Chris Holzworth

What I'm Lookin' Forward To in Video Games

2009-01-26T06:17:00.005-05:00

A few weeks ago I would've told anyone who asked the gaming forecast for Q1 2009 that it was bleak at best. Of course, I don't keep my finger on the industry's pulse much these days... I've somewhat adopted Play Magazine's approach: plucking only what I'm interested in from the old cherry tree. I suppose that's not so unusual, though.

Anyway, it turns out things aren't so bleak. There are a handful of really awesome games coming out in February, leading up to Q1's big contender, Resident Evil 5. Infact, it may be time to renew my GameFly membership. Shelling out for 3.5 games in roughly a month's time is not conducive to my profession. Sigh... just had to be a liberal arts major, now didn't I?

What releases am I anticipating, you ask? Well, I'll tell you!

In, what, two weeks, on February 10, F.E.A.R. 2 Project Origin and Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection hit shelves. The demo for F.E.A.R. 2 is up on Xbox Live Arcade. Simply put, it rocks. Stop reading this and go play it. Seriously. I won't be offended. I am so pumped for this sequel to F.E.A.R.'s impending release. I'm a huge fan of the first game. And lately I have been jonesin' for a new, unique First Person Shooter experience. I'm confident F.E.A.R. 2 will deliver.

As for Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection? Well, for starters, it's $30. Now, click the link. Go ahead, I'll wait. Check out that damned list.

. . .

Awesome, right? Phantasy Star 1-4 and Shining Force I & II alone warrant its meager pricetag. But jeez... that's my late-middle school years on one disc. A must-own for anyone with $30 to spare who missed out on the goodness that was Sega Genesis. Or for anyone like me who just adores Sega's Golden Age.

One week later there's Street Fighter 4. As excited as I am for this title, I don't feel that fighting games justify spending $60. They lack longevity. Perhaps online battles will improve their lifespan, but I'm still hesitant to commit. I may go halfsies on this with my roommate.

The next week, on February 24, Star Ocean: The Last Hope drops. I'm on the fence about this title. I adore Star Ocean 2, but hated Star Ocean 3. If you scope out the game's Wiki, you'll notice the character names are abysmal and the game's robot/android/whatever character looks stupid. I've been clammorin' for a good robot character for ages, and this is what I get? Bleh. That's right, I'm that superficial. I don't deny it. I think I'll wait and read some reviews before I pull the trigger on this purchase.

But what I will be buying on launch day, without any reservation -- and the "I'm A Tool" version no less -- is Resident Evil 5. Yeah, 'nuff said. See you in March, on Friday the 13th, baby.

So what are you folks lookin' forward to? Post a comment or send me a tweet and lemme know.

I Lied

2009-01-22T12:21:00.003-05:00

So, the other day I impulsively recorded a video cast. There's no real direction, point, or purpose behind it... I just wanted to ease myself into being comfortable behind the camera -- see how it felt and all.

Honestly, I felt like a total dork while recording this and had no idea what to do with myself. Maybe if I jazz it up a bit, though, I could make it some sort of biweekly component to this blog. Splice in images and video, bump the recording time up a little and have it play off the would-be content I'll be posting. I don't know.

Be gentle, it's my first time baby:

Blast From The Past

2009-01-21T22:03:00.002-05:00

As we speak I am having a YouTube gunslinging session with the aforementioned professor-friend. Somehow we have slid from Aesop Rock to Ludacris, Foo Fighters to No Doubt, and from No Doubt to Tsunami Bomb... In the process, I resurrected this oldie but goodie, this blast from the past, this fucking epic gaming gem that I just had to share with you all. I'm not even a big fan of Disgaea, but I do remember the collective nerd community losing their heads when this trailer dropped. And I was among them.

So What's What?

2009-01-12T11:07:00.005-05:00

I hate posting an "update" entry. I feel like I'm wasting everyone who reads this damned thing's time. But I feel guilty for not posting more regularly and allowing myself to be so easily distracted in life. Of course, I feel remorseful whenever I make a post that doesn't meet my standards or is, like this one, an utter waste. It's a vicious circle that I can't escape! Well, that's not true. I could, you know, live up to my word and produce some quality content for my blog.

But I'm working on it! I have a professor-friend that has agreed to assign me topics to write about in order to give me some focus. I think I work better when I'm told to write something than when left alone as my own boss. This is why I'll never make it as a freelancer. I need structure. So, yeah, this professor-friend of mine is pretty damn well read, and also interested in matters of race, sex, and gender as they are portrayed in entertainment media. With his passive assistance I expect to be rolling out significant content by the end of every week. I'll try and pepper the site with little gems inbetween.

