Media Mayhem

Grand Theft Auto 5 has taken the world by storm. In it's first day on sale, it raked in a whopping $800 million and reached one billion dollars in sales in less than a week. Developed by Rockstar Games, GTA V visits the city of Los Santos, a fictional take on Los Angeles, California. The story puts you in control of not one but three main characters that can be switched between at any given time. You start the game in control of Franklin, a young black man trying to shake the ghetto stereotype and go legit. After doing a few missions, you are introduced to the second character, Michael, a retired conman who is largely in debt and has a family that despises him. Then there's Trevor, a psychopath who lives outside the city in the desert selling drugs and killing rednecks.

When I first heard of Rockstar's idea to have three characters instead of the traditional one, I wasn't so sure the end result would be pretty; however, it does work remarkably well and it gives the overall story multiple ways of unfolding. Each character has their own solo missions to accomplish. Some missions require all three characters to participate. This is when the three-character system shines. For example, on one particular mission I was tasked with breaking a suspect out of police custody. Michael repelled down the side of the building, while Franklin provided sniper cover from an adjacent building and Trevor hovered in a helicopter near by. I started the mission controlling Michael and then soon had to switch to Franklin in order to take out a few guards with his sniper rifle. Once I had obtained the suspect I switched to Trevor to start flying away from the scene.

When not on a mission you will be in control of one of the three characters. The other two will simply go about their normal daily activities. If you later decide to switch characters, the camera will zoom up into the sky revealing the entire world and then drop in wherever the other character is currently. These drop in moments are some of the highlights of the game. You may drop in to find Franklin stuck in traffic or Trevor lying drunk in an alley wearing nothing but his underwear. Each character has a completely different personality that makes them unique, but when together they mesh perfectly. Rockstar really took the time to make sure the characters were relatable to each other. When driving to a mission start point, the three guys will often make fun of each other, pointing out flaws or low points in their lives. It makes for a hilarious, love-hate relationship between the three of them.

Michael planning a heist

New to Grand Theft Auto is the pre-mission activities. In past GTA games, each mission would be drive here to meet this person to start this mission and then do a series of tasks. Missions were very cut and dry with not a lot of variety to them. Many times while playing missions in GTA V, I had to complete a series of pre-mission tasks before I could start the main objective. Sometimes two of the characters would go do surveillance on a target while the other secured a vehicle for the getaway. Also part of the pre-mission process is the ability to choose outside crew members for support as well as set up a plan. If performing a heist mission, you can choose to take a stealthy approach or go in guns blazing. Certain elements of the mission will be different depending on which option you choose. 

Another new addition to GTA V is the ability to replay past missions at any time. Have a favorite mission or want to replay one you just did to find out how the Plan B approach turns out? Just pull up your character's phone and select the mission you want to play. This is a great new feature. In the past games, the only way you could replay an older mission was to restart the entire story from the beginning. Rockstar has also improved a lot of other areas of the game as well. Driving and shooting mechanics have improved and the addition of mission checkpoints means you won't have to start missions from the beginning each time you die. No more 10 minute drives across the map to restart the mission. The graphics are a vast improvement as well from the days of GTA IV.

The beauty of the countryside is breathtaking

The world of GTA V is immense and packed full of things to do. When not completing missions, Rockstar has included a vast array of activities to do in Los Santos and it's surrounding areas. There are sport activities, such as tennis, golf, cycling, and triathlons. You can take your character to get a haircut, tattoo or buy some new threads. Steal a car and customize it. Buy real estate and trade stocks to make money. Los Santos gives you the ability to do anything and everything you can imagine. Break into the airport and steal a jumbo jet, steal a tank from the military base, get high in your apartment, take part in a street race or simply just cause mass chaos. Rockstar gives you all the elements to make playing the game fun all levels.

