Predators – even the name sounds a bit scary. Afterall, its a word to describe something that hunts down its prey with the intent to kill. Being dropped into a dense jungle with no memory as to how you arrived with a bunch of strangers is also scary. Finding out you’re being hunted by a gang of Predators – well thats not much fun!!
And thats essentially how Predators begins – Royce (Adrien Brody)waking up in the middle of a jungle with some strangers and then going on the run to survive against the deadly enemies that are seemingly hunting for fun. The strangers introduce themselves to each other and between them work out that they are all highly skilled fighters of some kind. From Special Forces veterans to Japanese Yakuza (Gangster), it seems the best of the best are all thrown in together on what they soon discover is an alien world, home to the Predators, where they are hunted as part of a game.
The band of soldiers get some help from the strange character, Noland (Laurence Fishbourne) who has been trapped on the planet for years – surviving by learning about the Predators and hiding in an old crashed ship. Noland and Royce put together a plan to get off the planet but ego’s and tempers flare and cause disarray to the plans.
The twist on the traditional Predator story is clever – it has always been the Predators coming to Earth to hunt humans. Taking humans out of their comfort zone and hunting them for sport is a novel spin and in theory it works well. The action is mostly huge guns against the stealth of the aliens but the story moves along well for the action to stay in keeping and not gratuitous.
For the full Predators film review check out PlayEject.com
PlayEject - movies and games reviews
Thursday, 28 April 2011
Wednesday, 27 April 2011
Forget about the Royal Wedding - become a King (or Queen) with Fable 3
Fable 3 is the latest installment from Lionhead studios that allows the player to become a hero or a villain in the massive open world of Albion. Set 50 years after Fable 2, the old king of Albion has died and reign has gone to Logan -a King who doesn’t seem to have the best intentions of the people at heart!
You play Logan’s brother – the Hero – who, after a blazing row with your older brother, flees the kingdom and ends up in the mountains with the Dwellers. Its from here that you start rebuilding your life and plan to build up a revolution of followers to take on Logan’s army in the Kingdom and become King yourself.
There are a huge number of quests and missions available – some are optional and are there to help boost your player with experience or money whereas others are part of the epic story. The missions vary from the early menial tasks of fetching or killing a few bandits, to much more interesting and in-depth missions where you will face some more advanced foes and test your skills in battle by using a combination of weapons and magic.
Whilst playing Fable 3 you’ll find yourself earning some money – not much at first but it will steadily build up. You can then chose what to do with your hard earned cash – buy some new weapons maybe, or some property so you have a place to stay and rest, maybe furnish the houses own to rent out, or even better – buy a shop so you get regular income over time. You’ll soon become a property mogul in Albion and end up owning most of the houses. Be careful though – the temptation to raise prices in shops or rent might seem like a good idea to make a quick buck but the citizens of Albion will start to dislike the idea of a tycoon taking all their money and will turn against you – making you slightly evil.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg as all your actions throughout Fable 3 will either make you loved or hated. As with previous Fable games, you can perform expressions on anyone you meet and try to charm them to get gifts off them, or scare people into doing your bidding. Each action will affect your Karma meter and end up with certain reactions from the locals – you have been warned.
But building up an empire and becoming King is just the start – we were quite chuffed with ourselves when we eventually gain the Kingdom through hard work and some great battles. But little did we know that was just half the game...!
For the full Fable 3 Review visit playeject.com
PlayEject - Movies and Games reviews
You play Logan’s brother – the Hero – who, after a blazing row with your older brother, flees the kingdom and ends up in the mountains with the Dwellers. Its from here that you start rebuilding your life and plan to build up a revolution of followers to take on Logan’s army in the Kingdom and become King yourself.
There are a huge number of quests and missions available – some are optional and are there to help boost your player with experience or money whereas others are part of the epic story. The missions vary from the early menial tasks of fetching or killing a few bandits, to much more interesting and in-depth missions where you will face some more advanced foes and test your skills in battle by using a combination of weapons and magic.
