“It’s one of my tricks. Get an axe.”

If you are a fan of zombies and/or First Person Views then you should keep tabs on a little known game called DEAD ISLAND.

Set on a tropical island resort, overrun by undead guests, you are one of only a few survivers - four survivers to be exact. Does it sound like LEFT 4 DEAD? Yes. Does it play like it? Can’t say since no gameplay footage is currently available. What is available is a cinematic trailer that shows everything I have just detailed about the game.

From the trailer you can see that unlike LEFT 4 DEAD’s enraged mutants, these are actually zombies. You can also see that the tone is pretty dark and depressing.

What is known for sure about DEAD ISLAND?
-focus on melee combat and customization
-4 player co-op with RPG elements
-set in a beautiful yet gruesome open world

It’s shaping up to be a combination of LEFT 4 DEAD and BORDERLANDS on a vacation getaway. Let’s just hope it turns out to be at least half as good as those awesome titles.

Yes I did play Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, and yes I got my back side kicked. So what? Let me tell you what went wrong.

First of all, the button layout has been changed. It is now more simplified and similar to TATSUNOKU VS CAPCOM. You got a light attack-medium attack-heavy attack-areal attack, which automatically launches your opponent up. So now all characters can put their enemies in the air just by pushing one button. Unlike Marvel vs. Capcom 2, which featured four attack buttons separated as two pairs of low and high punches and kicks. Other then that, the controls are more or less the same as previous versions. You can hit one bumper to switch out either one of your three characters, or hit both with your power meter up for a triple attack.

The Graphics are very nice, but I think the crazy colors and flashes are a bit too much. It confuses me, I don’t know if I’m pulling a special move off or not. Capcom is definitely using Street Fighter IV’s style, and while the graphics aren’t a straight ripoff of that game, the influence is there. I must admit, backgrounds are gorgeous, and for a first in the series, they make sense. What I mean is they represent each character instead of just…well, not making sense. The music seemed alright as well. Nothing special, but at least it’s not smooth jazz.

And last but not not least, I-suck-ass. Hardcore players are going to be just as good as they were in MVC’s of past. I cannot wait for this game to release so that I can get more of a beating, although I must admit, it does have a more approachable appeal to it, so hopefully I can beat down on some newcomers.

To conclude my professionalism, I would like to show you a list of characters that was “leaked” online by the same person that listed the characters for SUPER STREET FIGHTER IV months before it was confirmed. He was right about that, is he right about this?

MARVEL:
*Hulk*
*Wolverine*
*Deadpool*
*Captain America*
*Iron Man*
*Dormammu* (Boss)
Spider-Man
Elektra
Thor
X-23 (female clone of Wolverine)
Magneto
Dr. Doom
Shuma-Gorath
Emma Frost
Mr. Fantastic (WRONG!)
Super Skrull (with all Fantastic 4 powers)
Taskmaster (mimics others/predicts moves by watching them)
Juggernaut
She-Hulk

CAPCOM:
*Ryu*
*Dante*
*Felicia*
*Morrigan*
*Chris Redfield*
Mike Hagger
Frank West
Bionic Commando
Arthur
Amaterasu (Okami)
Albert Wesker
Zero
Chun-Li
Viewtiful Joe
Trish (Devil May Cry)
Tron Bonne
Hsien-Ko (DarkStalkers)
Akuma

P.S.
Characters confirmed to be absent from the game have so far included Tyrant and Nemesis of the Resident Evil series, as well as the four members of Marvel’s Fantastic Four, who were excluded at the company’s suggestion (which may have something to do with the movie reboot that is in the works, FANTASTIC FOUR: REBORN). Seth Killian has also stated that Amingo will not appear. Thank Goodness!

Get ready to Fight! Marvel vs Capcom 3 is set for a Spring 2011 release on PS3 and 360

If you are looking at this post you better have seen the the game play of GOW3, and if not, here you go! The game play starts at 1:03 if you don’t have the patience.

The Gears of war have certainly been turning since part 2, but (as a fan) I have to say it was not the best experience I had at E3. Not too many major changes were made to the format. We already knew about the weapon swapping, playable females (Sam and Anya), more Lambent enemies and new weapons before E3. So what did my fellow gear heads notice on the video? The “Bag and Tag” move, which is the act of slapping a grenade onto a meat shields back and letting him loose. A nasty Lambent Berserker that just doesn’t die and that’s pretty much it. Not that it’s a bad thing, it’s just not enough. It wasn’t awe inspiring like the last two games have been for me. But it is way too early for me to review GOW3, especially since I haven’t even played the fraggin thing.

