Random As Rhyme

There is a somewhat universally known fact among gamers movie tie ins, regardless of how good the movie can or will be the game will suck. Most if not all tie in games are rushed out the door to meet the movies release date and since their sales are more dependent on how the movie does as opposed to how the game actually plays. I know this and I currently have two movie tie in games collecting dust in my closet. So why on earth did I get another one?

Well I am a pretty big fan Wolverine and this trailer tipped the scales:

The game looked and the developers and bloggers have been hyping the game up for so long I figured there was know way they could screw it up too bad and it turns out I was right.

Graphics 3.8/5
This game looks great for the most part and a few things stand out more than others. As you incur damage Logans upper body reflects the damage (though he appears to wear adamantium plated jeans). His shirt rips through to skin, which rips through to muscle, then bone, then finally vital organs all and all it is a nice effect and not one I have seen used in other games.

The cinematic cut scenes are above those of any movie game I have played and the kills are just things of amazingly gory beauty. Certain theatrical moves are slowed down and serve as a great visual and comedic treats. Surprisingly this does not get old which I thought it would.

I have only noticed 2 strange graphical glitches, both of which came while I was rotating the camera around the character. Sometimes Logan isn’t really standing on anything just slightly hovering above it and while some mutants can levitate he is not one of them. The other strange bit is that the game seems to have a hard time remember whether or not Logan is wearing a shirt, if you zoom in close it’s gone but when you pull the camera away it re-appears. However neither are game breaking or hideously jarring just strange.

Sound 5/5
“That game is loud!” – my girlfriend.

The sounds are well done and yes it can get pretty loud as the action heats up.

Controls 5/5
The controls are great I was able to pick this game up and start of playing instantly with only a quick flip of the instructions on the latrine. It starts of as a bit of a button masher but as you go on helpful hints pop up that allow you to do different combos by using a combination of weak and strong attacks as well as rage powered attacks. The multifaceted grab button also makes sense in all of the different applications it’s used for, such as opening doors, and pushing pulling and carrying things, in addition to throwing useless enemies onto poles.

The only thing that took me a little bit to get down was the lunges but once I did they were immensely useful.

Creativity 4/5
This is where, for a movie game, this game really shines. The last movie game I played was Transformers and it was repetitive to the point of being annoying. Wolverine seems to have a few repetitive bits but even though I am still early in the game play I can confidently say its not as bad as Transformers.

This game has some shooting aspects, some puzzles, and a few different types of enimies, it also follows an interesting flash back focuses stroy line which obviously follows the movie I have yet to see.

The most creative part of this game is the gore which is the games intentional lure. Anyone who buys this game will be rewarded with a plethora of interesting ways to stop your enemies, my two favorite right now have to be shoving enemies heads into helicopter blades and ripping their arms of and beating them senseless with them. Sure these kills are probably not the quickest and easiest way to off someone but they sure work at keeping the simple minded (myself) amused.

I can easily say the Wolverine origins is the best movie tie in game I have played thus far and the best I own. If you have been waiting for a tittle that really gives you an idea what it is like to be a mutant on the edge this is it, and if you are patient I would recommend picking up a used copy so that you can save a few bucks. The un caged pre-sale edition promotion is over now anyway.

After wanting one for quite awhile I finally manned up and got a PlayStation 3 (ps3) last Saturday (January 10th), below is a recount of my first day with my ps3.

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Girlfriend is not a nerd disclaimer: Lyndsey is worried that this rundown will make her look like a nerd, I would like to formally say that between the two of us if anyone is going to be dubbed a nerd it is surely me. Although I do try to hide the fact by amazing feats of strength.

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9:30am Wake up, urinate, shower, and get dressed. I seem to have slight headache, I am buying a ps3 today and I don’t like spending money this is probably the cause.

I have some running around to do first, so I get to that.

12:30pm Finished running around, it’s snowing, should be good for snowboarding later

1:00pm Pick up Lyndsey, and we head off to EB games to see if I can pick up a used ps3 controller and Metal Gear Solid 4 to save some money, it’s going to be an expensive day.

1:20pm Rummage through used controller bin, all ps2 or ps1 controllers and microphones, weak.

New controllers are 51 bucks, used MGS4 69 bucks, crikey! I buy neither.

1:40pm We go to Futureshop, their deals suck, warranty packages and what not but no games. However I find MGS4 for 59.99 new, which is cheaper than EB and I have a gift certificate so I buy it, stoked on this game.

