Yesterday in the Nerd Verse… Jan 16, 2015

Run the Jewels are finally getting the recognition they deserve. The rap duo composed of Killer Mike and El-P are hooking up with Marvel Comics for Howard the Duck (#2) and Deadpool (#45) variants. Even more interesting that this, or the free show in Denver on January 29th, is the successful Kickstarter for the charity release of Meow the Jewels – a reprise of their 2014 album with all cat sounds.  Source: Rolling Stone

In other music news, the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack, Awesome Mix Volume 1, has been certified platinum. The compilation album fused generations and added the perfect ambiance to the film. Source: PR Newswire

The Heroes Reborn mini-series has found it’s lead in Chuck star Zachary Levi. Word is that the series will premiere in 2015. Source: CNET

A trailer for the upcoming Batman vs. Robin DC Animated movie has surfaced. After Son of Batman, I am ready for more Damian! The Court of Owls also make their DC Animated debut. Source: YouTube

There has also been a clip released for the Justice League vs. Bizzaro League animated movie. It looks like more of the same – and in terms of LEGO DC movies, that is just fine with me. Source: YouTube

Speaking of Bizarro, meet Nibor, Robin’s backward’s companion, in the Teen Titans, GO! episode “Robin Backwards.” Source: YouTube

Constantine may have been saved from the Friday night death slot and mid-season execution, but that doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed a second season. NBC execs claim that there are “too many superhero shows” on TV right now – not exactly sound logic, but it is NBC… Source: IGN

There will be no more Patrick Stewart in the upcoming X-Men: Apocalypse. We’re getting a whole new gamut of characters, so this seems like a natural move forward for the franchise. Source: Yahoo! Movies

Matt Groening may get all the credit, but soon, The Simpsons will be yours to create thanks to Minecraft DLC available for Xbox consoles in late February. Sorry, PlayStationers.

So let’s add “Flash Appreciation Day” to the list of dumb sh*t that We the People have petitioned to the President in the past few years from comic book fans. Sad to say, the petition is over 99,000 votes short of its 100,000 required to be escalated. Way to exercise your Constitutional rights, guys. Source: We the People

The mobile game WWE Immortals has launched for iOS and Android devices. Imagine Injustice: Gods Among Us gameplay meets Mortal Kombat animation with WWE super-star moves. Oh, and it’s free.

Best of E3 2014

The E3 conference is the biggest in video-gaming. All the top companies bring out their toys to show the world what they have up their sleeves. Usually this comes in the form of gameplay videos, early-stage rendering or simple announcements if the project is in its earliest developmental stages. With the news giants like GameSpot and IGN flooding content through their outlets, it can get a little overwhelming. To make things a bit easier, we’ve listed out the biggest news, accompanied by a brief summarization – in case you’re at work, or you don’t want to spend time sifting through the content. Enjoy!

The games

Far Cry 4

If this game is anything like Far Cry 3, then you have no excuse what so ever not to buy this. That game was amazing and this game has all that plus you get to ride around on elephants! The story seems a little too similar to the previous game in that they have a villain that seems a little too similar to Vas from Far Cry 3. This game is going to be on older systems but it should look absolutely amazing on next gen consoles.

Mortal Kombat X

The wait for the next project from Netherealm studios is over. There were rumors that it might be Injustice 2 but after comments made by Keifer Sutherland regarding voice over work he did for a new Mortal Kombat game. A few days before the event, Ed Boon tweeted pictures of an X and asked fans what it could be talking about. This game will have new characters along with returning characters and the story will span 25 years into the future directly following the end of the last game. New characters such as Cassie Cage, the daughter of Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade, will be joining the cast including a villain that is supposed to be a surprise.

Batman: Arkham Knight

The conclusion to the Arkham Trilogy is finally here and is going to be exclusively for next gen systems. While WB Montreal was busy creating the piece of crap that was Arkham Origins, Rocksteady was using the extra development time to polish this game to perfection. This time around the game world will be fully fleshed out and we will be given the ability to drive the Batmobile.

LEGO Batman 3

Batman goes into outer space in order to stop Brainiac from using the power of the lantern rings to shrink the Earth. there will be 150 unique characters to unlock from both the hero and villain side.