If you were paying attention to the end of the video, Cliffy B. mentioned something called BEAST MODE. While there was no playable demo at E3 I did get the chance to sit in on a live demonstration of the game play.

Beast Mode is the opposite of Horde Mode which is in Gears of War 2. In Horde Mode, you were the COG fending off waves of AI Locust that gradually became more difficult, but in GOW3’s Beast Mode, you are the locust fighting the AI COG. In Beast mode, you earn tokens for killing your enemies. These tokens allow you to unlock stronger locusts. For example, you start off with a Ticker and soon after you can upgrade to be a Wretch, Drone, Kantus, Boomer, Mauler, etc. and even a Berserker. New locust were also revealed. An Armored Kantus, duel-wielding guns, an electrified centipede creature and a Digger Boomer.

The unique part about this mode is that each locust retains it’s special ability that it has within the main campaign. For example, the Kantus priest has the ability to revive other locust from afar, the Berserker is known to be semi-blind so when you play as the Berserker, you as the player have limited/hazy sight. I also noticed that the bigger locust (like the boomers) now have the ability to vault over obstacles in there path, just like COG’s.

It sounds like there are nothing but pro’s about this mode, right? But what about the con’s? Well I numbered them for your convenience. 1-when you kill an enemy they explode, no matter what, even if you kill them with claws or a butcher knife, which are certain locusts weapons. 2-you start off battling stranded, then move up to COG’s. Does this sound like a variety of enemies or just waves of guys with lancers? 3-Horde mode got boring, fast. Will Beast mode be any different? Now these faults might just be my own, but they are still worth noticing.

On a side note these are the characters that have been confirmed to be in GOW 3: Marcus, Cole, Dom, Baird, Jace, Anya, Hoffman and a new character called Sam. Dizzy, Tai, Alex Brand and Clay Carmine (and maybe Sgt. Madison Carmine?) will be confirmed by Cliffy B. at Comic-Con, which is July 22nd-25th. Also Microsoft officially detailed Ice T’s character Griffin as the leader of a rag-tag group of human survivors (Stranded) who Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad will encounter.

That’s it for now people. A lot of news has been released but the wait is far from over. The fight continues April 8th 2011.

E3 2010 was full of eye candy, but one of the sweetest demos was Square Enix’s DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION, the 3rd part in the popular franchise (even though the 2nd part was a let down).

Here’s the official cinematic trailer:

The year is 2027 (25 years before the first DEUS EX), a time of great innovation in neuroprosthetics, but also a time of chaos and conspiracy and a new social divide. The “haves” and “have-nots” are defined by those who can afford augmentations and those who cannot. Adam Jensen, a private security specialist hired to protect the interests of one of the largest bio-tech corporations, is undecided on the ethics of neuroprosthetics but becomes injured in an attack on the facility and must be augmented. Having this very important decision taken away from him, he now is driven to encounter the truth and discover who attacked the facility and why. In his search, a vast global conspiracy is revealed and Adam’s decisions will decide the fate of humankind.

While I couldn’t actually play the demo, I watched (with my own eyes) a developer play a portion of the game on a large screen that displayed no HUD (the final version will have a HUD display, even though I’d prefer that it wouldn’t) and was demonstrated in pre-alpha (a.k.a. incomplete version), yet the visual graphics were already mind-blowingly beautiful. It can only get better from here.

As Jensen walked through the incredibly detailed futuristic city, every NPC interacted and reacted to him in various ways that did not seem scripted. The player can talk with anyone or even overhear NPCs conversations from a distance. When Jensen approached a bar and was stopped by a bouncer, not only was the dialog and movement realistic but it also incorporated a type of conversation game play that allowed the player to make different choices to complete his objectives. Jensen “chose” to pay his way into the bar, but he could have killed the bouncer or found another way in, by sneaking under the building or listening to NPCs as they discussed the password. Inside elements of the story were revealed and more of the conversation gameplay took place as the demo continued.

