, is behind the strange experiments, players find a host of horrific enemies, from zombie dogs to infected plants as well as the terrifying Tyrant further inside the mansion.

The graphics now seem poor, but at the time, were revolutionary – placing 3D characters with spooky set camera angles in a pre rendered environment.

The script and voice acting is ridiculously poor – with quotes from Barry Burton such as “Jill, here's a lockpick. It might be handy if you, the master of unlocking, take it with you”. Ah, the memories.

RE is a Playstation horror classic which anyone can enjoy. The dialogue and script may be terrible, the core game play is not. The Director's Cut doesn't add much to the original game - there's a few bonus outfits and extra weapons - but RE is a stand out timeless horror which any Playstation gamer needs to have played. 7/10

Resident Evil Directors Cut is available to download over the PSN, for £7.99

Matthew Greenacre

Joe McElderry dumped by Syco

In 2009 Joe McElderry won ITV’s talent contest, the X Factor battling it out to become the Christmas number 1, but was beaten by the band Rage Against the Machine after a Facebook campaign helped drives sales in protest against the show. Now, just 16 months later, Joe Mcelderry has been dumped by Simon Cowell’s record label, Syco.

A close friend stated: “Joe is devastated. His mum has been comforting him. He believed he could have a great music career. Although he is still on Syco's books, his deal runs out in about a month and it won't be renewed”

The 19 year old singer originally auditioned for the show in 2007 but wasn’t shown. In 2009 he was mentored by Cheryl Cole and gained huge popularity towards the end, winning with almost two-thirds (61.3%) of the votes in the final, compared with just over a third (38.7%) for Olly Murs, according to voting statistics released on The X Factor website.

His first single, a cover version of Miley Cyrus’s The Climb went to number one after Christmas, but Joe was the first singer on the show not to gain a Christmas number one. His next single, didn’t chart as well debuting at number 6 in the UK chart in October 2010 and his third single flopped entirely – only selling a mere 7,000 copies, limping into the charts at 68. However, McElderry did gain other success after he was signed up as a model for fashion retailer, Next.

Simon Cowell stated that his label dropped McElderry as things “hadn’t worked out”.

The singer came out as gay last year, after somebody tried to hack his Twitter account, he said: “I’ve had time to think about things. I wasn’t attracted to anyone anyway, male or female. It never really entered my head I was gay. But I just know. It’s how I feel.”Stonewall have listed McElderry as a gay role model.

Recently, Joe McElderry has been forced to perform at a free concert with the sixth runners up on the show, Jedward, who have gone on to earn a reported £3 million in this year alone.

Matthew Greenacre

Top 5 games

While Nintendo fans are being ripped off by the 3DS and rubbish games, we thought we’d show them just why they need to have a PS3. Here’s our list of top 5 games coming your way in 2011.Try not to rub it in to the Ninty fans faces too much though...

5. The Last Guardian – TBC 2011

In what seems like an eternity, The Last Guardian was originally announced at E3 way back in 2009, known simply as Project Trico. Now, players can rejoice knowing the game will be out sometime in 2011 – I'm guessing it will be around December, as the previous instalments Ico and Shadow of The Colossus are being buffed up in stunning HD with 3D support for a re-release in November. Yippee!

Still not much is known about The Last Guardian, director Fumito Ueda is keeping tight lipped about the details, stating the story is: “open-ended, and for you guys to figure out”.

What we do know is the game will be centred on an unnamed boy, trapped in a castle like setting, similar to the one in Ico. As the boy tries to escape, he will need to work with a huge, feathered creature that is trapped in the castle as well, named Trico. At first, Trico will be difficult to control – you must use the boy to feed Trico and entice him to different parts, in order to gain access to higher areas. Ueda came up with the idea of using Trico, after seeing his cat playing and that the game could be centred on the relationship between the boy and Trico who will become more responsive as the game progresses. Ueda States: “"each player will have a different Trico to work with depending on how he or she chooses to interact with him". I think this means, that as a player, depending on what level of care you take of Trico, you will receive the same in return.

So far, what little of the game has been shown looks stunning. And if Ueda’s previous games are anything to go by, The Last Guardian will be an emotional, powerful and unique experience. There are hints that there could be a demo of the game included in the HD remakes, so fingers crossed!

4. L.A. Noire – Out May 20^th 2011

From the people who brought you Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption, L.A. Noire is a violent crime thriller set in Los Angeles in 1947. Taking inspiration from classic film noire of the 1940s and 50s, the game centres on Cole Phelps, an LAPD who must uncover the truth behind a string of arson attacks.

 According to publisher Rockstar’s website, the LA in 1947 is where “Corruption is rampant, the drug trade is exploding, and murder rates are at an all-time high” – sounds like a lovely place to be, eh? The game itself looks absolutely draw dropping, with thanks to a new animation technique known as MotionScan, where actors are recorded with 32 cameras to capture every facial animation. Sweet!

Unlike Grand Theft Auto, L.A. Noire isn’t an open ended sandbox game. Instead, players must solve crimes at their own pace, in the way they think is right, which could alter the game play experience as a whole. Sounds interesting enough.

As if that’s not enough to wet your appetite, Rockstar are offering exclusive content to anyone who pre-orders the game now. Depending on which retailer you choose, you can receive different missions in game, such as 'The Naked City' where Phelps must investigate the apparent suicide of a fashion model. It may not sound much, but it’s a clever marketing ploy by Rockstar and could be made available through DLC.