Dead Island 2

This sequel takes place in sunny California after the infection from the island spreads to the mainland. Newly crafted weapons and character classes are really all you can expect from this sequel

Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire Trailer

The remakes of Ruby and Sapphire for newer consoles with a possible Delta Emerald in the works

Uncharted 4: A Thiefs End

The final game in the Uncharted series has Nathan Drake coming out of retirement to do one last job. the trailer shows Drake waking up in a hostile environment much like the previews for the last two games. If they get the same people to write for this game that did The Last of Us, then this should be an amazing game coupled with next gen graphics.

Project Spark

Project Spark is a game in which players can create their own video game using tools such as Kinect and SmartGlass.

Assassin’s Creed Unity trailer and Collector’s Edition

Assassin’s Creed players are blessed with not one, but two games this year. Unity will be for the people who have bought next-gen systems only. This years model will have graphical as well as game play updates. This time around players will be given a parkour up and parkour down button to help navigate all terrain as quickly as possible. This iteration is said to focus more on the multiplayer aspect in the story and not just the head to head matches. Players will get a new time period in the French Revolution to run through as well as a new character.

Assassin’s Creed: Comet, the current gen Assassin’s Creed

This new version of Assassins Creed is for people that haven’t yet made the jump to next-gen. It is supposed to be a sequel to AC3 and AC4 and taking place in New York will also feature ships as a part of the story. This seems like a cheap cash in and essentially a rehash of last years AC4. Seeing as details have been a little scarce, I’m not sure how much content besides the story will actually be fresh, but i suppose it is nice that they are still thinking of all of the fans this year. It may be the last year that they do so.

LittleBigPlanet 3

Seems like more of the same only this time around there are three new characters besides sackboy. The content creation is even greater and the worlds will be even more detailed than before. If you have been a fan of the last two iterations than you will most likely enjoy this game as well.

No Man’s Sky

This is an MMO that people need to look up and watch the trailer for themselves, there is no good way of explaining things verbally. Even the developers have a hard time explaining things. It seems like it may be an interesting game to play

Alien: Isolation

Set 15 years after the first Alien movie, you set out as Amanda Ripley, the daughter of Ellen Ripley to uncover the disappearance of her mother. This seems like a mix between Dead Space and The Last of Us with the survival horror requiring you to scavenge just to stay alive. Seems like it could be interesting but the Alien franchise hasn’t had a great track record as far as games go.

Sunset: Overdrive

A contaminated energy drink has transformed most of the population into a multitude of toxic mutants. Using unconventional weapons and the ability to run along walls you will fight these mutants and save the city.

The Crew

Ubisofts big MMO racer that has people in different locales around the country racing to take over a gang.

Forza Horizon 2

Another MMO from the makers of one of the most popular race car games since Gran Turismo. Definitely looks better than The Crew but who knows.

Disney Infinity Marvel Heroes

This is a game for kids that is cashing in on the poplularity of the Marvel movies and the Disney infinity series. I don’t think any adult will genuinely enjoy playing this but this is a great one for the kids.

Evolve

A 4v1 game that pits four players against one player who controls a monster that has special powers to hunt down the hunters themselves. This seems an awful lot like Left 4 Dead with a twist.

The Evil Within

Play as a cop that witnesses something supernatural while investigating the scene of a murder. This seems like another survival horror game in a year full of them.

Super Smash Bros.

The sequel to melee and brawl, this time around they add new characters and gameplay mechanics. With the current fanbase being so large and dedicated plus the lack of any major games on the Wii U, this is sure to be a hit Nintendo desperately needs

Homefront 2

Jump into a united states that has been occupied by North Korea for 4 years. This is a living breathing city that changes based on actions you take. I’ve always wanted a game that played like Red Dawn and now it seems we are finally getting it. I just hope it does the story justice.

Kingdom Hearts III

This is the third game in the series and Sora will be on a new adventure with the cast of Disney. This has been a highly anticipated game and I’m sure it will be awesome just like the last two games.

Sonic Boom

This is a prequel to the sonic story created in the television show. This is also the first time that players will get to control sticks, one the new characters created in the show.

Mass Effect 4 (Trilogy coming to PS4)

Not much has been said about the game other than the fact that it has been announced. The developers of the game have stated that they didnt even like calling it Mass Effect 4 during the early stages as it implied being after the third game. This was basically an announcement that it exists and nothing more really, it should however be amazing based solely on the screens they have released.

