George A. Romero’s Diary of the Dead
From: Madman Entertainment
Rated R16
95 minutes

Starring: Michelle Morgan, Josh Close, Shawn Roberts, Amy Lalonde, Joe Dinicol, Scott Wentworth, Philip Riccio, Chris Violette, Tatiana Maslany

Whether it be in film or in games, zombies have been given a fair bit of publicity in the last few years with the likes of 28 Days/Weeks Later, Shaun of the Dead, Dead Rising and Left4Dead.

Traditionally, zombies have been mindless, slow moving bodies who, although terrifying, seemed flawed due to the fact that if you kept away from them, didn’t get cornered and had enough weaponry, you could live to tell the tale. But that ideology was challenged in recent times by the notion that because zombies feel no pain then they should be able to push their bodies beyond what they could when they were living and feeling. Enter the fast running, super strength, single minded and semi intelligent zombies from films such as 28 Days Later. Enter a whole new era of undead terror. Romero, however, sticks to the old-school waddling zombies intent on feasting n your brains even if it takes them half an hour to walk up the driveway to do so.

George A. Romero is widely considered the father of zombie movies (well to be fair, none of his non-horror flicks have been anything to write home about), having made Night of the Living Dead (1968), Dawn of the Dead (1978), Day of the Dead (1985) and Land of the Dead (2005) – all epic films within their genre, the original being the standard that all others strive to attain. It would seem that about every decade or so, Romero makes another addition to the “of the Dead” family and perhaps, with the recent release of Diary of The Dead, only a matter of 3-4 years after the successful Land of the Dead, he should have stuck to that tradition.

Diary of the Dead tries too hard to deliver cutting social commentary while dishing out gore mixed with typical moments of black humour. It definitely achieves the humour – but probably not where it was intended. It’s easier to laugh at Diary of the Dead than with it.

The movie follows a group of film students making, ironically enough, a zombie movie of sorts out in the middle of nowhere. When news reports start coming in about the dead mysteriously coming back to life and attacking the living, the group decide to abandon the film shoot and travel back across the country to be with their families. Jason Creed (Joshua Close) whose film project it was, decides to document the groups’ reactions to what is happening as they go from cautious disbelief to an all-out panic for their own survival as they start to experience the phenomenon first hand.

Much of the film uses the handheld camera technique and has a first-person viewpoint – think Blair Witch and Cloverfield, but nowhere near as annoying as the former and nowhere near as stylish as the latter. As another camera gets found, and later on a third we are subjected to different viewpoints, but every now and then Romero cuts to a more traditional camera view to take in a third person perspective and expects the viewer to accept it as being authentic. No doubt Romero is always aiming for “edgy”, but Diary of the Dead comes across about as amateur as the film students it portrays.

Speaking of the characters themselves, I had a difficult time relating to any of them. There’s barely a likeable character amongst them, ranging from moody, ditzy, hedonistic and naïve to dispassionate and completely insensitive. The only character whom I thought might give the cast some substance is the students’ film tutor whom I kept expecting to step-up and take some kind of leadership role. Alas he’s a hopeless alcoholic whose only purpose is some light comic relief. This is emphasised when he chooses a longbow as his weapon of choice due to its “poetic” nature over a variety of ballistic weapons.

This, along with some cringe-worthy plot holes. Firstly that a group of film students making a zombie movie, obviously fans of the genre, never even mention the word “zombie” as the dead start rising around them. But the biggest “OH COME ON!!” moment, which ruins any kind of credibility to the film’s ending, hints that Romero’s heart just wasn’t in Diary of the Dead as much as his previous efforts. In fact I can picture him halfway through production giving a classic face-palm pose and thinking “Shit, I’ve started this, now I’m going to have to finish it”.

Ultimately, George A. Romero’s Diary of the Dead only half achieves what it sets out to. Supposedly a commentary on the YouTube generation, it doesn’t display the technical knowledge to earn the respect of the YouTube generation. Supposedly an edge of your seat survival horror, but too slow-paced to create anything more than a general uneasiness.