The demo skipped ahead to an action/infiltration portion of the game. Up to this point the game had mostly been 1st-person perspective (except for the cinematic scenes), but the viewpoint changes to 3rd-person when you use the cover system. As Jensen snuck around a heavily-guarded warehouse area, take downs were demonstrated, ranging from non-lethal (knock-outs), stealth (neck snaps), double kills (instant and simultaneous), environmental (breaking through walls to get to an enemy on the other side), and when surrounded, cinematic-like finishers that clear the entire room - in style. These take downs are made easier to execute with the help of the BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM style X-ray vision, but even that cannot be executed without the help of augmentations (abilities chosen, earned, purchased) that help effect and strategize the way you play.

By the end of the demo I was left speechless, so I had no choice but to write this pre-alpha review. All I have left to “not” say is watch the trailer, and while it may not be gameplay it pretty much demonstrates what you can actually do in the game. For once, a game that does not falsely advertise with it’s cinematic scenes. I can’t wait to try the demo for myself.

Acrobatic maneuvers in flip-flops made possible by SMART - check below for details…

If you think about it, First Person Shooters still control the same way they have since DOOM, DUKE NUKEM and GOLDENEYE. But now change has arrived in the form of BRINK, Splash Damage and Bethesda’s new free-flowing, team-based shooter.

BRINK’s story is about the world nose-diving into an apocalypse (as always). The Ark, a modern safe haven, is the place to be. Now all the stranded and desperate clans living in the slums want in. The rEvolution begins.

As I stepped up to the E3 demo I learned that BRINK’s Evolved F.P.S. comes in the form of a single button: a SMART button, which is the Left Trigger (360). I tried this newness out and I’m glad to report that it works. The Smooth Movement Across Random Terrain is both easy and fun to execute.

With the button held down I was able to sprint, climb and slide under mostly anything that was in my path, as long as it was within a normal human’s ability. I found out on my own how to slide out of cover (side ways) to another cover while shooting, and even how to slide into an enemy and knock them down.

The online experience is very exciting with this one too, due to the fact that mission objectives can only be accomplished by certain “classes”. For example: You must disable a bomb. Someone in your squad must be an engineer (1 of the 4 classes) to disable it. This encourages players to work together by strategically choosing what classes their team should consist of. It’s fun to be a lone wolf, and you can be, but encouraging teamwork opens up more satisfying moments of accomplishments in a match. I believe that a big part of social gaming is the opportunity to be an active part of a group, and BRINK delivers on that.

The acrobatics mixed with action is satisfying, despite the “simple fix” problem of not being able to melee while reloading. Customization is a nice addition for both your clothes and weapons too.

Here’s a cinematic trailer, for your viewing pleasure:

I am excited about BRINK. It is evolutionary and enjoyable, definitely one of the highlights of my miserable life…….and E3.

BRINK is due out September 7th, 2010 for PS3, PC and Xbox 360.

Once in a while I come across trailers for movies both released and unreleased that get my attention. Enter the trailer park and discover something new that you might want to consider watching some day.

MACHETE

THE TOURNAMENT

SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD

[REC] 2 (aka QUARANTINE 2)

GALLOWALKER

SOLOMON KANE

THE EAGLE PATH

THE GREEN HORNET
The first trailer will debut on “Jimmy Kimmel Live ” on Monday, June 21st. Seth Rogen , who plays the Green Hornet, will be Kimmel’s guest that night and will introduce the trailer.

I love zombie movies, zombie games, zombie music, no matter what format they are in, count me in. The only thing that has not been done yet is a TV series. One thing that I have always wanted was a zombie TV show, and if you didn’t know, it has been in the works for some time now. AMC’s upcoming series, THE WALKING DEAD, based on the comic book by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore and Charles Adlard, will premiere this October, just in time for fearfest.

pics of zombies from THE WALKING DEAD

pics from the comic

The Walking Dead is currently being shot in Atlanta, GA and the zombies have one man to thank for this nightmare come true, writer, director, and executive producer Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile). The six-episode first season follows a group of survivors, led by police officer Rick Grimes, traveling in search of a safe and secure home after a zombie apocalypse.

I have never read the comics but I know of them, and I know a good zombie when I see one. I mean these zombies look better then the ones in movies. I hope this series pleases the fans and newcomers alike, because if not, I got an idea for a TV show of my own (”nice plug in” “I know, I know. I wasn’t gonna do it but I did” “Yeah you did. Up top!” *High Five*) Anyway, I hope you are ready for the first zombie TV show, I know I am.

George A. Romero, King of the Zombies

George A. Romero is one of the reasons I love movies. NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, DAWN OF THE DEAD, DAY OF THE DEAD, these films are some of my favorites, they made me forever question if a dead person will get back up, so when I hear anything Romero related you better believe that I rise from my grave.