I'm still working on new game +, this sort of social, friend-based video game blog written by and for people who play video games, not gamers. I've been told making such a distinction is asinine, but I like it and god damn it I'll do what I want. I'm a little hesitant of trying to form and run another video game blog. It's not that Vanish/Doom wasn't fun while it lasted, it's just that I grow very tired of writing solely about video games very quickly these days. Hopefully new game + will be self-sufficient and only require periodical contributions from me. I just need to finish working on the banner and finally choose a freaking layout. I've been trying out wordpress templates like a valley girl at an outlet store.

There is an alternative, though, and that's to start a blog/podcast in the same vein as Ryan Scott's The Geekbox. Scott has essentially created exactly what I want to be writing for -- a website that focuses on television, film, comics, books, video games... all forms of entertainment media. Not just one. Of course, I would write from a nerdly angle 'cause, well, let's face it: I'm a nerd. I really miss podcasting. I have a few friends who would gladly jump onboard. I'm kicking around doing a video podcast, too, but I don't think my current readership warrants that. I don't mean that the few of you who read this dumb ass blog aren't worth it, just that there needs to be more of you in order for me to feel comfortable posting up videos of myself blathering on.

Post some comments or send me a tweet to let me know your thoughts, ideas, and what you'd like to see/hear.

One last thing: I want to drop some linkage to some must see/hear/read stuff that's surfaced since the whole 1UP/UGO fiasco.

There's eat-game-sleep.com, where Nick Suttner, Phillip Kollar, and other ex-1Uppers have taken refuge and are also publishing reincarnation of 1UP FM, Rebel FM, on.

The cats from 1UP Show have formed their own production team, Area 5, and have resurrected the 1UP Show as "Co-Op." It's a little rough around the edges, but it's totally worth watching and will only ever get better.

Gaming Update: Prince of Persia Edition

2009-01-09T21:18:00.004-05:00

Ugh, I'm totally ashamed that I haven't posted a gaming updated in, what, two weeks? Truth be told, I haven't really gotten in any serious game time since just before Christmas, though.

This week, however, I managed to cleanup some of my backlog by finishing Prince of Persia, progressing in Persona 4, and at the very least considering defeating that god-awful boss in The Last Remnant.

Monday I caught something fluish. No gaming for Christopher.

Tuesday I booted Persona 4 back up. The trouble with this game is: if you quit playing mid-dungeon, even for just a day, you risk the chance of forgetting enemies' weaknesses. Anyone who's played any Shin Megami can attest to the importance of knowing strengths and weaknesses in battles. So, my advice? Only take a hiatus from Persona 4 before or after you've completed a dungeon. I swear to the Intelligent Designer if I die mid-dungeon one more time...

Wednesday I died in Persona 4 after three or four floors worth of progress. Do you know what that means? It means it's time to take a break from this game and play some Prince of Persia. The new PoP won't win any awards in innovation, but it's a helluva lot of fun and the perfect break from any game that requires more diligence, focus, and dedication. PoP can't be much more than 10 hours, in length, and is broken -- quite simplistically -- into four major components... but by doing this, Ubisoft has made a game whose progres I can accurate gauge, and as a result can rely on to entertain me when other games are frustrating me.

I finished off the first of the game's areas/bossess when I first got it sometime over the Holiday Break. Now I've taken down another of Ahriman's minions. I think now is as good as any time to call it a night.

Thursday sees me still playing Prince of Persia. Okay, this game officially has its hooks in me. This morning, alone, I polished off the another of the game's four main areas/bossess -- that makes three out of four. Now I'm going to take some time to backtrack and collect light spheres. Not for the achievements... I'm just neurotic and somewhat of a completionist. Don't judge me.

After grabbing some lunch, I dive right back into Prince of Persia head-first and play it rigorously until its completion. I won't lie: it totally borrows from Team Ico. That's no reason to chastise it, though. The influences/inspirations are subtle, and Prince of Persia still remains decidedly an original experience. It won't rock your world, change your world, or split the time-space continuum and create a new world... but for $40 it will entertain you as a fun video game. I don't know about the rest of you, but that's sort of why I play games these days... to be entertained on some leve or another.

Friday I loaded The World Ends With You on my DS. I realize that I'm way late to play this game, but with everyone in such a fuss over how awesome-tastic it is I figure playing it is a "better late than never" scenario.