Star Wars: Battlefront

Another entry into the battlefront series, this promises to be bigger than the last games we had. With the advances in tech since we last got a game and the major shift to online play, this game has the potential to be something quite spectacular.

Inside (from the developers of Limbo)

Not really sure what to make of this game. Graphically it is 3d and much better looking than limbo as well as having a different atmosphere. I enjoyed Limbo and I’m sure i will check this out, but I have no idea what to expect.

Scalebound

Until I see some gameplay footage, this looks like a mix of DMC and Lost Planet while simultaneously being a ripoff of both. This game does look cool but I will reserve judgement until I see some actual gameplay footage.

Crackdown

The next game in the series is finally here and it looks better than ever. If you haven’t played the first two then you owe it to yourself to check those out. This seems to be focused more on multiplayer but that is just what i gathered from the trailer.

Rise of the Tomb Raider

This picks up right after the first game and comic book series and shows the real transformation of Lara Croft into the badass we know today. If they take as much care with this as they did with the last game, this should be mind-blowing. I can’t wait for this game.

Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris

This is a sequel to the Guardian of Light, this time around there are 4 players as opposed to 2. I didn’t think the first one sold well enough to make a sequel but apparently it did.

Legend of Zelda Wii U

This was the biggest reveal in the show for Nintendo and they didn’t disappoint. This was a major reveal for them and I’m sure that they wont disappoint with this one. Nintendo really needs a game of this caliber on their system.

Yoshi’s Wooly World Wii U

This is another Yoshi game only this time around the catch is you use balls of yarn. I don’t particularly care for things like this and it seems like a lazy first-party game from Nintendo.

Devil’s Third Wii U

This is from the makers of Ninja Gaiden and looks similar to most hack and slash games. Not much was released about this game other than the developer.

Star Fox Wii U

Yet another first party cash in from Nintendo. Since these are the only games people seem to care about on these systems, they are the only ones that developers put any energy into making decent. Because of this, it is pretty much guaranteed this game will at least be decent. This has been a good E3 for Wii U owners and should be a good next few years as well.

Metal Gear Solid 5

This game is going to be one of the greatest games of this generation. After the great yet lackluster experience that was Ground Zeros, we will finally get the true sequel to Metal Gear 4. I cannot wait for this and I can guarantee this will push the limits of any system it is on.

Destiny

The next big thing from Bungie, the makers of Halo, this game promises to be the next big FPS for all systems. People have been waiting to see what is next from the makers of such a historic franchise and this looks very promising.

Abzu

From one of the Developers of Flower and Journey, two critically acclaimed titles, Abzu is the debut project of a new studio. If the other titles are anything to go by, this should be an amazing experience.

Grim Fandango

This is a remastering of the 1998 game that netted a 9.4 score from IGN. If you haven’t played this game yet, this will be the perfect opportunity to check it out.

Tom Clancy’s The Division

The future of the United States always seems so grim in these games. A virus has been released during Black Friday and the country is in shambles. A special unit is dispatched to deal with the fallout. I had heard this was supposed to be an MMO style game but I see no mention of that anymore. Perhaps you can seamlessly join missions with friends instead.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege

This is a tactical assault game that has players in a 5v5 match in a completely open environment. The Environment is completely destructible which should open the matches up to complete freedom. This is a game that people should watch the trailer for, it is one of the best ways to describe how this game plays.

GTA 5

The PS4 re-release of one of the biggest games from last year. This looks like an amazing graphical update but I’m sure that the developers have more in mind than just that. The online is supposed to sync up with your account from the last gen so you don’t need to restart from scratch.

Valiant Heroes: The Great War

A World War 1 puzzle game from Ubisoft. I didn’t see much information but based on the price, this looks like a downloadable title.

The Last of Us PS4

If for some reason you haven’t played what was considered one of the greatest games of the last generation, then this is the perfect opportunity to give this game a try. The gameplay and story are nothing short of a masterpiece and you really owe it to yourself to try this game.

Battlefield: Hardline & COD… both rebooting franchise

These are both the obligatory yearly sequels that each franchise wants to put out and then charge another 60 dollars at purchase time to get you for a whole year of DLC. I will probably check out both but I am not sure how excited I am for either.

 

Other Announcements

YouTube to PS4

Twitch PS4

Ratchet and Clank: The movie

Halo: Master Chief Collection

Gamecube adapter for the Wii U

PlayStation TV

PlayStation Now

inFamous: Second Son DLC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diggin’ Through the Crates: Pharoahe Monch “Agent Orange”

Artist: Pharoahe Monch

Song: “Agent Orange”

Album: The Awakening (2003), a mixtape that preluded his second studio album (Desire). Free download here.

