Gun

L.A. NOIRE Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 30th, 2011 at 9:28 am

I love the noir genre.  It’s probably my favorite just ahead of westerns.  I love the stark cinematography, the world-weary cynicism and lost causes of the protagonists, and the pulpy accessibility of the stories with the thoughtful subtext simmering underneath.   While we’re bound to get one or two westerns a year, film noir—at least in its classic sense—seems to have disappeared.  I’ve always been puzzled by its absence because great noir doesn’t just transport us to another time, but another world.  Rockstar and Team Bondi’s L.A. Noire not only gives a modern audience a return to the genre, but actually sets them inside the world and lets them traverse a stunning recreation of 1940s Los Angeles.  However, while the aesthetic and the individual crimes scream “noir”, your rigid protagonist Cole Phelps lacks complexity, and the game leaves you wondering why another character wasn’t the lead instead.  The game also employs a questionable interrogation mode, which tries to make use of groundbreaking facial capture technology, but remains stuck in roundabout logic and a little too much guesswork.  But no game is going to let you live noir like L.A. Noire and it’s a case worth working.

Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson Has a Big GUN in Debut Trailer

by David Corbin    Posted: June 8th, 2010 at 5:12 pm

It’s not everyday that a film releases a trailer before becoming an entry on Wikipedia, but leave it to 50 Cent to do something special.  The trailer for his new film, Gun, co-starring Val Kilmer, dropped recently and boy is it a doozy.  Featuring an appropriately buffed-out Fiddy (who wrote the script himself) Gun seems less like a movie and more like a video game with Freudian issues.

The plot is simple.  Kilmer, looking like he’s a valued customer at Old Country Buffet, is a convict given a chance at freedom if he can successfully help the police bring down the arms dealer played by 50 Cent.  Violence, sex and enough guns to satisfy even Yosemite Sam are all prominently featured.  Hit the jump to see what the phrase “high caliber stakes” really means.

New Trailer for Rockstar San Diego’s RED DEAD REDEMPTION, Which is GRAND THEFT AUTO as a Spaghetti Western

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 1st, 2009 at 1:25 pm

If the idea of a sandbox-style spaghetti western video game, doesn’t appeal to you, then we have nothing to talk about. Ever again.  A new trailer for Rockstar San Diego’s Red Dead Redemption has come online and it makes the time until the game’s release date feel like an eternity.  I know I should try to employ some wider and less vocabulary in my writing but “completely fucking bad-ass” is the best way I can describe this trailer.  It kept reminding of the 2005 video game Gun which was such a great first step of a western sandbox game; it just required a bigger sandbox, some more side quests, and a more balanced leveling system.  Oh, and a final boss fight that wasn’t complete crap.

For those who don’t know, Rockstar is the company behind the Grand Theft Auto games.  However, the GTA series is specifically by Rockstar North while Rock Star San Diego is known for the Midnight Club series as well as the previous Red Dead game, 2004′s Red Dead Revolver which received mixed to positive reviews.  Hit the jump to check out the new trailer and remind yourself that April 27, 2010 is only five months away if you’re a PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 owner.  If you only own a Wii, tough shit.

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