3. Alice: Madness Returns – 17^th June 2011

It’s been eleven years since the original Alice game was released on PC. Created by American McGee, this macabre vision of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland sees troubled Alice released from the Rutledge Asylum only to be taken into the care of a psychiatrist in London. As her parents traumatic death still looms over her, Alice returns to Wonderland, to find it twisted and warped. She now must save the residents of Wonderland and discover who is behind the evil causing it.

All the cast from the previous game are set to return, with new characters being introduced such as the Dodo and Jabberwock. I can’t wait to see what horrors lay in Wonderland, as weapons such as the Vorpal Blade, Hobby Horse and Teapot Bomb are available to use and can be upgraded by collecting “teeth” throughout the game.

The recent trailer sees Alice wandering in Victorian London, hinting the game may switch between Victorian London and Wonderland, depending on Alice’s insanity. The trailer ends with a voice asking, “Alice, what have you done?” Hmm...

 So far, the game looks just as it predecessor did – beautifully twisted. So you’re late, for a very important date indeed!

2. Tomb Raider – 14^th October 2011

Details on Lara’s latest outing are scarce, yet this could be one of the most shocking and controversial Tomb Raider games yet. Dubbed as a reboot of the series, we see 21 year old Lara journeying to Japan onboard a ship (Aptly named “Endurance”) which fails to withstand an unforeseen storm. Lara is separated by anyone on board and washes ashore an island unconscious. She wakes to find herself tied up, with no weapons or equipment...

Lara has been totally transformed in appearance; she’s more realistic looking than ever, as the game has a grittier and darker look. The game play looks set more around survival – the official websites depicts a bloodied and dirty Lara with the words, “A survivor is born” above the new logo.

 Crystal Dynamics studio head Darrell Gallagher said, "Forget everything you knew about Tomb Raider, this is an origins story that creates Lara Croft and takes her on a character defining journey like no other"

1. Batman: Arkham City – 21 October 2011

The Bats is back! Taking place around a year after the events of Arkham Asylum - Quincy Sharp has cornered off a part of Gotham City to detain prisoners and villains who can no longer be accommodated at Arkham or Blackgate prison.  The perimeter is guarded by military contractors known as Tyger, creating Arkham City – where criminals and villains can be left to their own devices as long as they don’t try to escape. Sounds like a good idea...

Dr Hugo Strange is a psychiatrist hired to oversee the city, but appears to have his own agenda as he knows Batman’s true identity! (Eek!) Meanwhile, Batman is keeping an eye on the goings on of Arkham City, only to enter the place when Two Face threatens to kill Catwoman. Aww, the Bats has a crush!

So, where’s The Joker in all of this? Well, the official trailer shows (a slightly more curvy) Harley Quinn nursing The Joker presumably from his wounds from the previous game. The Joker is seen with torn clothes and a rotting face, spluttering and coughing away as he plots his revenge. However, not much is known at present, but I think he will end up trying to kill The Dark Knight somehow.

There are a lot of new characters in Arkham City, such as Mr Freeze, Calendar Man and the anti-heroine, Talia Al Ghul. Interestingly, as Arkham City will be 3 times larger than Asylum, different areas will be covered by different villains, which the player will see through the different environments.

Also, this time around The Riddler will be physically in the game (as opposed to setting cheap riddles over a head piece) and once again, players can have the choice to find secret clues left by him in side missions, or can capture villains in order to find The Riddler’s whereabouts.

I like the idea of the game being open ended, side missions will open different stories and extra things to do. The game itself looks even better than the previous instalment and all voice actors are set to return.

With so much going on in Arkham City, we simply cannot wait to get our hands on Bats’ gadgets...

Classic Review - Kingdom Hearts 2 (PS2)

A direct sequel to Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, KH2 is one of the most riveting sequels in any gaming franchise, placing Final Fantasy characters and Disney characters in an unusual, twisted tale. The premise may sound a little odd, but the result is a charming and brilliant example of how two franchises can excel by being moulded together, in this memorable classic

< Above, characters from Kingdom Hearts 2 >

The story follows on one year later from the 2002 original and the Game boy Advance version, where Sora (Voiced by Haley Joel Osment) is still searching for his lost friends, Riku and Kairi, while his companions, Donald and Goofy search for the missing king Mickey. With different worlds to explore on the Gummi ship, Sora and his friends encounter multiple enemies such as Maleficent (from Sleeping Beauty) as well as characters that can help them on their journey, such as Hercules.

KH2 has been slightly developed from the original, with combat tweaked, menus made simpler and the awful Gummi ship sequences have been scrapped (hurray). The visuals are more vibrant than ever, with beautiful worlds seeped in colour, rich with detail and a rocking soundtrack to boot (Utada Hikaru thankfully, once again provides vocals).

The core game play is still there – a hybrid mix of RPG elements and plat former, Sora must use his Key blade to attack enemies – with simple controls to make fighting a breeze. Different worlds are introduced, such as ancient China in Mulan, a digital world from Tron and some worlds from the previous games making reappearance.

Some people may not be able to appreciate the beauty of how well the characters worlds are crafted together, but for others it will be a joy. Also some may not be able to see past the child like image the game projects, even though the game is far from childish. One downside is the game can get a little repetitive – the endless travelling to different worlds, greeting new characters just to help them out gets tedious as the game goes on. The A.I of your party is very poor – Donald and Goofy seem oblivious to conserving health potions and often require your help.  

In all, KH2 is a pleasure to play. The vast array of Disney characters are blended together with Final Fantasy ones, creating a moving, epic and unusual story. The graphics look fantastic, even by today’s standards, plus the musical score compliments the game perfectly. Like a rollercoaster ride, KH2 will lift your spirits; tugging at your heart strings in more serious moments and brings a much needed Disney style humour in the next.

9/10 Matthew Greenacre