Go figure that I wish it were "never."

this game confuses the fuck out of me, and fails miserably to hold my attention. I'll chalk it up to playing it while on a treadmill, which severely compromises my focus, but the writing blows and the battle system gives me a headache. Call me an old man, but innovation/departure from the "norm" should not be celebrated for the sake of celebration. I'm all for innovation, but it has to actually work... not just be something we praise because "it ain't the status quo." Of course, there exists a chance that I'm in the painful minority because I'm a dick -- see: Skies of Arcadia. I'll give this game another shot in a few days and see what's up.

For now, I need to get through this dungeon in Persona 4 so that I can return to The Last Remnant, complete disc 1, then go back to Persona 4 and remove that game from my big-ass "to do" list.

First Post of 2009

2009-01-07T13:49:00.002-05:00

...and it ain't nothin' special. Mostly just idle ramblings and playing catch-up.

Firstly, I must apologize. Well, I don't really have to... but I want to. I haven't been living up to the personal goals I set for myself with this blog, and in the process I've let down what few readers I have. For example, I promised an extravagant, amazing, and even fabulous 2008 toplist and I failed to deliver. Don't ask me how, but I manage to forget every year that the Winter Holiday season is nothing short of ridiculous. I didn't have a moment to myself until January 2nd, and then I got sick. Something fluish, I don't know. Whatever it was left me bedridden until yesterday, and even then I didn't feel quite right.

I have, however, begun a lot of "behind-the-scenes" work on stuff. I've had this quirky idea about a social video game blog designed for people who play video games -- not "gamers." In other words, no 1000-word essays peppered with pretention and elitism. Just guys and gals playin' games and rambling on about their gaming experiences. Basically, I want to give several close friends and colleagues access to the blog so that they can post on their whims -- and post whatever they want. I've received a loot of support for the idea, so hopefully it won't be a tremendous waste of time. Plus, I really want to remove the video game posts from this site completely, but I'd still like an outlet to talk about games.

Speaking of video games, my heart goes out to all the cats over at 1UP who started 2009 with a severance package. Fortunately, most of these now former-employees are not lost at sea without a paddle. They have the academic qualifications and work experience to stay afloat, especially if they band together and do their own thing. I hope they take this route, as most people who have departed 1UP and gone on to do their own thing have created really unique websites like WhatTheyPlay and GreenPixel.

As for me, well, I'm struggling with what direction I want to take this blog. I'm caught between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, I don't want to post all willy-nilly whenever I feel like it. I prefer to have focus, to know what the site is all about. Without that focus, I fret over whether or not each and every post I make belongs here. On the other hand, giving the blog direction means really putting some effort and hard work into the content. It means seeking out stories, researching them, building them up, and producing stellar editorial coverage. Which, as a journalism and English major, is what I ought to be doing if only to prove my genuine dedication to the craft/industry.

Well, guess I answered my own question while deliberating over it, now didn't I?

More to come soon.

The Holiday Haul Thus Far...

2008-12-25T17:28:00.003-05:00

From right to left: Cormac McCarthy's masterpiece, The Road. The film adaptation of another acclaimed novel of his, No Country For Old Men. The obligatory holiday gift, The Dark Knight (a must-own). And finally, gifts from my roommate, Prince of Persia and Lost Planet for Xbox 360 (The Road was also a gift from him). Behind the books and DVDs you can see an Axe "box set," which was given to me from my 6, 4, and 3-year-old sisters. I should probably equip "given to me" with quotations, since they most certainly did not pick out and pay for that gift.

Continued from the last photo: medium and dark wash jeans from Express, sweat pants from Express, a striped blue shirt from Express, a tie from Express, a solid black shirt from Express, and a nice Argyle sweater from Express. Guess where I like to shop?

And, as promised, a snapshot of the whiteboard hung above my desk. As you can see, I have in fact scribbled ideas for blog entries... They'll happen. Sooner or later. Shut up!

The Obligatory Winter Holiday Post

2008-12-25T07:31:00.009-05:00

Happy Holidays, all. I hope you're enjoying whatever glorified winter-time holiday you celebrate as an excuse to gather as a family. For me, that's Christmas. Not by choice, of course. Then again, most of us are born into our religions. Some would say that's conscription. But I digress.