People playing tennis

The Grand Theft Auto games have always been known for their hilarious social commentary on current American society. No trend is safe. All the characters have smart phones with a variety of apps and the ability to take obnoxious selfies. A popular website many people visit, Life Invader, is an obvious mockery of the popularity of Facebook. Twitter exists as well, known as Bleeper in the game. Another major parody is a television show called "Fame or Shame" that is holding talent auditions in the city. A parody of American Idol or America's Got Talent. Throughout the city you'll find other less noticeable parody references, such as people trying to legalize marijuana.

The detail of GTA V's world is incredible. As you explore every area of the map, you'll find many unique places to visit. Even swimming underwater or going deep-sea diving in a submarine reveals a vastly detailed environment. This is an area that Rockstar could have easily neglected and no one would have probably cared; however, they chose to make the underwater world just as interesting as the above ground world. Everywhere you look there is something remarkable happening. People have purpose and don't just walk or drive around aimlessly. Walk down the beach at night and you may come across some people having a campfire or travel to Mount Chiliad and you'll see people hiking to the top. The world is alive and constantly changing.

Hikers at Mount Chiliad

As amazing as Grand Theft Auto V is, there are a few issues with it. I found the new shooting mechanics to be improved but still very twitchy. Locking on to an enemy is easier, but no longer is there a round circle that appears around a person when you are locked on to them with your weapon. Only a small white dot appears. There are times where it is hard to tell who you are aimed at. Sometimes my character would decide to completely miss the target even though I was aimed in the right direction. The other thing I found extremely frustrating was the new health bar. Rockstar has implemented a multi-colored bar that indicates how much health your character has left. There were times I thought I had full health only to start a mission and find out I actually had less than half. The old system of having a vertical single-colored bar that would decrease as you got injured worked much better. Also the ability to recharge your health in GTA V is challenging. Health restore options are scarce. I found myself having to go way out of my way to find a food joint or health pack to restore my health.

My other big complaint about GTA V is that the cities of San Fierro and Las Venturas are absent from San Andreas. Avid Grand Theft Auto fans will know that GTA V is a revist to the same world in GTA: San Andreas, which featured the cities of Los Santos (Los Angeles), San Fierro (San Fransisco), and Las Venturas (Las Vegas). Although I found many places to explore and things to do in Los Santos, part of me wished I could visit a completely different city with it's own culture and problems.

Grand Theft Auto V is a masterpiece, but a few of the technical issues listed above seem to interfere with the game play at the worst opportune moments. GTA V is a near perfect game and despite these issues, gamers will still enjoy playing it. There are plenty of things to do, which will keep gamers entertained for hours. Rockstar has also promised the release of GTA Online, which will allow players to play GTA with their friends. GTA Online will add another 500+ missions that can be completed solo or cooperatively, as well as more leisurely activities to enjoy and items to buy for your character.

Rating: 9 out of 10 (Excellent)

A vast, post-apocalyptic world is waiting for you to explore in Naughty Dog's newest game, The Last of Us. The story takes place in the United States in 2033, right after a worldwide pandemic. A mutated strain of fungus has infected people and turned them into zombie-like creatures. Joel, a middle-aged man who has lost many friends and family to the disease, is tasked with escorting a young girl named Ellie across dangerous territory to a colony of people called the Fireflies. The Fireflies are a friendly resistance group who have rebelled against the government's quarantines and control of the country. They have formed their own colonies and are attempting to re-establish life back to the way it was before the disaster. They want Ellie because her blood may hold a cure for the disease spreading around the world.

The world outside the walls of the quarantine zones is beautiful but deadly. The world is full of many dangerous creatures and individuals. There are two types of infected creatures. Runners are recently infected people who still have many of their human attributes; however, the disease has caused them to seek the flesh of healthy humans. If they see you sneaking around, they will attack you. The other form of infected creatures are known as Clickers. Clickers are humans that have had the infection for a long time. Their faces are mutated and disfigured from the fungus. They have lost all senses but their hearing. As a result of only being able to hear, they make clicking noises to detect the environment around them, similar to sonar technology. These creatures are extremely terrifying. When Clickers are near, it is wise to remain still until they move away. They cannot see you, so remaining in the open won't be dangerous, but make too much noise and they will know where you are. You can confuse them by throwing objects, such as bottles or bricks, to other parts of the room to distract them. The other groups you will encounter are bandits, non-infected humans surviving in the abandon cities.