Before we begin, let’s just start out by introducing a lot of you to Pharoahe Monch, as not many I’ve spoken with have had the pleasure of listening to this hidden star of Hip-Hop. While not achieving a lot of commercial success, anything that comes out of Pharoahe’s mouth is lyrical gold. Starting out as half of the group Organized Konfusion, Pharoahe quickly gained the reputation of being a cerebral and entertaining emcee. Since his solo debut in 1999, Internal Affairs, Pharoahe has blown up the independent scene, tackling social and political topics with such clarity and hilarity.

Lyric: “It’s not a Game Boy, X-Box or PlayStation/It’s Resident Evil when every President’s a mason/ Robbin’ y’all fools like Dick Grayson”

Meaning/Character Reference:

Holy “Agent Orange,” Pharoahe Monch! That sure sounds scary and intense. In the mixtape leading to his second album, Desire, he reminds listeners that he is not only a wordsmith but is quite comic savvy, as well. “Agent Orange” is a song portraying the horrid war-time nature the United States government has been proved to display, referencing the US’ use of herbicidal warfare in the Vietnam War that left hundreds of thousands civilians starving and/or permanently physically deformed. When Pharoahe Monch starts listing off the game systems of our past, present, and future, he is basically throwing a brick through Congress windows with a note attached saying, “NOT TODAY, GOVERNMENT! DO I LOOK LIKE A BRAND NEW MORTAL KOMBAT VS. DC UNIVERSE GAME? BECAUSE I AM NOT TO BE PLAYED WITH” – sassy finger snapping ensues. Gloriously, Pharoahe Monch reaches out to the comic book world and pays homage to a superhero that only seek one thing – justice. Don’t lie; you said justice in your best Batman voice, didn’t you? What he is saying is that the system is robbin’ knowledge, power, and all that other good stuff from We, the People. For those of you out there who are wondering who Dick Grayson is, he is the only dude who can look badass in a red speedo, green gloves and a yellow cape, ROBIN! Boom, there is that AHA moment!  Pharoahe Monch is similar to Robin because they are both underrated and underestimated. If Dick Grayson can evolve from Robin into Nightwing, then maybe, just maybe, Pharoahe Monch can turn into Ra…sure, let’s go with that.

It’s a Dick… in a box

Fun Fact: In Eminem’s “Rap God,” which we featured on last week’s “Diggin’ Through the Crates” piece, actually references Pharoahe Monch, a heralded Hip-Hop artist in the underground community. As a lifetime fan of both, it’s refreshing to hear that even a pop legend like Eminem knows who the real artists are: “I know there was a time where once I/Was king of the underground, but I still rap like I’m on my Pharoahe Monch grind.”

That does it for this week guys! Check back next week for more nerd-infused Hip-Hop. Also, if you’re interested at all in learning more about the artist or the subject matter in our posts, don’t hesitate to ask. Pharoahe Monch’s fourth solo album, entitled P.T.S.D., is slated for a release January 2014. Be sure to check us out for a comprehensive review on that! Til next time, nerds…

Written by Evan Lowe and Sherif Elkhatib

Deadpool Videogame Review

Genre – Run and Gun, Action/Adventure
Publisher/Developer – Activision/High Moon Studios (Transformers Cybertron series)
Voice Actors/Writers – Nolan North (Desmond Miles in Assassin’s Creed, Cole McGrath in inFamous, Nathan Drake in Uncharted, the list goes on…), Daniel Way (Deadpool, Wolverine Origins)
Alluring element – A hack and slash videogame featuring Deadpool in his true form
Check it out if you liked – Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, Wolverine: X-Men Origins (the game)
**NOT FOR CHILDREN**

SCORECARD (each category ranked on a 10-point scale):

Storyline – 7
Gameplay –7
Animation – 8
Replay Value – 6
Entertainment Value – 10
Captivity – 9
Variety – 8
Originality/Creativity – 7
Soundtrack/Music – 8
Overall awesomeness – 7

When the Deadpool videogame was announced last year at San Diego Comic-Con, I could hardly contain myself. My expectations weren’t too high. This is clearly an example of style of substance, and I was okay with that. Often himself being style over substance, The Merc With A Mouth originated in the early 90’s as a parody of DC’s Deathstroke, an assassin for hire that is. on many occasion, too badass for his own good. Deadpool’s known for breaking the fourth wall in the comics, which means that he blatantly speaks to the reader, or in this case the player. He’s also known to be bat-s*** crazy. Casual fans who really only know him from Wolverine: X-Men Origins will find this portrayal to be completely new, and hopefully lovable.

