Sunday 18 September 2011

East Misses West.

This has been a weekend for unexpected film treats- next up Bunraku. Before I go on, take a look at the reviews on IMDB- yeah, its split between people who love it and have a set of well explained reasons and people who've decided to hate it and can't tell anyone why. What does that tell you?

Anyhow, the film's plot, such as it is,  is largely dispensed with in a stylised (its done almost like a child's pop-up book) animated introduction where it is explained that humanity has had a sort of epiphany; if they carry on inventing new ways to kill eventually there wont be anyone left to press the big red buttons. All weapons above and including firearms are banned outright and sealed away, leaving mankind to revert to a weird, neo-feudal, mildly steam punk vision of the world where martial arts meet pre-gunpowder arms like bows, sword and, well, bits of wood. Official government collapses as territory is carved out by the most vicious and powerful. Perversely, changes in leadership are not decided by gang warfare, but rather by prearranged gang combat- the winner gets to take control of the territory, the loser gets to have a long dirt nap.

The area the film focuses on is under the rule of a hulking enigma known as Nicola The Woodcutter (Ron Perlman); so named for his official costume with which he hides his identity and for his predilection for murder by axe. He has never lost a battle and such is his arrogance that he occasionally delegates the chore to one of his nine ranked henchmen or "Killers". 

Into this paper and pugilism nightmare step our first two protagonists; a cowboy in a world where guns are non-existent and a youthful, swordless Bushido master (Yoshi, played by Gackt Camui) whose obsession with honour despite the degeneration of the world leaves him at almost as much of a disadvantage as his western counterpart. The Drifter (A living Man With No Name cliche played by Josh Hartnett) has learned to brawl with punches as fast as gunshots and Yoshi doesn't necessarily need a sword to hold his own.

Each of them are looking for information that will lead them to the city's arch bastard ruler Nicola, whereupon they find their way to a seedy rundown bar full of generic punks, who they proceed to batter individually. Once they meet up and realise their paths are similar, they goad each other into combat, ostensibly unwilling to let a weaker person slow them down, but in reality because they each want Nicola's head themselves.

At this point we meet another protagonist- The Bartender (Woody Harrelson). This gentleman serves as a tempering force for the two youngsters, having tangled with Nicola in the past and paid heavily for it. He now secretly foments rebellion and aids the pair, all the while nursing a secret hatred of Nicola and thirsting for his downfall and the return of what was taken from him...

Stylistically this is a very difficult film to pin down- a blizzard of influences, homages and formatting tricks are thrown at you, its almost a mercy (possibly by design as the title refers to a Japanese form of puppetry that deals often with tragic story cycles- the tale isn't as important as the delivery, I feel) that the actual plot is such a cliche. I'm convinced I've spotted homages to 8-bit era video games such as Kung Fu Master and Spy Hunter among others, with the soundtrack providing familiar blips and blops. Film references include shades of Clockwork Orange (the outlandish gang costumes, society reverting to atavistic tribal values), Dark City (The setting, characterisation of Killer #2) and maybe even a few slight touches of noir for good measure.

You may be tempted to cry "pretension!" at all of this, but in today's film landscape it's nice to come across something so fresh. Take it for what it is and let yourself have fun, why don't you?

Saturday 17 September 2011

It is a general truism of this world that anything long divided will surely unite... and anything long united will surely divide

Four and a half hours of pure, unfiltered awesome. That's pretty much my conclusion after watching Redcliff, a John Woo film unlike any I've seen before.

The film is set during the ever popular and ever licensed Romance of the Three Kingdoms saga (for those who haven't come across this yet, its the hugely involved story of how the warring provinces of China were eventually brought together after much intriguing, deception, legendary battles and heartache).

As you might expect, the film (OK, films plural, the extended balls-out edition is actually separated into two films) only deals with a single set of events within the saga, namely the pivotal battle at Redcliff, where a vastly outnumbered force relies on a blend of tactical acumen, deception, the courage of the assembled heroic generals (for "heroic" read "lethal at twenty paces and regard dying as something that only happens to sissies") and one very adept spy...

Beautifully, impossibly, you see it all- everything. Nothing is cut out (unlike the theatrical release, which I suppose is understandable, especially in the US market), leaving the audience with a fuller understanding of the plot developments; this gives a greater sense of scope and in turn a better all over experience, especially if you are new to the RTK saga.