So yeah, my family rocks out to Christmas. I'm not so much a fan of the actual holiday itself, but it is nice to have a culturally-sanctioned week to express our gratitude and appreciation to those dear to us in the most decadent, American of ways: gift giving! Plus, I came up with a wicked answer to my 6-year-old sister's inquiry as to how Santa Claus delivers all his presents in one night. I told her that Santa Claus is a transdimensional being who exists at all places and all times simultaneously, and in one massive phenomenon delivers presents to everyone in the universe. That phenomenon has come to be known as Christmas. I doubt she really... comprehends the concept, but I was both amused and impressed with myself.

On the downside, I am forced to relinquish control over my own life. It started last night. I crashed at my mother's house and got my first gift giving sessions on. Today I'll be heading over to my father's and rinse, wash, repeat. Tomorrow, family from Florida arrive for their annual visit (which, in my opinion, is completely assbackwards: shouldn't we all visit sunny, warm Florida? Whatever). Oh no, the fun has only just begun. I'll visit this family with my father Friday night, then visit them again at my mother's for breakfast Saturday morning.

I haven't been living up to my promises with this blog, and for that I apologize. I honestly had a lot planned for this week. I swear! When I get back home I'll take a photo of my whiteboard, on which there are many "update idea" notes scribbled. It's hard to put your game face on in the throes of familial bonding, reunion, etc. I can promise you an obligatory 2008 Toplist Countdown to 2009, starting on Saturday. Each day, I'll post a new top 5 list, starting with movies, then music songs/albums, television shows, books, and ending with video gamesday. Not very original, I know, but toplists are always fun to write. And to read. You'll enjoy it, shut up.

I'm putting all the entries of substance on hold until January 2nd -- provided I survive to see 2009. As I mentioned earlier, it's difficult to find the right focus and write about stuff like race, gender, sexuality, linguistics, transhumanism, ethics, and all the other Big Boy Topics that I assured you I'd write about on this blog. Be patient with me -- I'm trying.

Anywho, get in the game and leave me some comments. Let me know how your Holiday is going. Post photos of your haul and laud your fantastical gifts over mine. Seeing how I only asked for clothes this year, that shouldn't be too difficult. In my defense I'm getting kind of old, and so I thought more adult-like and professional clothing was in order. I feel like I'm prowling the playground whenever I shop at American Eagle. It's hard not to exploit my sister's 40% discount there, though. So unless you're a fashion buff, like me, I doubt any of you will want to see photos of my jeans, argyle sweaters, and collared shirts.

Peace out, yo!

Oh, one last thing. Consider this my holiday gift to you, gentle readers. Enjoy! ;)

The worst part is? The song is actually catchy, and you'll find yourself coming back to listen to it again and again.

Gaming Update: Mirror's Edge Edition

2008-12-20T10:20:00.002-05:00

Thank the Sky Bully, this week is finally ovah! The past few days have been nothing short of hellish, chock-full of finals, research papers, and articles for the campus newspaper. I apologize to anyone who spent yesterday waiting with bated breath for this Gaming Update -- obviously it's a little late. As you can well imagine I am quite exhausted. Last night I voted option "drunken celebration of the semester's end" over option "blog about video games 'n stuff 'n junk." But now that I have a whole month to myself I can get back to what's really important -- posting here!

Look forward to more interesting shit than "gaming updates" next week. I assure you all that I made this blog with the intention of writing more illuminating entries, not... to keep a gaming journal.

Anyway! Despite being so busy, I did manage to squeeze in a few hours of gaming this week.

Monday I replaced my daily Chrono Trigger treadmill sessions with Castlevania: Order of the Ecclesia ones. This game is balls-to-the-walls hard. I've actually stumbled off the treadmill a few times by getting too absorbed in the game. I'm not exactly thrilled to admit that. The thing is, I'm no stranger to Castlevania games. Far from it. So Ecclesia's challenge comes as a surprise to me. It's not a torturous difficulty, like say Devil May Cry 3's, and so the game is still very much enjoyable. Me likey.

Bigger, better, and more important news: I finally picked up Mirror's Edge. Unfortunately, I had to become a relative expert in transhumanism in a short amount of time, so I only played through the prologue and first chapter. I think I'm in love. Mirror's Edge is such a welcome break from the usual gaming rigamaroll of shooting shooting shooting, slashing slashing slashing, drab earthtones, and over-muscled protagonists. I... I want to play more. But I have to go do school work. Hrmph. Being responsible blows.