Whilst playing Fable 3 you’ll find yourself earning some money – not much at first but it will steadily build up. You can then chose what to do with your hard earned cash – buy some new weapons maybe, or some property so you have a place to stay and rest, maybe furnish the houses own to rent out, or even better – buy a shop so you get regular income over time. You’ll soon become a property mogul in Albion and end up owning most of the houses. Be careful though – the temptation to raise prices in shops or rent might seem like a good idea to make a quick buck but the citizens of Albion will start to dislike the idea of a tycoon taking all their money and will turn against you – making you slightly evil.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg as all your actions throughout Fable 3 will either make you loved or hated. As with previous Fable games, you can perform expressions on anyone you meet and try to charm them to get gifts off them, or scare people into doing your bidding. Each action will affect your Karma meter and end up with certain reactions from the locals – you have been warned.
But building up an empire and becoming King is just the start – we were quite chuffed with ourselves when we eventually gain the Kingdom through hard work and some great battles. But little did we know that was just half the game...!
For the full Fable 3 Review visit playeject.com
PlayEject - Movies and Games reviews
Thursday, 21 April 2011
Mass Effect 3 Preview - Read it here now
Mass Effect 3 will conclude the epic saga of Commander Shepard and his battle against the Reapers in the same amazing action as we've seen in the previous two Mass Effect releases.
If you've seen the trailer then you'll appreciate how amazing the cut scenes are looking and hopefully be as excited as the rest of the PlayEject team where when we watched a lone injured soldier take out an enemy with a single round from a sniper rifle. The camera pans back and reveals the soldier sat within the clock face of Big Ben in London with Reaper ships all around the capital and explosions seen all around. Pan out even further and we see Earth being decimated from every angle while looking out from aboard the Normandy over Commander Shepard's shoulder.
With the action taking place on Earth where Shepard is on trial - an extension to the main story that follows the latest DLC from Mass Effect 2, expect to see a number of famous landmarks that will mark numerous battles as you fight your way through the Reapers with the help of Quarians and Salarians and a few familiar faces.
There's not been any gameplay footage revealed at time of writing and Bioware haven't yet said what will happen to Shepard's powers that you earned throughout Mass Effect 2. Weapons are apparently no longer restricted by class and can be customised with pickups and collectables. We've also found out that the skill tree for shepard is more advanced than in the last outing, meaning more avenues to explore and enhance your player to suit your own style of play.
Biotics and Tech Powers make a return but as we've not seen them in action we can only assume they are going to be more of the same with perhaps some new additions thrown in?
Depending on what you did in the previous Mass Effect games will determine who appears in Mass Effect 3. For example, in one of the hardest interactive decisions we've made on a console game was in the original Mass Effect when we chose not to save Wrex. Regretting that ever since, Mass Effect 2 continues with your decisions and ME3 is no different!
But for many, its not just the action and the exploring that grabs so many people to enjoy Mass Effect - its the story and the levelling up and the story reaches its climax in this third outing - maybe we will finally find out who the Illusive Man really is and what he has in store for Sherpard, T'Soni, Captain Anderson and your other team mates.
Due to arrive in November 2011, PlayEject will keep you updated with more when we have it!
If you've seen the trailer then you'll appreciate how amazing the cut scenes are looking and hopefully be as excited as the rest of the PlayEject team where when we watched a lone injured soldier take out an enemy with a single round from a sniper rifle. The camera pans back and reveals the soldier sat within the clock face of Big Ben in London with Reaper ships all around the capital and explosions seen all around. Pan out even further and we see Earth being decimated from every angle while looking out from aboard the Normandy over Commander Shepard's shoulder.
With the action taking place on Earth where Shepard is on trial - an extension to the main story that follows the latest DLC from Mass Effect 2, expect to see a number of famous landmarks that will mark numerous battles as you fight your way through the Reapers with the help of Quarians and Salarians and a few familiar faces.
There's not been any gameplay footage revealed at time of writing and Bioware haven't yet said what will happen to Shepard's powers that you earned throughout Mass Effect 2. Weapons are apparently no longer restricted by class and can be customised with pickups and collectables. We've also found out that the skill tree for shepard is more advanced than in the last outing, meaning more avenues to explore and enhance your player to suit your own style of play.
Biotics and Tech Powers make a return but as we've not seen them in action we can only assume they are going to be more of the same with perhaps some new additions thrown in?