It's impossible to distil a single cohesive reason why this is so very good. It might be the huge set piece battles, it might be the characterisation, the fact that non-verbal acting is so strong here or perhaps just because it oozes so much style. I just don't know. Just grab a fistful of snacks and some like minded friends and invest the time to find out for yourselves!

Friday 16 September 2011

Not for the Emperor.

I've had a play through of the demo for Space Marine today and I can't say I'm inspired to part with actual money for it. At least at full price.

It could be that the demo was poorly structured, showing some fairly pedestrian levels that failed to impress; it could be that the game play appears to be a competent but commonplace Gears of War clone without the tactical aspects (there's no way to take cover) or it could be that the game is heavy on melee combat and yet gives you no way to block enemy strikes other than rolling out of the way. Any of those things are a potential turn off to me.

I understand that Relic are not really the go-to guys for action adventure games -Fire Warrior taught me that- but I had hoped that lessons had been learned since their last riff on the genre. It's a pity because their fondness and respect for the WH40K licenced material is as obvious as in their RTS titles, but the player experience fails to match it.

That said, there is fun to be had here, mostly in the form of the CQC execution moves (your main method of healing damage; a nice nod to the Space Marine idiom of ignoring wounds in order to kill some more xenos while the Larriman's organ deals with the injury, but it reveals another of the game's weaknesses- you cannot move while executing and enemies can still harm you!) and the ability to use an assault squad jump pack. These moments are hilarious as you take to the air and come stomping down on the poor hapless orcs with both boots, pasting them across the floor.

Of course, I can't really critique the product as a whole without having played it to the bitter end (a maxim too many net dwelling fans-with-keyboards choose to ignore), so I'll most likely be scouring the bargain bins for it soon.

Tuesday 13 September 2011

This Cat Must Learn To Fight...

Was the tagline attached to Varjak Paw, a book I picked up at random this week.

Ostensibly a children's book (It brought author S F Said a Smartie Award in 2003) it charts the first adventures of Varjak, a kitten belonging to a family of Mesopotamian Blue cats who live in the once grand  house on the hill, under the care of a woman known to them as The Contessa. The feline family members have never left the house or entered the garden beyond, have never wanted to, believing that monsters and danger lurk there. All the family members that is, except Varjak.

Varjak is a dreamer and outsider, absorbing the tales of noble ancestry his grandfather The Elder Paw spins for the kittens in front of the fireplace. Varjak believes them all, sometimes venturing even into the dreaded garden in search of adventures, like his ancestor Jalal Paw, inviting mockery from his siblings and anger from his parents.

This is where the book becomes part coming of age independence tale, part martial arts adventure. No, really. Disaster strikes as a man known only as The Gentleman enters the tale along with two identical black cats of indeterminate breed, who don't act quite as cats should...

Sensing danger, the Elder Paw attempts to teach Varjak "The Way", a secret martial art passed through the family bloodline that he feels only someone with Varjak's open mind can master. Before the training is properly begun however, tragedy overtakes them and Varjak is cast into a hostile world beyond the garden wall, a world about which he has no knowledge other than the stories of monsters and terror. Will his scant knowledge of The Way protect and guide him, or is he and his helpless, pampered family doomed?

This book charmed me immediately, it has all the hallmarks of a classic kung-fu spiritual journey; the loss of home and family, the re-evaluation of self, the great journey to discover oneself and improve one's abilities, the gathering of friends and the making of powerful enemies, acquaintance with victory and defeat and finally an epic showdown between man and cat.

Best of all this is written mostly from a kitten's imagined point of view- the martial arts Varjak comes to know are all modelled on actual cat behaviour. Ever wondered why your cat occasionally runs in rapid circles for no reason? Or perhaps how they manage to catch birds and mice so easily? Perhaps the answer lies with The Way.

This one goes on the list along with Owly as "something I'd be happy to find my kids reading". It deals intelligently with emotions such as loss and betrayal and is never caught being patronising. Recommended for readers of any age

Friday 9 September 2011

Desert Island Deaths.

Finally it's arrived- Dead Island is here, waiting on my HDD courtesy of online love/hate delivery system Steam. I've been waiting for this for a good long time, dodging the hype and keeping my brain pristine clean for my own close encounter with the sun-drenched getaway hordes.