Deadpool crashes the SDCC 2012 Marvel Videogames panel to promote his own game. Typical.

The premise of Deadpool is one that doesn’t quite make sense. Not only does he know that he’s a comic book character, but he also knows he’s a videogame character. After threatening a big-shot producer into approving his pitch for a videogame, they send him a script which he quickly throws out the window – a process that I can’t imagine was too different from the process they used in real life. They establish a “big bad” and the reason why they go from level to level, but that’s about as fleshed out as it gets. The first time through, I had no idea what was going on or where I was supposed to be headed for much of the game. I “just enjoyed the senseless slaughter.” To be fair, Deadpool rarely has any meaningful arcs in the comics and, excepting for X-Force titles, stories are really just centered around comic relief and violence. If you’re a fan who needs a deep, thoughtful storyline to enjoy the game, this is definitely not for you. However, in between all the plot-heavy games like The Last of Us, Metal Gear Solid, and The Walking Dead, it was really nice to just laugh at immature jokes and shoot things in the head.

Deadpool‘s gameplay is, by and large, the most disappointing part of the game; normally this is a deal-breaker, but there are still redeeming qualities about it. I will say that I am quite a bit more critical than warranted because I thought it would be a good idea to play Deadpool on the hardest difficulty level the first time through, making the errors much more apparent. The control scheme is laid out like a bastardization of your typical third-person shooter game and a Batman: Arkham game. I think the goal was to create a game you could melee with close-range weapons, but switch up on the fly to use guns when a fire-fight happens. High Moon actually does a fairly good job at this, as you can chain combos and switch weapons almost seamlessly. Combat would be a lot of fun if it weren’t for that damn camera. In a game that is a constant all-out brawl from all sides with all types of enemies, having a reliable in-game camera has become a staple of successful games. If you’ve played Metal Gear Rising, then you know an example of how a camera angle that won’t let you see further than three feet out can hinder a gaming experience. That being said, there were minimal glitches and loading times and the character models looked gorgeous. Deadpool’s first full videogame rendering looked just as good playing as he did in the non-gameplay videos.

The gaming experience is very linear. You spend most of your time going from Point A to Point B while eliminating a set amount of enemies. Even on the hardest difficulty, the story didn’t take that long and can take an afternoon to complete when on an easier difficulty level. Once the game is beaten, there are Challenge levels unlocked that you can play. Sadly, these levels are the same exact ones you play in the game. The only upside to these missions are the hilarious costumes that are unlocked (see below). Besides the generic weapons and character upgrades (almost all of which you can get by the end of your first play-through), there are no collectibles, no unlockables, nothing to make the game fun after you beat the story mode.

I have a soft spot for French Maid Deadpool

What Deadpool lacks in depth, it makes up in personality with Nolan North. North has quite a long list of accolades in action game heroes, and portrays Deadpool with flare and enthusiasm. The developers spend a lot of time cramming Deadpool with as many sound bytes from North as possible. Deadpool just doesn’t shut up and I LOVE it. It’s dick and fart jokes combined with gratuitous violence, but it’s done with crass and originality.  It’s something that’s simply not done in gaming anymore. There were also mini-game segments strewn throughout the game that forces you to stop and smell the roses. I never knew how much fun repeatedly bitch-slapping Wolverine would be until I did it for five minutes straight. Okay, maybe not the best example, but there are tons of fun segments in Deadpool to keep you interested. The bread and butter of Deadpool is that it is, through and through, a Deadpool game. The story is forgettable and the gameplay is generic. Whether you will enjoy it or not really comes down to whether or not you like Deadpool as a character. With his resurgence warranting a cult following in pop culture, this was an admirable attempt to push him into the forefront in pure, unadulterated fashion. Deadpool plays more like an interactive movie than a fully enveloped game, and with low enough expectations, can be a gut-busting experience.

Wrap it up already! This is a review, not a memoir.

Written by Sherif Elkhatib