Diehard zombie fans should check out Diary of the Dead if just to chalk up another title, but diehard George A. Romero fans will probably get more out of the Special Features than the film itself. Had it been made by an understudy or as a kind of homage to Romero from someone else then Diary of the Dead would hold some spiritual meaning to dedicated fans. But instead, it’s an also-ran and not worthy of the great man’s zombie portfolio.

Special Features:
• Master of the Dead – Interview with George A. Romero
• Speak of the Dead – George A. Romero’s career and his influences
• Into the Camera – Meet the cast in the film
• You Look Dead – A documentary on the make-up effects
• A New Spin on Death – A look into the visual effects of the film
• A World Gone Mad – Cinematography and design of the film
• Character Confessionals – Never before seen character footage
• Familiar Voices – Famous voices used in the background
• The Roots – Another interview with Romero
• The First Week – A filmmakers look through the 1st week of production
• Original Trailer
• Stills Gallery

Watch the trailer:

Title: Flower
From: thatgamecompany
For: PS3 (PSN Download)

For a downloadable title, Flower is an astonishing achievement in gaming. Can a game be a genuine work of art? I challenge anyone to answer in the negative after playing Flower. It’s relaxing, it’s beautiful, it’s poetic and awe inspiring all at the same time.

Flower has you controlling a solitary petal initially and pressing any button will propel it gently forward on a breeze. Steering is controlled by the Sixaxis controller – tilting forward or back for up and down, tilting left and right to turn. It all works perfectly – the most efficient use of the motion sensitivity to date.

You move your petal around a colourless field, passing over buds which open into flowers and shed one petal which then joins yours. Your train of petals gets bigger and bigger and as certain points are reached that section will burst into living colour. Each level has a slightly different theme, but the whole game is only about 1.5 hours long.

I didn’t want it to end, but nevertheless has a warm satisfaction when it did. Flower is a genuine landmark in gaming and I urge everyone to play it.

Score 95%

Title: MotoGP 08
From: Capcom
For: Xbox 360

When it comes to two wheeled racing games, the MotoGP series is pretty much the only realistic option out there, which is unfortunate as a little healthy competition goes a long way. But with nothing around to make it lift its game, MotoGP just seems to slip onto the shelves each year and bring nothing exciting or new to the table.

The standard racing modes are present; Career, Championship, Time Attack and Quick Race as well as a Challenge Mode. To cater to all levels of ability, there are three set-ups; Arcade (which will have you winning everything whether you’ve played before or not), Simulation (which, unless your name is Valentino Rossi, you’ll find completely uncontrollable) and Advanced (which is a happy medium between the two).

Graphically it’s typical of a current-gen racing title, but the presentation of the game as a whole it average at best. Overall, MotoGP 08 is a mediocre release, there’s some fun to be had albeit short-lived.

Score 60%

Title: Skate 2

From EA Games

For: Xbox 360

With only a couple of major players in the skating game genre, there’s room enough for both to find dedicated fan bases and keep each other at arm’s length. In the red corner we have Activision’s Tony Hawk series; arcade-like, totally unrealistic, tricks are performed by epic button-mashing. In the blue corner we have Skate from Electronic Arts; down-to-earth, gritty and comparatively realistic. Tony Hawk is to Skate what Sensible Soccer is to FIFA 09 – both great games but oh so different.

So EA have found themselves in yet another “the dreaded sequel” conundrum (I guess if anyone is used to it, EA is) with Skate 2. Change too much and you’ll lose the established fan base, change too little and you get accused of releasing Skate 1.5. Luckily for them and fans, EA have got the mix just right.