Depending on what you did in the previous Mass Effect games will determine who appears in Mass Effect 3. For example, in one of the hardest interactive decisions we've made on a console game was in the original Mass Effect when we chose not to save Wrex. Regretting that ever since, Mass Effect 2 continues with your decisions and ME3 is no different!
But for many, its not just the action and the exploring that grabs so many people to enjoy Mass Effect - its the story and the levelling up and the story reaches its climax in this third outing - maybe we will finally find out who the Illusive Man really is and what he has in store for Sherpard, T'Soni, Captain Anderson and your other team mates.
Due to arrive in November 2011, PlayEject will keep you updated with more when we have it!
Due Date - Film Review
It would be easy to mistake Due Date as a bizarre follow-up to The Hangover with Zach Galifianakis playing an almost identical character, Ethan Tremblay – a wannabe actor who has some odd tendancies but is lovable, and Peter Highman (Robert Downey Jr.) as a businessman stuck on the wrong side of America and desperately trying to make it home in time for the birth of his first born child.
Due Date is a simple enough story and you would think it be easy enough to get from one side of the USA to the other pretty easily nowadays but when Peter’s wallet is lost and he gets kicked off the airline, banned from all flights due to his reaction to Ethan’s antics, the due end up sharing a rental car together.
Its not just another Road Trip story though as there are some wake-up moments for Peter Highman as he tries to keep his anger issues in check while constantly being wound up by Ethan Tremblay and his ability to cause havoc wherever he goes.
Due Date is a film that most people should enjoy - some more than others, granted - but its an easy to watch film that we enjoyed relaxing to on a Sunday afternoon. Its not hard to follow the plot and offers good comedy value. It might not be our favourite film but is definitely worth seeing.
For a full review of Due Date check out PlayEject.com
PlayEject - Films and Games review
Due Date is a simple enough story and you would think it be easy enough to get from one side of the USA to the other pretty easily nowadays but when Peter’s wallet is lost and he gets kicked off the airline, banned from all flights due to his reaction to Ethan’s antics, the due end up sharing a rental car together.
Its not just another Road Trip story though as there are some wake-up moments for Peter Highman as he tries to keep his anger issues in check while constantly being wound up by Ethan Tremblay and his ability to cause havoc wherever he goes.
Due Date is a film that most people should enjoy - some more than others, granted - but its an easy to watch film that we enjoyed relaxing to on a Sunday afternoon. Its not hard to follow the plot and offers good comedy value. It might not be our favourite film but is definitely worth seeing.
For a full review of Due Date check out PlayEject.com
PlayEject - Films and Games review
Tuesday, 12 April 2011
C64 - the C stands for Comeback!!
C64 returns - long live the king!
Any gamer over the age of 25 will have fond memories of the classic Commodore 64 with its distinct beige keyboard and tape deck, rainbow logo and the famous blue and white display from the load screen. Anyone thats played on a Commodore will no doubt remember the insane loading times, watching the counter on the tape deck tick round until the epilepsy-inducing loading screens finish flashing and the pixellated characters appear on screen and you can start playing...
Well thats soon to be a reality all over again as Commodore USA are releasing a brand new version of the console which will run on Microsoft Windows 7. The new C64 console is also boasting a DVD or Blu Ray slot as well as Wireless capabilities (online Chuckie Egg anyone?).
The new Commodore device is on sale now from the CommodoreUSA.net site with a basic system costing $250 going up to a whopping $895 but is also expected to be on sale in stores later on this year across Europe. The console currently comes shipped with the Classic Games package but we're hoping that more games will be released in time so we can relive some of our favourites - Dizzy being top of the list!!
The release of the new C64 console follows Commodore releasing its game-cabinet application through Itunes for the iphone and ipad, allowing gamers to select retro classics such as manic miner, Chuckie Egg and others. Commodore has also been present in both the original Tron film and the Tron Legacy film released on DVD and Blu Ray this year.
What's next - Sega releasing the Master System or Atari and the doomed Lynx?
PlayEject - films and games reviews
For more news and reviews on films and games visit PlayEject.com
Any gamer over the age of 25 will have fond memories of the classic Commodore 64 with its distinct beige keyboard and tape deck, rainbow logo and the famous blue and white display from the load screen. Anyone thats played on a Commodore will no doubt remember the insane loading times, watching the counter on the tape deck tick round until the epilepsy-inducing loading screens finish flashing and the pixellated characters appear on screen and you can start playing...