Joel and Ellie on their journey

Joel and Ellie will journey through many major cities on their way to their final destination. The cities have lied in ruin and abandonment for years. The majority of people that remained after the catastrophe are now infected. Nature has reclaimed many structures and areas of the cities. Naughty Dog has done an excellent job in creating a world that resembles a city that has been unkept for years. The city streets are littered with abandoned vehicles and the buildings with items pertinent to that structure. Houses have people's belongings and furniture still inside covered in dust and debris. Businesses have flooded rooms or collapsed areas of the ceiling. Every where you look, Naughty Dog has included little details that make the environment seem real.

Joel wanders the streets in a post-outbreak Pittsburgh

If you take time to explore, Naughty Dog has left many gems for you to find. For example, you may enter an abandon home to find a letter to a loved one left on the kitchen counter. Another reason for exploring rooms is to find supplies that you will need on your journey. As you collect supplies, you can use them to craft medical kits, weapons, and other objects essential to helping you survive. The Last of Us is different than most survival, zombie games in that it requires you to think strategically about how to progress through the game. Ammo is extremely limited, so a methodical approach is necessary. This is not an arcade zombie shooter where you run around blasting zombies with tons of weapons but rather a grown up, realistic take on what the world be like if an event like this were to occur.

The Last of Us is a masterpiece in the truest sense. All elements of the graphics, music, dialogue, story, and gameplay come together to make one of the best games of 2013. It has received over 20 perfect scores from review sites across the globe and I am right along side them in giving this game a perfect score as well. There is simply nothing that could make this game better. The Last of Us is a PlayStation exclusive so unless you have a PS3, you will not be able to play this game unfortunately. Buying one just to experience this game would be well worth it.

Rating: 10 out of 10 (Perfect)

On February 20, 2013, Sony announced their next generation gaming console, the PlayStation 4. Sony held a two hour press conference in New York City to discuss the future of PlayStation. Various Sony executives revealed the specs of the new PlayStation 4 and game developers dived into live game demos of already completed PS4 games.

With the PS4, Sony has greatly improved their infrastructure. Being Sony's first High Definition gaming console and containing a variety of other new features such as a built in bluray player, the PS3 was seen as large step forward. Unfortunately, the PS3 was described by many game companies as being extremely difficult to develop for. The PS3 contained many custom designed components, which made life difficult for game developers.

Sony learned their lesson with the PS3 and have chosen to use more traditional computing components in the PS4. The PS4 will feature AMD's new 8-core processor. It will also contain 8 gigs of memory, which will help it run faster and reduce load times (more on that later). The graphics card will feature a Radeon card with a whopping 1.84 teraflops of power. This will now allow game developers to potentially use the same CGI technology used in movies, such as Transformers and The Avengers, to create almost life-like graphics and vast worlds for us to explore. As seen in Capcom's "Deep Down" PS4 demo below, the graphic quality over the PS3 is a vast improvement (select HD playback). If you pause the video at the 20 second mark you can see the realism in the soldier's face.



With the high computing power of the PS4, Sony has been able to solve a number of frustrations gamers had with the PS3. Sony Computer Entertainment Vice President, Michael Denny said at the Sony Press Conference in February, "On the PS3, waiting seemed to be an all to common theme. A user may decide they want to play a game, so they turn on their PS3 to find they have a system software update to perform. After performing the update they insert their game only to now find there is also an update for the game. Once they finally reach the game they have to sit through logos and wait for the game to load. With the PS4, waiting is a thing of the past. No longer will you have to wait to play that new demo until it finishes downloading. Simply select the game from the PlayStation Store and start playing instantly."

This no wait strategy is crucial to keeping users happy in this instant gratification world we now live in. Part of this new feature allows the user to put the PS4 in a standby mode. When you finish your gaming session, you don't have quit the game, eject the disc, and shut down the PS4; rather, you simply turn off the console and then when you come back at a later time to use it again, the PS4 will turn on and you can immediately resume playing the game right where you left off. No more waiting for the machine to boot up and then sitting through logos and legal information as the game starts up.