Wednesday I snuck in a few more levels of Mirror's Edge while taking a short break from academics. I figured out what the deal with this game is. It's all about letting go -- literally -- and having faith (pun intended) that things will work out. We (people who play video games) are so used to testing the water to see if it's safe. We rarely dive in head-first. I can see why a lot of people would have trouble acclimating to this game. Mirror's Edge encourages the player to maintain lung-bursting speeds and then blindly leap, slide, or swing forward without pause. Sometimes, the rush can be downright scary. There's a satisfaction from accomplishing well-performed acts of parkour in the game, though, that you just can't achieve from "safety-first" platforming.

Reviewers bitch about the game's combat, but honestly I can count the number of firefights you're forced to participate in on one hand. Mirror's Edge is a story of Man versus Nature. The combat doesn't really take place between Faith and the Blues so much as it does between Faith and her environment.

I wouldn't go so far as to call Mirror's Edge art, but I do consider it to be ahead of the curve -- the video game equivalent of that movie that doesn't try to be every other movie for the sake of success. Despite the fact that I have yet to finish the game, I can honestly say everyone should play through the game at least once. Rent it, borrow it, pull a heist involving shipment trucks -- whatever it takes.

Friday I beat Mirror's Edge. I am officially adding this game to my list of "Xbox 360 Must Owns," which so far includes Mass Effect, The Orange Box, and BioShock. These are all games I replay once every 1-2 years. Games like that justify their pricetag, in my opinion. Mirror's Edge is much shorter than the others, but that's not necessarily a bad thig. I can imagine replaying this game twice a year since it can be finished in a sitting or two. I hope that EA capitalizes on XBox Live and provides ample DLC. I would certainly pony up $15 for any significant expansion to the game.

Next up? The new Prince of Persia.

Gaming Update: Resident Evil 5 Edition

2008-12-12T19:10:00.008-05:00

Being a diligent student and all, I didn't have much time for video games this week. Finals and other end of the semester woes of its ilk. I did continue to indulge Chrono Trigger during my morning runs (which, for the time being, are now "walks"). And as a special treat, I got some face time with the Resident Evil 5 demo.

Monday Lavos descended. Bad news bears. The second act in Chrono Trigger is when this game trascends shiny and becomes radiant. We're talking spectacular plot bombs dropping left and right. I adore this game, but playing it alongside The Last Remnant makes me frowny. It's not that The Last Remnant isn't interesting, but like so many Role Playing Games nowadays it sacrifices proper exposition in favor of cinematic flair. Developers need to strike a balance between laborious cutscenes (Xenosaga) and shallow storytelling (Final Fantasy XII). It's so old man of me to say this, but they just don't make games like Chrono Trigger anymore.

With that said, I haven't made much progress in The Last Remnant. I'm fairly certain I've reached the end of disc 1, but the god-damn boss is impossibly difficult. This rather intimidating, monstrous demon-thing likes to kill off my Unions, then raise them from the dead and attack me. Once two of my four Unions are lost, things become all manner of difficult. And by difficult, I mean my remaining Unions are decimated. When it comes to Role Playing Games there's only one way to defeat a boss wiping the floor with you -- level up. Yeah... I have a rather powerful aversion to the chore that is leveling up, and so I've been dragging my feet. The Last Remnant does boast an impressive number of sidequests, so perhaps I can convince myself I'm not leveling up by engaging one of those. We shall see...

Tuesday I dabbled some more in Chrono Trigger while on the treadmill. I'm currently in the Kingdom of Zeal. I won't discuss the plot at large anymore -- story details at this stage are considerably spoilerific. The game is nearing its end, however, and this makes me frowny. I gaurantee you I'll boot up Chrono Cross the moment I finish this game, though. I'm still riding the high that is Mitsuda's amazing score for the game, which is bested only by his work on Xenogears and Chrono Cross.

The semester is coming to an end, which means finals, research papers, and extensive articles due left and right. This eats up my free time, and so I won't be playing The Last Remnant anytime this week. Considering how much work I have on my desk, I can't say I'm terribly in the mood for it anyhow.

Wednesday sees no gaming for Mr. Holzworth. A professor-friend of mine did lend me a copy of the Japanese Resident Evil 5 demo, which apparently is in English. Look forward to impressions of the demo tomorrow. I'll actually have some time to get my game on since I don't have class on Tuesday or Thursdays.

Thursday some zombies tried to eat my face off. One of them succeeded in cutting off my head! So, Resident Evil 5 feels a lot like Resident Evil 4 in terms of control, and for the most part that's a good thing. RE4 is universally regarded as "Resident Evil done right."