Well thats soon to be a reality all over again as Commodore USA are releasing a brand new version of the console which will run on Microsoft Windows 7. The new C64 console is also boasting a DVD or Blu Ray slot as well as Wireless capabilities (online Chuckie Egg anyone?).
The new Commodore device is on sale now from the CommodoreUSA.net site with a basic system costing $250 going up to a whopping $895 but is also expected to be on sale in stores later on this year across Europe. The console currently comes shipped with the Classic Games package but we're hoping that more games will be released in time so we can relive some of our favourites - Dizzy being top of the list!!
The release of the new C64 console follows Commodore releasing its game-cabinet application through Itunes for the iphone and ipad, allowing gamers to select retro classics such as manic miner, Chuckie Egg and others. Commodore has also been present in both the original Tron film and the Tron Legacy film released on DVD and Blu Ray this year.
What's next - Sega releasing the Master System or Atari and the doomed Lynx?
PlayEject - films and games reviews
For more news and reviews on films and games visit PlayEject.com
C64 - the C stands for Comeback!!
A retro gamers' heaven - the C64 is making a comeback!
Any gamer over the age of 25 will have fond memories of the classic Commodore 64 with its distinct beige keyboard and tape deck, rainbow logo and the famous blue and white display from the load screen. Anyone thats played on a Commodore will no doubt remember the insane loading times, watching the counter on the tape deck tick round until the epilepsy-inducing loading screens finish flashing and the pixellated characters appear on screen and you can start playing...
Well thats soon to be a reality all over again as Commodore USA are releasing a brand new version of the console which will run on Microsoft Windows 7. The new C64 console is also boasting a DVD or Blu Ray slot as well as Wireless capabilities (online Chuckie Egg anyone?).
The new Commodore device is on sale now from the CommodoreUSA.net site with a basic system costing $250 going up to a whopping $895 but is also expected to be on sale in stores later on this year across Europe. The console currently comes shipped with the Classic Games package but we're hoping that more games will be released in time so we can relive some of our favourites - Dizzy being top of the list!!
The release of the new C64 console follows Commodore releasing its game-cabinet application through Itunes for the iphone and ipad, allowing gamers to select retro classics such as manic miner, Chuckie Egg and others. Commodore has also been present in both the original Tron film and the Tron Legacy film released on DVD and Blu Ray this year.
What's next - Sega releasing the Master System or Atari and the doomed Lynx?
PlayEject - films and games reviews
For more news and reviews on films and games visit PlayEject.com
Any gamer over the age of 25 will have fond memories of the classic Commodore 64 with its distinct beige keyboard and tape deck, rainbow logo and the famous blue and white display from the load screen. Anyone thats played on a Commodore will no doubt remember the insane loading times, watching the counter on the tape deck tick round until the epilepsy-inducing loading screens finish flashing and the pixellated characters appear on screen and you can start playing...
Well thats soon to be a reality all over again as Commodore USA are releasing a brand new version of the console which will run on Microsoft Windows 7. The new C64 console is also boasting a DVD or Blu Ray slot as well as Wireless capabilities (online Chuckie Egg anyone?).
The new Commodore device is on sale now from the CommodoreUSA.net site with a basic system costing $250 going up to a whopping $895 but is also expected to be on sale in stores later on this year across Europe. The console currently comes shipped with the Classic Games package but we're hoping that more games will be released in time so we can relive some of our favourites - Dizzy being top of the list!!
The release of the new C64 console follows Commodore releasing its game-cabinet application through Itunes for the iphone and ipad, allowing gamers to select retro classics such as manic miner, Chuckie Egg and others. Commodore has also been present in both the original Tron film and the Tron Legacy film released on DVD and Blu Ray this year.
What's next - Sega releasing the Master System or Atari and the doomed Lynx?
PlayEject - films and games reviews
For more news and reviews on films and games visit PlayEject.com
Friday, 8 April 2011
Skyline - Dont Look Up!!
After seeing the trailer for Skyline, the PlayEject team were very excited – we admit freely to loving a good alien/monster movie and this one looked right up our street. With the massive space craft seen hovering over the cities with helpless people getting sucked up and the strange blue light, Skyline was definitely on our radar.