Romero has three ideas/stories that will branch off from DIARY OF THE DEAD, one of which is SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD, his latest zombie flick which is out on Xbox Live right now. His idea is to take characters from Diary and give them their own film, then in some way reconnect them all in one last film.

Survival focuses on the character Sarge (Alan Van Sprang) and his soldiers, but who’s next? The group of scavengers that horded every last resource in their city? Or the blond chick that escapes? (I don’t want to go into details, watch DIARY OF THE DEAD)

But in order for these ideas to become reality SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD will have to make some dough. Because after all money talks in Hollywood. If Survival flops, those ideas will die, then get back up and feast on brains.

I applaud Mr. Romero and encourage him to continue making films until he dies, but his last couple of “OF THE DEAD’S” have not been cult classics. With that said I will leave the decision of Romero’s career in your hands. I already did my part and watched both DIARY and SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD.

Jamie Bell is rumored to have webbed the role of Peter Parker/ Spider-Man in the upcoming Spider-man reboot. I suppose he’s just as good as any young, WHITE, geeky teen. The only thing I recognize him from is JUMPER (threw up a little in my mouth) and KING KONG (meh).

I don’t know, is he geek enough?

Honestly, I don’t mind a different director or different actors, the only thing that upsets me is the back tracking. Why start over. WHY! Although pushing forward might have been a bad idea too. I mean look what happened to BATMAN. Despite everything, I can’t wait to see this movie! After all, I am and always will be a web head.

MONKEY KING: WREAKING HAVOC IN HEAVENLY PALACE-

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The title role for Soi Cheang’s fantasy movie based on the iconic character Monkey King has been confirmed and its Donnie Yen (A big name actor who you probably never heard of in the U.S.). Jet Li was the other prime candidate under consideration to re-play the role he had in THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM. The major roles still left to be filled include Buffalo Demon King, Princess Iron Fan, Jade Emperor, and Erlang Shen. The budget is a whopping $45 million and plans to be shot in 3D IMAX.

This is awesome news if you know who the Monkey King is. If you don’t, that’s not my problem, look him up, you got a computer! I know you do. I don’t got time to tell you who he is, but you could check “him” out in THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM, the DRAGON BALL series, or you could read the classic book Journey to the West. The release date is slated for February 2012.

Jet Li as The Monkey King

IP MAN-

It’s Donnie Yen Again

Wilson Yip’s semi biopic Ip Man comes to America this summer. The movie is about the life story of Ip Man (Donnie Yen), the grand master of the Wing Chun style of kung fu and is the master of legendary kung fu superstar Bruce Lee. That alone should be enough incentive to watch this movie.

Set in Foshan, China, during the Sino Japanese War, Ip Man vividly brings to life the brutality of the infamous Japanese occupation, where once proud men are forced to fight till their death for a precious bag of rice. Defined by courage and humility, one man rises to the fore, Grandmaster Ip Man, whose matchless fighting skills are revered all over China. Upon refusing to teach his beloved fighting art to the invading Japanese soldiers, he is forced to fight for the honor of his country in a series of battles that will culminate in a kill or be killed showdown with General Miura, Japan’s greatest fighter.

Both the DVD and Blu-Ray will be released on July 27th.

KUNG-FU PANDA: THE KABOOM OF DOOM-

Jean-Claude Van Damme turned down a role in Sylvester Stallone’s “The Expendables” because he didn’t want to be a supporting actor, and yet he has jump-kicked at the chance to voice one of the many (MANY) new characters in Dreamworks’ Kung-Fu Panda sequel? Damn you Van Damme! Your fellow ass-kickers needed you, but I guess you could still kick some animated ass as an animal.

Oldman voices the character of Lord Shen (a peacock), the film’s formidable new villain while Yeoh brings to life the mystical character of The Soothsayer (a goat). Van Damme and Garber round out the cast as Master Croc and Master Thundering Rhino, respectively. Michelle Yeoh, Victor Garber, and Gary Oldman have also agreed to walk and talk like an animal. Jack Black and Dustin Hoffman will reprise their roles.

Glad to have you back in Hollywood Jean-Claude.

Where has Rob Zombie been? Well, he has been off on his Gruesome Twosome tour which he took as a break from making films (oh and if you didn’t know, yes he directs movies and has been for a while). Now that the tour is over, it’s time for Rob to decide what to do next. In order to do that Rob Zombie posted a poll on his official blog asking fans what film they would like to see next. The choices are:

THE BLOB remake

TYRANNOSAURUS REX

WEREWOLF WOMEN OF THE S.S.