The reason game developers are so excited about the future of PlayStation is because all the major players in the gaming industry had a hand in designing the PS4. It was specifically designed to maximize the potential of the latest technology in order to push the gaming industry forward.

PlayStation 4 System and hardware

Ted Price, President and CEO of Insomniac Games, stated, "Yes, the PS3 got a bad rap for being tough to develop for. I imagine that's kept some developers from making the leap -- no such excuse exists now. There's a lot about the PlayStation 4 that is clearly an advance over the PS3. And that's cool from a developer perspective. It seems to me that there are a lot of Sony loyalists who are pumped about the new console. That's great for all of us who make games on Sony platforms."

Tim Sweeney, Epic Games Founder and CEO, had this to say about the PlayStation 4, "As the developers of the Unreal Engine, we're passionate about not only building great games, but building them efficiently. PlayStation 4 builds upon PC technology and takes it to the next level, providing a very robust and easy-to-use development environment. The PlayStation 4 is a leading-edge hardware platform, and its enormous CPU, GPU and memory resources enables Unreal Engine 4 to reach levels of visual quality and detail that go far beyond the current generation, for games of all sizes and genres."



"The features and effects in our new "Elemental" demo on PlayStation 4 are just the tip of the iceberg, showing dynamic lighting and shadowing, subsurface scattering and GPU-powered particle effects at full resolution," he concluded.

At the Sony press conference, a few new games were previewed for the PlayStation 4. The games revealed were Killzone: Shadow Fall, Drive Club, Watch Dogs, Infamous: Second Son, and Destiny. Below are trailers of the games.  

Page down past the game demos to read more information about the PS4.

Killzone: Shadow Fall 



Drive Club



Watch Dogs



Infamous: Second Son



Destiny



Hang on to your old PlayStation consoles because Sony announced the PS4 will not allow for backwards compatible gaming like the early versions of the PS3. Sony will most likely allow you to play old PlayStation titles by re-buying them in the PlayStation Store and downloading them onto the hard drive on the PS4. This is already a feature available on the PS3, so one would think Sony wouldn't make you buy an old game for the third time. For example, originally buying a PS2 game, then PS3 download, then PS4 download. Unfortunately, big corporations like Sony and Microsoft no matter how much they communicate they care about the gamers, their ultimate concern is making money so it wouldn't come as a shock if purchases don't carry over.

Of course while playing these amazing new PS4 games, you need a great controller to give you the most out of your gaming experience. Sony stuck with a similar look to the PlayStation controllers of old but have updated it significantly.

The PlayStation 4 controller

The controller has a much sleeker look to it. The controller contains a number of new features. First off, the buttons have been rounded to give better grip. There is a share button that will allow you to instantly upload photos and/or video footage from you gaming adventures. Next, the controller contains a headphone jack at the base of the controller as well as a small speaker in the center. Lastly, the coolest new feature is a touch screen located in the center of the controller. Sony says the touch screen will allow for users to quickly swipe through menus and make things easier to access. The PS4 will ship with a stereo motion capture bar similar to Microsoft's Kinect, that will run the speaker on the controller as well as capture the user's movements to be used for games currently in development.

Another area the PlayStation 4 improves on from the PS3 is the use and integration of social media. By incorporating the share button on the controller, gamers will have a quick way to upload stills or video clips from their game play to show off to their friends. With the use of PlayStation sensor bar, you will be able to connect with friends on your contact list and watch a live stream of the game they are playing. If you get stuck on a certain level or hard part of a mission, you can use this live stream feature to allow a more experienced friend to take control of the game remotely, progress past the hard part, and then return control of the game back to you.

Sony revealed that there would be a bunch of other new features, but will go into further details at a later time. One feature that is rumored to be available on the PS4, is Sony's not yet released 4K resolution movie rental service. Sony's PlayStation 4 goes on sale Holiday 2013. 