Skyline starts off promisingly well with a couple, Jarrod (Eric Balfour – 24) and his pregnant girlfriend, waking up to a bright blue light outside their window. When they hear screams from the next room, Jarrod investigates but finds himself transfixed by the blue light and we see his skin turn an odd colour and his veins bulge before the camera cuts and takes us back 15 hours earlier. So far – so good.
We then get introduced to the couple who are visiting Jarrod’s successful friend, Terry (Donald Faison – Scrubs) and his wife in LA. Its not long before we are given a quick introduction to everyone and the lives of the rich in LA before we end up back at the scene with Jarrod being sucked towards the blue light…
Skyline takes a different approach to the alien-invasion genre and becomes a battle to survive rather than fight back with the group of survivors arguing amongst themselves which is the best course of action – sit it out or make a run. Rather than see ‘heroes’ in a film of this nature it is refreshing to see the main characters scared and not knowing what to do for the best – a sense of desperation.
Unlike another recent movie release of the same genre (Monsters) we do see a lot of the aliens and their main aim becomes apparent as the film progresses. However, Skyline does feature a lot of slo-motion sequences which at first are acceptable to emphasis the action but after a while (and each scene featuring any action) it does become annoying.
We also got the impression that the writers lost their way with Skyline – with what starts off so promising and a possible Cloverfield beater soon starts to feel like there was no definite direction. We won’t spoil any part of the film in terms of what happens but after you watch the film you will probably see what we mean.
Overall, Skyline is not a bad film but its really not the blockbuster that the trailer made it look. There are a few familiar alien-stereotpyes (tentacles that come from something larger and look for humans, etc) and annoying moments but at the same time its fairly enjoyable.
For a full review of the Skyline film jump over to PlayEject.com
PlayEject - movies and games reviews
Skyline starts off promisingly well with a couple, Jarrod (Eric Balfour – 24) and his pregnant girlfriend, waking up to a bright blue light outside their window. When they hear screams from the next room, Jarrod investigates but finds himself transfixed by the blue light and we see his skin turn an odd colour and his veins bulge before the camera cuts and takes us back 15 hours earlier. So far – so good.
We then get introduced to the couple who are visiting Jarrod’s successful friend, Terry (Donald Faison – Scrubs) and his wife in LA. Its not long before we are given a quick introduction to everyone and the lives of the rich in LA before we end up back at the scene with Jarrod being sucked towards the blue light…
Skyline takes a different approach to the alien-invasion genre and becomes a battle to survive rather than fight back with the group of survivors arguing amongst themselves which is the best course of action – sit it out or make a run. Rather than see ‘heroes’ in a film of this nature it is refreshing to see the main characters scared and not knowing what to do for the best – a sense of desperation.
Unlike another recent movie release of the same genre (Monsters) we do see a lot of the aliens and their main aim becomes apparent as the film progresses. However, Skyline does feature a lot of slo-motion sequences which at first are acceptable to emphasis the action but after a while (and each scene featuring any action) it does become annoying.
We also got the impression that the writers lost their way with Skyline – with what starts off so promising and a possible Cloverfield beater soon starts to feel like there was no definite direction. We won’t spoil any part of the film in terms of what happens but after you watch the film you will probably see what we mean.
Overall, Skyline is not a bad film but its really not the blockbuster that the trailer made it look. There are a few familiar alien-stereotpyes (tentacles that come from something larger and look for humans, etc) and annoying moments but at the same time its fairly enjoyable.
For a full review of the Skyline film jump over to PlayEject.com
PlayEject - movies and games reviews
Tuesday, 5 April 2011
Marvel v Capcom 3: Battle of the comics?
It doesn't seem that long ago when PlayEject used to pump our 10p's into Street Fighter 2 in the arcades and enjoy sonic booms and hadoukens. Then came along the Super versions and the Tekken's and it all esclated to a new level. Sure enough a new twist was added with the popular characters of the Marvel comic books making an appearance and here we are in another rendition of the oh-so familiar 2-d fighter: Marvel versus Capcom 3: Fate of 2 Worlds.
So what makes this different to the others, especially if you forked out for the recent Super Street Fighter games for the Xbox 360 or PS3? Obviously these games didn't have the Marvel characters but also, the advanced mechanics in Marvel games are different to SF games and thats the key.