The game begins with a movie-like introduction using real actors, showing your faceless character being released from a minimum security penitentiary. It’s a stylish beginning in Guy Ritchie fashion and sets the tone for what is to come. Since you’ve been incarcerated, San Vanelona has been spruced up and modernised by a major corporation named Mongocorp. They’ve all but banned skating in the CBD altogether, placing caps on rails and the steps of buildings, which forces skaters underground and into backstreet skateparks. Security guards patrol the city ready to take you down if you’re caught being a ‘public nuisance’. If you’re a veteran of Skate then you will recognize some remaining landmarks in New San Vanelona along with pieces of others that have been left as monuments.

EA games have become the benchmark in character creation and customisation and Skate 2 is no exception – in fact it takes it to a whole new level. The physical appearance of your character has all the usual variables, but the clothing options (many of them unlockable with more money) are unbelievable. There seems to be an endless supply of top street-brand t-shirts, shoes and hats to choose from, many of which I’d be quite keen to buy in real life!

Earning money is important in Skate 2 for more than just spending on clothes and decks. You are able to unlock spots and pay people to drain pools to create bowls and buy expansions to a huge Megapark in the city. Speaking of bowls, vert skating has more of a presence in Skate 2, but I found it difficult to generate enough speed to perform any decent maneuvers and vert became more of a chore than anything. The problem is that as soon as you stop kick/pushing your board slows down considerably. You’ll have to do vert at some time in the game, but luckily it doesn’t rear it’s ugly head too often.

Just as in the original, the idea is to show off your skating prowess in front of the right people and gain coverage in Thrasher and Skateboard Magazine, all the while climbing through the skateboard ranks. The photo shoots are in scripted spots and the tasks you have to perform range from the very easy to the ‘my LCD screen is in grave danger of having a 360 controller embedded in it’ impossibly hard. What doesn’t help is that sometimes the game doesn’t recognise that you actually completed the trick successfully, resulting in you doing it all over again, and again, and again…

Perhaps the biggest ‘addition’ to Skate 2 is the ability to get off your board. The walking and running feels a little clunky and looks even worse but is an essential element to getting the most from Skate 2. Walking around allows you to walk back up the stairs you just kick-flipped over instead the usual ollie from step to step or taking the long way back around to the top. While off your board you can move objects around such as dumpsters, ramps, benches and rails to help you over gaps or create your own “spot”.

Creating a Spot is a fun diversion from the main storyline and one you can spend quite a bit of time getting things just right. Once you’ve built and mastered it by scoring as highly as you can by skating it, you can then upload it online for other skaters to download and try to beat your score. In fact there is an Achievement for downloading and “owning” someone else’s spot. You can even create spots or gaps only to come back to it later and find AI skaters trying it out, such is the living, breathing world that is New San Vanelona.

The online aspects of Skate 2 are vastly improved from the original. Spot Battles and S.K.A.T.E. make a welcome return as does the Crash Competition and Hall of Meat. Free skate sessions are more expansive and you can activate an event during any session.

Skating moves are mapped to the analogue stick and the shoulder buttons take care of the various grabs. EA’s Flickit control method takes some getting used to if you’re a newcomer, but makes the Skate series unique. Skate 2 is all about flow and effortlessly morphing from one move into the next. Getting off your board and planning a run of tricks before nailing it is one of the more satisfying experiences in console gaming.

I remember being fairly impressed with the graphics of the original Skate, but Skate 2 shows that up completely. The textures and design of the city are impressive to say the least. Some pop-up does occur, but I found this to be a peripheral thing, taking nothing away from the gameplay itself. The city of New San Vanelona is designed so that you’re not just travelling from spot to spot (although ultimately that’s exactly what you’re doing), but how much skating you can fit in on the way to your destination.

It would be fair to say that Skate 2 is what Skate should have been, but I guess any new franchise needs to start somewhere. Skate 2 is better in every respect, from the plot, design and gritty gameplay to the realism, depth and typically brilliant soundtrack.

This is one that you need to have in your collection. You might not play it for 14 hours straight, but it’s one you’ll come back to for a session over and over again.

Pros: Creating and skating spots is worth the cover-price alone. Looks incredible and has great depth if you want it.