Sources: Sony News Conference, IGN, Playstation Blog

Based on true events, Zero Dark Thirty is one film you won't want to miss. Directed by Katheryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker), Zero Dark Thirty chronicles the decade long manhunt for the world's most dangerous man, Osama bin Ladin.

Zero Dark Thirty has received many accolades and has been nominated for a few Golden Globes. It has also been met with criticism as it features a couple torture scenes that the CIA say are an inaccurate portrail of how information related to the whereabouts of Osama bin Ladin were obtained. Some critics say the film takes a pro torture stance on the war against terror. On a side note, some politicians have claimed the producers of the film obtained improper access to classified materials during the making of the movie.

Taking place after the September 11th attacks, Zero Dark Thirty takes the viewer through many sub plots and side stories on its way to the utlimate end result we all know is coming if you've read the news (no spoilers here). If you've seen Bigelow's previous film, The Hurt Locker, this movie will come as no surprise. The pacing and feel of the movie is very similar; however, Zero Dark Thirty is a more intense thriller of the two. The fierceness of the action and dialogue give a realism to the film that very few directors know how to deliver.

That realism does come with some caution. There are a few torture scenes that are difficult to watch. Whether these events actually happened is debatable, but regardless they will make you squirm in your seat. The CIA claims those events didn't take place exactly as depicted in the film and the producers insist their research supports the accuracy of the torture scenes.

Zero Dark Thirty is not entertainment but a history lesson about the dark and dangerous world of America's military and intelligence agency. For the most part Zero Dark Thirty is a realistic, accurate depiction of the hunt for Osama bin Ladin; although, there are few times the Hollywood factor leaks out. Some scenes and dialogue feel a bit over dramatic, as if the producers were just trying to make the film as intense as possible. Fluffing up the facts so to speak. Moviegoers should not treat Zero Dark Thirty solely as their source of information but as a visualization to the information they've read or heard about the search for Osama bin Ladin.

Grade: B+

Based on the novel by J.R.R Tolkien, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was released on December 14, 2012. The film tells the story of Bilbo Baggins as he is swept into an unexpected journey across Middle Earth. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf, Bilbo joins the company of 13 dwarves. As the group escapes into the Lonely Mountain, Bilbo discovers an underground lake and its sole resident, a creature named Gollum. His encounter with Gollum will change his life forever and set the course for the story of The Hobbit as well as the Lord of the Rings to which the The Hobbit is a prequel to.

The dwarves Bilbo will travel with

While in the presence of Gollum, Bilbo learns about the existence of a powerful golden ring that not only makes one invisible while wearing it but possess a darker, more powerful secret.

Directed by Peter Jackson, the film can be seen in theaters in a variety of formats. You can view the film in the traditional 24fps (frames per second) that most movies are shown in or the 3D version boasts a whopping 48fps. This supposedly helps with the clarity of the images you are seeing and allows for more realistic colors and depth. Many critics of the new frame rate say that the high frame rate along with the 3D can causes seizures or dizziness with some people. If you go see the 3D version, close your eyes for a period of a time if you start to feel faint or dizzy.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a positive revisit to Middle Earth. The beginning of the film is slow since they spend a large amount of time setting up the story. There is action later in the movie but it just didn't seem to quite satisfy the way the fighting in the Lord of the Rings did. Unfortunately, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey falls short of achieving the greatness of the Lord of the Rings films. Portions of the film feel drawn out and some scenes would be more at home in the Special Features on the DVD. Part of this problem is because the studio wanted Jackson to make The Hobbit into a trilogy rather than one movie; therefore, there is a lot of content that normally would be excluded but was left in to generate more films and thus more revenue.

Grade: A-

Far Cry 3 is a tropical paradise holding dark secrets. You and your friends venture to a remote island for a vacation. Your only focus is having a good time with your friends, but soon that will all change. Suddenly your friends and two brothers are kidnapped by a band of slave trading pirates on the island. After escaping from a prison camp deep in the jungle, you will meet up with some local natives that will help you rescue your friends and family.