There isn't much to the demo, only excerpts from two stages. But you can play the demo either single-player or co-op, which is cool. Sheva is present in both modes. The difference is, in single-player you have to pay extra attention to her needs. If she's overwhelmed by zombies Chris must come to her rescue. If she's low on health, he must resuscitate her. When collecting ammunition, the player chooses between keeping it for him or herself or passing it on to Sheva. This management may seem taxing, but it lends itself to the game's suspense factor.

Fortunately, Sheva isn't some innept A.I. the player is forced to babysit. She can pick up ammunition by herself, heal Chris when his health is low, and come to his rescue all on her own. The demo didn't showcase much of her personality, but I gotta say I'm a big fan so far. Sure, she could stand to have darker skin, but she's still sexy -- and without her outfit needlessly compromising her integrity. She can throw a punch, too, which always turns me on. I likes me tough grlz.

In short, so far so good. I'm digging Resident Evil 5, which is surprising considering Resident Evil 4 did nothing for me. I never even finished the game. Sometimes you have to be in the right mood to play certain games, and that wasn't the case when I tried to play RE4 years ago. But now, after trying out and liking RE5, perhaps I'll try and tackle its predecessor over Winter Break. It's not as though the game's very long.

Friday I finished Chrono Trigger and am crestfallen. I just didn't want the game to end. Worse yet, I can't touch Chrono Cross at all this weekend -- I need to write a paper on transhumanism. It's going to take me a full day to become a relative expert on the science and ethics of transhumanism as well as familiarize myself with contrasting viewpoints. Then I'll spend all of Sunday, most of Monday, and all of Tuesday banging out an article that makes a claim of policy regarding transhumanism. At this stage in the game, I'm all for it. Perhaps I'll condense my article and post my thoughts on transhumanism here on the blog.

Trailer Deconstruction: Terminator Salvation Part 2

2008-12-12T16:10:00.013-05:00

Time to pick up from where I left off yesterday deconstructing the latest Terminator Salvation trailer.

Just a reminder: some of the screen caps and conjecture below could be considered SPOILERS!

* * *

John Connor holla-backs at Kyle Reese at the aforementioned concentration camp.

Connor and company get a running start...

...and go repelling off some debris-strewn precipice all hero-like.

Someone -- or something -- emerges from fiery, post-apocalyptic ruin into heavy rain. Nothing is more dramatic than a good rainstorm.

Where have I seen this before? I don't know what's going on here, but if I had to guess... if Marcus Wright is a decommissioned terminator from the future, this may be him after he emerges from the time-bubble. Hence why he's nekkid, and why his skin is slightly charred. McG may be portraying the electric mayhem that accompanies time-travel more realistically.

John Connor confronts Marcus Wright, who is restrained. Looks like Connor figured out he's Metal, somehow, and isn't thrilled about it. Check out the scarring all across Marcus's face. What's up with that?

It wouldn't be a Terminator film without giant, wicked-looking metal treads crushing human skulls.

I thought it strange, at first, that SkyNet would go through all the effort of capturing humans just to smush 'em in a giant trash compactor...

...but maybe the human-hating A.I. turns purées them and harvests the remaining blood and tissue samples to use in the construction of terminators.

I'm certain this is Marcus Wright getting knocked violently backwards. I don't know what caused it -- the Terminator in front of him is still docked on the assembly line harness.

But considering that he puts a major dent in that girder, it's safe to assume he's not human. A person would just bounce off it and fall to the ground in a heap. But not Marcus Wright. His bones are metal yo!

It looks like we'll be seeing a lot of Sam Worthington sans pants. Like the girder he crushed above, I think Marcus Wright is the only one strong enough to pick up the gatling gun and arm of a T-600. Plus, he's the only potential time-traveler and full-fledged terminator, so he ought to be the only one who's ever naked.

Not that there needs to be a reason to see Christian Bale shirtless.

Humans escaping from captivity. The pens in the background look like the ones I posted above, where the humans were getting smushed. Maybe this is part of Connor and Reese's legendary escape.

This movie is shaping up to be what movie critics call an "action-packed thrillride." So far we know Kyle Reese will take on a Harvester and moto-terminators, as well as escape from a concentration camp with John Connor. In this photo, he's driving a combat jeep while being pursued by some dangerous baddie or another. Just look at his face!