Cons: The walking/running is not animated well (that’s the politest way I could describe it). Hard to generate enough speed for some tricks.

Score 89%

Watch the trailer…

Title: Killzone 2
From: Guerilla
For: PS3

What has perhaps become the quintessential first-person shooter on the PS3 has arrived. Killzone 2 stands toe to toe with Sony’s own Resistance franchise and yells “Bring it on!”.

Scolar Visari remains firmly in power on planet Helghan and is now an even bigger threat with newly acquired atomic weapons. Jan Templar, Commander of the ISA Fleet has been ordered to capture Visari and bring the Helghast war machine to an untimely end.

The single player campaign consists of 10 missions over 5 distinctive environments. There’s over 15 different weapons, drivable vehicles and boss fights. New to the series is the ability to take cover from a 1st person perspective. It’s essential to master this, but personally I would have preferred a 3rd person cover system like GRAW 2 for example.

When the campaign is over then online multiplayer will keep you enthralled for months. The Warzone multiplayer mode is fully featured for 2 to 32 players simultaneously.

Killzone 2 is simply stunning in every respect. From the story and graphics to the music and cinematics, this is a must own for PS3 gamers.

Score 95%

Title: Hasbro Family Game Night
From: EA Games
For: Wii

I for one am enjoying the influx of board game – video game crossovers. Monopoly is a recent convert and now EA Games have brought several well-known Hasbro classics over to the electronic world in one package.

Hasbro Family Game Night for the Wii, contains 5 classic games in Connect Four, Battleship, Boggle, Yahtzee and Sorry! as well as the soon to be released Sorry! Sliders. All have new and interesting variations to try that make the most of the electronic format.

All play well despite taking some getting used to having to make some small and precise movements with the Wii-mote control method. My personal favourite is Battleship –which has some nice hit/miss and sinking animations to accompany gameplay. The initial placement of the ships requires one player to look the other way or cover their eyes.

As a package, it’s a handy title to have in your collection. One you’ll no doubt come back to again and again.

Score 65%

Title: Prince of Persia
From: Ubisoft
For: Xbox 360

While the Prince of Persia series has been around for a long time and seen some excellent titles, Ubisoft have taken the franchise and stripped it back to the bare essentials, taken it back to its roots and given us a game that focuses on what Prince of Persia is all about – platforming.

As the Prince, you meet up with a Princess named Elika whose Father has turned to an evil force called corruption which has engulfed the surrounding lands. Your job is to cleanse the lands of this evil and restore harmony once more.

Gameplay goes as such: Platform your way to a semi-boss, defeat him, then collect ‘light seeds’ from the cleansed area, move on to the next and repeat until the final boss of that area. Light seeds enable you to unlock more areas.

You cannot die in Prince of Persia, if you fall then Elika will save you, if a boss gets the better of you then she will fend him off – I like this feature as it adds an addictive quality to the game. It makes you try things that you might not have done otherwise if you knew you might perish.
Prince of Persia is well worth a look.

Score 75%

Title: Call of Duty: World at War
From: Activision
For: PS3

The Call of Duty franchise has been an enormous success for Activision in recent years, culminating in CoD: Modern Warfare a couple of years back. Modern Warfare was built from the ground up while still keeping a distinctive CoD feel about it.

CoD: World at War takes the series back to its WWII roots but uses the technology from Modern Warfare to make this an extremely realistic WWII experience. World at War doesn’t dredge up all the battles that are usually covered in gaming, instead focusing on some in the Pacific theatre and following through to the Fall of Berlin.

It’s a stunning game and with a great single player campaign, online co-op and multiplayer, is as comprehensive a WWII game as you will find on any gaming console. Having said that, you can still find more players playing Modern Warfare online, probably due to the better weaponry on display.

Had World at War had a split-screen co-op mode it would have been a must-have, but with Modern Warfare and the still brilliant CoD 4 well worth playing, I might suggest a rental before buying to see if this is a title you’ll get longevity from.

Score 88%