Jason Brody

The gamer is placed in the hands of Jason Brody, the main character. This game is a First Person Shooter so you never see Brody running around, only the jungle from his point of view. Exploring is a must in Far Cry 3. One by one you must find and save your friends before they are sold or killed. You will travel across the island killing pirates, hunting animals, gathering plants for medicine, and rescuing your friends. Slowly take back control of the island by destroying enemy outposts and activating radio towers to reveal more of the map. You can learn more about the island to help you defeat the bad guys or simply enjoy the scenery and have some fun hang gliding, driving jet skis or participating in a variety of other activities.

Hang Gliding is a quick way to get across the island

You dictate how the story unfolds. There are many different strategies to approaching missions. When raiding a camp, you can run in and start shooting or take the stealthy approach by staying on the outskirts of camp and taking the bad guys out one by one. This immediately adds a high replay value to the game. It's fun to replay certain moments in the game and try a different approach. My favorite way to take out enemies is from above. Use a zip line or hang glider to come flying into camp, eject at just the right moment and attack before the pirates have a chance to react.

 

Single player mode takes place over two islands. One of the islands is ruled by a psychotic slave trader that you meet at the beginning of the story mode and the other is run by a ruthless drug lord. There is also Co-Op mode where 2-4 players can take on a series of challenges together as well as Multiplayer mode where you can battle against other gamers online. Co-Op mode is fun for a bit but most of the challenges are simply taking out wave after wave of enemies or blowing up bridges etc. Multiplayer adds nothing new to the gaming front. It's fun if you love Far Cry 3 and are into online gaming, but it's nothing special. All the online modes will feel pretty familiar if you've ever played Call of Duty or any other shooter.

Far Cry 3 is a great game. It doesn't take long to finish the campaign but there is a major downside to breezing through it. The developers have designed the game in a way that encourages and almost forces you to explore the world they've created, and why wouldn't you. The landscape is beautiful and there are miles of jungle to explore. Spend more time exploring the jungle and developing skills to help you defeat the enemy. It will keep you busy and entertained for hours. The more time you spend with Far Cry 3, the more you'll fall in love with the island and the craziness it holds in store for you.

Rating: 9 out of 10 (Excellent)

The newest Bond film to hit theaters, Skyfall, puts James Bond (Daniel Craig) in harms way once again. This time M (Judi Dench) is the target as MI6 comes under attack. His loyalty to M is tested as a shady character resurfaces from her past. Bond must stay focused on protecting the agency and his friend no matter how personal things become.

From the opening scene, Skyfall gives you non-stop action. The sequences are raw and gritty. That's just how I like my Bond; rough, tough and with a kick of style on the side. The villain in this film, Silva (Javier Bardem), holds MI6 responsible for the pain and misfortune in his life. Silva is a more believable villain than Bond villains of the past because he has a personal vendetta, rather than being evil just for the sake of being evil. He possesses a creepy, psychotic evil that sends chills down your spine.

Bond has many moments in the film where his skills put to the test. While chasing a suspect, Bond is being shot at while operating an excavator on a moving train. As chaos ensues, Bond leaps from the excavator into an open train car in front of him, calmly adjusts his suit cuffs, and proceeds. This cool, collected style adds a huge element to the film. Rather than using fancy, unrealistic gadgets like in the Pierce Brosnan Bond films, Daniel Craig's Bond relies more on his 007 skills and training to complete the job. Many moments simply don't need dialogue or music because the acting says it all.

One area of the film many movie goers tend to overlook is the soundtrack. Thomas Newman (Road to Perdition) wrote the score for this film, replacing David Arnold who tracked the first two Daniel Craig Bond films. The Adele theme song is one of my favorite Bond themes in the last 50 years.

Casino Royale was a good first step for Daniel Craig. Although it had its dull moments, it ultimately helped revitalize the franchise; however, with Quantum of Solace, many fans were left disappointed and saw it as a step backwards. Skyfall firmly places Bond back on top as the king of action, style, glitz and glamour. Easily one of the best action/thrillers of the year, Skyfall will surely not disappoint.

Grade: A