Moon Bloodgood, whose name is torn straight from the pages of a D&D novel, as "no-nonsense and battle-hardened" pilot Blair Williams. Rumor has it she like-likes Marcus Wright. Don't ask me how that'll work out...

I wonder what John Connor's looking at...

Oh. That's... not a good thing.

Blair Williams and Marcus Wright running from some bad news. I wonder if anyone takes a breather during this film... I guess Marcus doesn't have to.

Uh, yeeeaahhhh...

John Connor gets backed up pretty badly. That's no surprise, considering how many heroic stunts he seems to pull. Looks like he gets over his beef with Marcus Wright, too.

As far as I'm concerned, Bryce Dallas Howard makes for a much sexier and much more appropriate Kate Connor than Claire Danes. Too bad she has to see her hubby tortured by mental and physical anguish every five minutes. Good thing she's a doctor, now.

And, apparently, is preggers. Hrm.

This shot provides a really good look at the gruesome, downright terrifying T-600's. I think it's safe to say that McG accomplished his goal of portraying T-600's as "the bigger, grimier, nastier version that preceded the T-800."

I mean, just look at the thing. It's missing half its damn leg and is still standing. Literally.

Well, it was standing.

More daring heroics courtesy of Marcus Wright, this time saving his main squeeze Blair. Oh, you kids...
My guess? Marcus Wright pitchin' a fit in some terminator lab. My guess is that he's from the future, the latest terminator model. The human brain was installed to make terminators behave believably human, but something went wrong. Marcus gives them the big "fuck you" and sends himself back to help John Connor. This is all speculation, of course.

Another creepifyin' shot of the T-600. This is the one from the human prison posted earlier. This is what a terminator should be -- unsettlingly horrifying.

John Connor wrasslin' a hydro-bot. Finally, a John Connor who isn't afraid to get his hands dirty!

Someone done fell down. Since that's John Connor screaming his lungs out, I can only assume Marcus Wright, Barnes, or Kyle Reese has fallen. The skin doesn't seem dark enough to be Barnes, and the hair is too short to be Kyle, so... looks like Marcus Wright sustains seriously injury or bites it. Ruh-roh!

Annnnd the moneyshot -- the Harvester in all its giant, lumbering, Transformers-esque glory. Marcus and Kyle are going to have one helluva time taking this monster on.

There you have it, folks. The Terminator Salvation trailer picked apart frame by frame. It was a long-grueling process but one I had a blast enduring. I derive a great deal of entertainment trying to piece together the plot of upcoming games and movies, only to be proven wrong. That lets me use the debunked theories for my own writing. ;)

Trailer Deconstruction: Terminator Salvation Part 1

2008-12-11T13:37:00.022-05:00

Deconstructing movie trailers is something of a hobby of mine. I have spent an unhealthy amount of my free time going frame-by-frame through the trailers of films I highly anticipate. I'd like to say that it's the scoop-digging journalist in me that compels me to do this, but the truth is I'm just a geek.

So if you're the sort of fellow or fellette who prefers to remain in the dark when it comes to upcoming films, you'll probably want to skip this entry. There are roughly 20 out of 50 screen captures from the trailer below, accompanied by my descriptions and inferences as to what's going on.

Once again, what's below flirts dangerously with the potential for being SPOILERS!

* * *

Here we see the silhouette of decommissioned terminator Marcus Wright, played by Sam Worthington, wandering a dilapidated fuel station, just moments before he meets up with Anton Yelchin's young Kyle Reese. What's up with science fiction and busted up fuel stations?

Check out the obligatory sci-fi kick-ass jacket. Sephiroth, Seifer, and Neo have really made this a staple of the genre.

Our first shot of Kyle Reese, whose smile is, quite frankly, scary as fuck.

Marcus Wright joins up with Kyle Reese early on, I suspect. Reese probably has no clue that he's Metal.

This Resistance-Ninja is part of Kyle Reese's team. He is about to have a very bad day.

Told you. 'Sup Harvester?

This looks like some kind of aerial transport vehicle for the machines. It bears resemblance to the Hunter-Killers.

Back at the fuel station where Kyle Reese and Marcus Wright team up, a mighty-fine explosion has gone off. You can see a Resistance vehicle near the top left, making their escape from the Harvester that snatched Mr. Ninja earlier. The Harvester, I suspect, is beneath all that 'splodin'.

The Harvester survives (it's partially obscured bythe black smoke in the distance) and dispatches a pair of moto-terminators to pursue the Resistance truck.

The aforementioned chase in action.