THE DEVILS REJECTS Part 2

The first three titles have been known to people that are in the know. First THE BLOB, another remake of a horror classic that is just too old for me to watch nowadays. TYRANNOSAURUS REX, by the looks of the few pics that are on the web it looks crazy, other then that I have no idea what this movie is about. WEREWOLF WOMEN OF THE S.S. of course is one of many fake movie trailers that appeared in the movie GRINDHOUSE. But Devils Rejects 2? Really?

It is definitely intriguing. What else can he do with the franchise? A prequel? Focus back on Dr. Satan? Of course this could all just be Rob’s way of getting a reaction out of us for no apparent reason. What intrigues me is that he may actually have an idea in that sick head of his. Hopefully soon Rob will comment on the poll.

Daniel Benmayor will (aka might or might not) be directing a sequel to the terrible video game based movie HITMAN. Benmayor is a commercial director so don’t expect much. No word if Timothy Olyphant (the star of the first movie) will be returning. If there’s enough money involved, I’m sure he will.

Awful

HITMAN could be a decent franchise, but it will most likely never happen. I’m almost positive that this Quick-buck-flick will be a rush job, sloppily edited together and poorly written. I can’t wait to pay for a good movie, watch it, then hop over to watch HITMAN 2.

Legendary Pictures has just announced that it plans to develop EA’s and Bioware’s popular video game series Mass Effect into a feature film and Warner Bros. will distribute said film worldwide.

The producers are in discussions with Mark Protosevich (I AM LEGEND, THOR) to draft a screenplay based on the epic science fiction game. Legendary’s Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni will produce the film with Avi and Ari Arad. BioWare co-founders Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk will serve as executive producers, as will Mass Effect executive producer Casey Hudson. This movie should stay true to it’s roots with these guys on board.

Mass Effect takes place in the year 2183 and follows Commander Shepard of the SS Normandy who leads a team on a mission to defeat an ancient alien race that invades the galaxy every 50,000 years, wiping out all organic life.

This game is a tremendous property, ready for translation to the big screen. It has depth, compelling characters and an engaging back story. This video game based movie can be just as successful a feature film as Street Fighter or Max Payne (just kidding, those movies were garbage). Heck, a sequel is already in the works and the first movie hasn’t even come out yet.

Honestly, I haven’t even played the game. I have the game right in front of me, but it’s so epic that I can’t even put it into my Xbox 360, not yet anyway. But millions of fans can’t be wrong, and from what they have told me, this may very well be the break through that video game movies has needed.

Watch these trailers and tell me they can’t make a decent movie out of Mass Effect:

Richard B. Riddick: Professional Killer

I really like the character Riddick, he is one of, if not the best Vin Diesel persona, so when I found out that a third movie was finally happening I let out a sigh of relief. I didn’t think it would happen since CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK wasn’t all that great, despite all the cash that was put into it. Apparently they’re playing it safe this time, with a much smaller budget, but that’s okay. PITCH BLACK had a small budget and it turned out great.

What I have here is the synopsis for RIDDICK, the third installment in the series (fourth if you count the animated DARK FURY).

Betrayed by his own kind and left for dead on a desolate planet, Riddick (Diesel) fights for survival against alien predators and becomes more powerful and dangerous than ever before. Soon bounty hunters from throughout the galaxy descend on Riddick only to find themselves pawns in his greater scheme for revenge. With his enemies right where he wants them, Riddick unleashes a vicious attack of vengeance before returning to his home planet of Furya to save it from destruction.

David Twohy is finishing the script as we speak.

For those of you who are fans of KICK-ASS, which should be all of you, a sequel titled KICK-ASS 2: BALLS TO THE WALL has been announced. It is scheduled to go into production next year with a release date of 2012.

Mark Millar said he will begin writing a sequel to the comic book in April. Millar also revealed that he wrote outlines for three books. The second book would involve criminals becoming supervillains, and Hit-Girl trying to lead a normal life. The new comic has the working title Kick-Ass: Balls to the Wall, just like the movie!

If the second and third movie are as good as the first, KICK-ASS will be one of my favorite trilogies, not to mention one of the best comic-to-screen movies. The next move is yours Millar, don’t let your kick-ass fans down.