I ask for Little Big Planet, but they are all sold out. Oh well. Lyndsey grabs some cheap girly dvd’s (Devil Wears Prada and something else I forget).

2:00pm Stop off at Quiznos for lunch, I get a large 5 meat stack and try to purchase a bottle of sprite to wash it down, the clerk informs me that its $2.50. F that noise, I get a fountain root beer instead.

Lyndsey asks what kind of meat is in my sandwich to which I reply “5 kinds”. I am so clever.

I can’t finish the sub, too much food. I fail.

2:30pm We arrive at Toys R Us. Came here to get a deal on 2nd controller only to find out that flyer is over but some Baby’s R Us flyer is out now I think that’s non child owning discrimination. Maybe I will start a class action law suit.

I Purchase ps3(80gb) and Little Big Planet. Rings up $519.00 my headache is a bit worse, I hate spending money.

3:00pm Arrive at Lyndsey’s we have about 2 hours to play before we go snowboarding.

3:10pm We had to switch around Lyndsey’s TV setup so that everything could be hooked up, ps3 has to run through VCR, and digital cable had to be set up different.

I had to run a power wire has to run across the floor to reach a different plug, I made a point to tell Lyndsey not to trip over it, can’t be to careful.

3:11pm Discard instructions.

3:12pm Video game time! Wait, no, PS3 tells me to plug in remote. I figured it was wireless would work magically some how, stupid me.

3:12.5pm Video game time! Wait, no, initial setup required. Input time, alias, date of birth, and earths rotation.

3:13pm Video game time! Wait, no, now updates need to be installed for Little Big Planet. Hrm.

3:20pm Video game time! No more waiting, let’s get awesome.

3:25pm At this point we get introduced to Sackboy, pretty cool guy, I put some red stripped boxer shorts on him and a crash helmet for safety and off we go into LBP.

4:00pm Game looks beautiful, and the learning curve is great allowing both Lyndsey and I to enjoy playing, we work out alternating level system since I only have one controller.

4:30pm Someone in the room mentions we should go snowboarding soon, maybe the cat.

5:00pm Snowboarding canceled, video games: 1 other activities: 0

6:00pm I go to the computer to pay off Visa, headache subsides some but I still hate spending money.

On the way back I trip over the power cable, the same one I told Lyndsey not to trip over…

No damage done, but I make mental note that I am stupid.

7:00pm Food we need food, orange tic-tacs are not food.

7:10pm After Swiss Chalet was too expensive we agree on Dominoes. Food we are getting food.

7:40pm Food arrives, pause ps3 and listen to driver talk about storm, I look outside, see storm, note storm as problem for later, note needing food as a problem right now, so I dig in.

7:45pm We watch John and Kate plus 8 while eating. I comment on Kate not looking bad for having 8 kids, Lyndsey agrees, however we also note that John is getting balder as seasons go by.

They took the kids to see Thomas the tank Engine, I like Thomas.

I work up a plan to create bootleg ‘Tomas’ the tank engine and take kids on rides, but not owning my own railroad foils this plan. Stupid logistics.

8:00pm Video Game Time again!

8:15pm Lyndsey likes stickering and decorating our pod (room in the game), fish are on the floor and flowers all over the roof. All those home decorating TV shows are deemed useless as a result.

9:00pm Lyndsey has made Sackboy look like a fairy. We play like this for awhile before making him look like a Globe Trotter, much more awesome.

9:30pm There is a level involving hopping low riders, whoever designed this game knows me quite well apparently.

10:00pm I encounter a level that’s pretty hard. Near mega man for game boy levels of frustration, but I finally beat it. I really hate Mega Man for game boy.

10:30pm I am starting to get tired and looking to tomorrow and start reading MGS 4 manual, looks sweet, this game is going to be great.

11:00pm My playing skills seem to be declining, Lyndsey seems to be getting better though, that’s cool I am comfortable with that.

11:30pm Room is filling up with cotton candy, I hate cotton candy, I have to eat my way out. What the hell is going on? Why is the room filling up with cotton candy??

1:45am I wake up, apparently I fell asleep, I am also chewing on a pillow the cat likes to sleep on, explains the weird dream and cotton candy like texture. I hate cotton candy!

1:50am Lyndsey is still playing, safe to say she really enjoys the game. She has beat quite a few levels and our pod is full of more crap. Oh vey.

2:00am I pack up ps3 and drive home (almost ending up in the ditch in the process) to get some sleep so I can go boxing the next day. Then come home and play MGS4 until hockey.

4:40am Sleeping, room is free of cotton candy.