For Marvel virgins, the 6-button layout is slightly different than Street Fighter and the advanced mechanics allow for things like Crossover Counters, Advancing Guards and Snap Backs as well as team fighting (like Tekken-Tag). Now you can have Iron Man, Ryu and Wolverine take on Dante, Magneto and Arthur - the chap from the Ghouls and Goblins games! The variations in the teams and difference each carefully picked member can bring to the table will determine how you fight and how successful you will (or won't) be.
As with Street Fighter games, it is crucial that if you want to be good at Marvel v Capcom, you will have to put in a lot of practice. If you don't - you will lose. Stringing together a lucky combo with a fireball or two is all very well and good. Beating an opponent with a team that are well put together and well practised is not an easy thing. If you decide to take the fight to the masses online via XBL or PSN and you haven't put much practice in then we guarantee you will come away from most fights with a loss every time to the point you may want to give up.
That's where this game will divide audiences - some gamers love the challenge and want to perfect their team and moves to get the best combo with the best X-Factor finisher and can happily spend all day playing online against people from all over the world with the same characters. Others will hate it - they will want to pick random characters to try them out and so they should - thats part of the fun of any game. But playnig more experienced gamers will take the fun away after you've been beated 10 times on the trot (we know from experience).
As part of the Marvel series, this is one of the best we've played - the graphics are brilliant, the characters are chunky and feel like they look - with the larger ones (Hulk, Sentinal, Haggar, etc) feeling heavier and stronger than the smaller guys (Spiderman, Pheonix, Arthur, etc) and then the 'medium class' of Ryu, Dante and Iron Man do their job of being somewhere inbetween meaning each fighter style can be catered for.
The downside is that the game will divide audiences as it has done with past Street Fighter games and the devotion to the practice means picking up and playing a quick game online is not always the most attractive option. Not for everyone but for fans - its a must.
Visit PlayEject.com for the full review of Marvel versus Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds
PlayEject - movie and games reviews
So what makes this different to the others, especially if you forked out for the recent Super Street Fighter games for the Xbox 360 or PS3? Obviously these games didn't have the Marvel characters but also, the advanced mechanics in Marvel games are different to SF games and thats the key.
For Marvel virgins, the 6-button layout is slightly different than Street Fighter and the advanced mechanics allow for things like Crossover Counters, Advancing Guards and Snap Backs as well as team fighting (like Tekken-Tag). Now you can have Iron Man, Ryu and Wolverine take on Dante, Magneto and Arthur - the chap from the Ghouls and Goblins games! The variations in the teams and difference each carefully picked member can bring to the table will determine how you fight and how successful you will (or won't) be.
As with Street Fighter games, it is crucial that if you want to be good at Marvel v Capcom, you will have to put in a lot of practice. If you don't - you will lose. Stringing together a lucky combo with a fireball or two is all very well and good. Beating an opponent with a team that are well put together and well practised is not an easy thing. If you decide to take the fight to the masses online via XBL or PSN and you haven't put much practice in then we guarantee you will come away from most fights with a loss every time to the point you may want to give up.
That's where this game will divide audiences - some gamers love the challenge and want to perfect their team and moves to get the best combo with the best X-Factor finisher and can happily spend all day playing online against people from all over the world with the same characters. Others will hate it - they will want to pick random characters to try them out and so they should - thats part of the fun of any game. But playnig more experienced gamers will take the fun away after you've been beated 10 times on the trot (we know from experience).
As part of the Marvel series, this is one of the best we've played - the graphics are brilliant, the characters are chunky and feel like they look - with the larger ones (Hulk, Sentinal, Haggar, etc) feeling heavier and stronger than the smaller guys (Spiderman, Pheonix, Arthur, etc) and then the 'medium class' of Ryu, Dante and Iron Man do their job of being somewhere inbetween meaning each fighter style can be catered for.
The downside is that the game will divide audiences as it has done with past Street Fighter games and the devotion to the practice means picking up and playing a quick game online is not always the most attractive option. Not for everyone but for fans - its a must.
Visit PlayEject.com for the full review of Marvel versus Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds
PlayEject - movie and games reviews
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)