Ok, that's a lie- I watched the heartbreaking trailer for the game on Steam when it surfaced and was gripped by the grim and unrelenting tone it took. No punches pulled here.

Right from the off the game will have you in familiar territory, with influences from a whole slew of popular games in evidence. We have the scavenging ethic from STALKER, the general setting and player -created weapons from Dead Rising, a few enemies that look a bit Left 4 Dead around the chops and most obvious of all a shedload of mechanics from Borderlands. All of this makes Dead Island sound like an exercise in derivative toss. Dig deeper into the DI chest cavity and sniff the innards however and you'll see how mistaken that assumption is.

You start the game in typical zombie survival form- utterly screwed. One of four separate survivors with their own troubled past and their own reasons for being on Banoi Island, you party hard, get good and drunk and wander off to bed. When you wake up the hotel you are staying in on this holiday is overrun by undead killers and you realise you have got to get out-now. During your frenzied escape you realise you have an advantage over the other "lucky" survivors in that you are immune to whatever is causing people to lose their minds and start eating each other.

From there you are largely free to wander the island, gathering cash, weapons and assorted junk items like wristwatches and mobile phones to name but two, while beating off the infected with whatever weaponry comes to hand. You can sell these items to the various shady types and holdout shopkeepers you'll meet, but that would be a real waste; this junk comes into its own when you use it to soup up your run-of-the-mill weapons into zombie-reaping objects of carnage. Electric katanas, poisoned shivs and incendiary shotguns are just some of what is available for the intrepid survivor who can find the plans to construct them.

A word on the itemisation- apart from borrowing Borderlands' loot colour coding and prefix system, the game has you rely heavily on melee weapons in the first three quarters of the game and the firearms you do run across don't have enough ammunition to reduce DI to another tedious "shoot the horde from miles away" experience. Most fights carry a element of real risk, because you will have to close with the infected to dispose of them, saving your ammo for more serious encounters. This was a stroke of sub genius on the part of Deep Silver, as it keeps the game tense and involved. More close quarter's fun is to be had with the damage modelling on the zombies themselves. You can break limbs so they flap uselessly, sever body parts, gouge streamers of flesh from bodies with a glancing blow; all good unclean fun. All of this has a practical use beyond being satisfyingly unpleasant; enemies with broken legs cannot run and those with broken arms are left only able to bite at you pathetically. As for those you set on fire...

One way that Dead Island wins points is for it's atmosphere, including references, homages and nods to many zombie films and games. Unlike L4D where the action was largely relentless and a bit arcadey, DI goes for the creeping dread and social decay that an extinction-level event like this would cause. It also deals in passing with mature themes such as PTSD and loss of innocence, murder and rape, albeit through a fairly Hollywood-tinted lens.

Levelling is handled in a familiar (*Cough* Borderlands*Cough*) way, with XP being awarded for completing assignments and challenges. Once a level has been earned you can spend a skillpoint in one of three talent trees, unique to each player character. Again the focus on multiplayer is obvious, with complementary skills no solo player would ever choose to waste points on sometimes getting in the way of the useful stuff you want lower down the tree.

In essence a great survival horror experience, perhaps a little too easy once you reach a certain level, but you are never invulnerable and the game will punish you for being cocky. It has definite weak points in its plotting and the intent that it be played as a multiplayer game is often underlined to the point of being logic-breaking (NPCs will always refer to the player as if they are in a group, even when playing solo for instance). Some might dislike the absence of a third person view, I know I did, expecting one after exploring the environments in Risen had proven so interesting. 

Be warned also, the game has a sewer level you'll need to visit more than once. In fact, it has something more horrifying than any zombie assault- a sewer level within a sewer level. That's right. A dull, low-visibility, dungeon crawl without the payoff. This is the weakest section of the game in my view and it really should have been replaced with some one kicking your chosen character in the face for twenty minutes while chuckling and playing with themselves.

So, Dead Island isn't without obvious tanlines and it's had it's greasy little paws in the creative till a little too often, but it's still a satisfying and exciting game with loads to recommend it to those of us whose idea of a holiday involves sun, sea, sawnoffs and simulated blood spatter.