Kyle Reese takes aim while escaping onboard the Resistance truck. I don't know if his handgun is responsible for that might-fine exposion pictured earlier, or if he's just firing at the moto-terminators pursuing him. What I do know is that Kyle Reese don't take no shit from robots.

The explosion at the fuel station, from a different angle. Here you can see the Resistance truck in all of its cobbled-together glory. Gotta make do with what's available when you survive the apocalypse, and function takes precedence over form.

John Connor (Christian Bale) enters the Resistance's underground HQ. I love its design, all tunnely with power lines and cables haphazardly ran across the walls.

Connor's right-hand man is Barnes, played by rapper Common. There's something haunting about his eyes. That, plus Connor's reassuring hand on his shoulder makes me wonder if shit's hit the fan. But when killer robots are gunnin' for you when isn't the shit hitting the fan?

So it looks like Connor infiltrates a terminator assembly-plant at some point. There's something unsettling about seeing a bunch of terminators hanging on an assembly line, probably a few stages away from being coated in rubber or blood and flesh depending on whoat model they are. They don't look like the Panzer Tanks that are T-600's.

Speaking of T-600's, this guy's looks like he's locked up in one of the concentration camps and trying to make a run for it...

...but that won't be easy with a T-600 and its gatling gun for an arm on guard duty.

Only Christian Bale could make living in post-apocalyptic Los Angeles appealing. He's rockin' the whole "kick-ass John Connor" thing on an impressive level. I wonder what the red armband symbolizes... Perhaps in remembrance of his mother, the legendary Sarah Connor?

Kyle Reese imprisoned. He mentioned in the first film that he helped John Connor escape a concentration camp. Looks like we'll see that happen in this film, either in flashbacks or at some point in the film.

That's all for now, kids. I didn't realize how much of an undertaking this would be, so you'll just have to wait until tomorrow for Part 2. I hope this has gotten some of you as excited for Terminator Salvation as I now am.

Big, Sexy, Robot Fun

2008-12-09T08:48:00.015-05:00

So, yeah. I really want to like this movie. For starters, I'm a huge fan of the Terminator franchise. Its a staple of my childhood. Secondly, I love robots. I watched Transformers once a week for three months after the DVD dropped just to see Optimus Prime throwdown against Bonecrusher for all of 30 seconds. Then there's the whole time-travel element. Chrono Trigger has reminded me how cool time-travel stories can be, and so I'm really in the mood for more time-traveling escapades. This partly explains part of my excitement for Star Trek.

Terminator Salvation has a ton of potential. I mean, according to the Wikipedia entry the film's screenplay was penned by Jonathan Nolan and Paul Haggis. Nolan, of course, is best known for involvement in The Dark Knight's script. Paul Haggis wrote and directed the must-watch Crash, and also helped write Casino Royale. Then there's Christian Bale, who is without a doubt the best choice to play John Connor all grow. All very, very good things.

What has me all frowny about this film is the director, McG. His resume is less than pretty. Charlie's Angels and its sequel were terrible on a mind-blowing level. We Are Marshall is decent, according to Rotten Tomatoes, but directing something like Terminator Salvation is a much different undertaking than directing a football drama. Just look at Quantum of Solace. It clearly suffers from Marc Forster being a fish out of water with that project. At least McG has his head in the game, issuing copies of Cormac McCarthy's The Road for the cast to read and get in that "post apocalyptic" mood. Still, Charlie's Angels... was rough, and is just cause for concern.

All the same, this latest trailer is sextacular. There's a whole mess of robots of all shapes and sizes, including one big-ass Transformer-sized mufucka. Watching this makes me smile big-big, but no signs of a nergasm the likes of which the Star Trek trailer elicited. If you ask me, setting the movie in the future/past (depending on how you want to view it in Terminator timeline) was a smart decision. There's no more room for adventures that follow the typical Terminator story template. T3 was a convoluted mess that should be ignored, forgotten, and never repeated.

Dark, gritty reboots have seen a lot of success as of late. Casino Royale? Phenomenal. Batman Begins and The Dark Knight? Epic. If anyone can salvage the Terminator franchise, it's the writers from those films. My fingers are certainly crossed. But, at the very least, Terminator Salvation will be two hours of robot mayhem eye-candy.

Gaming Update: The Last Remnant Edition

2008-12-05T16:11:00.020-05:00

I've decided to post only one gaming update a week, every Friday. This week, being one of trial-by-fire, is of course the exception. This will allow me to work piecemeal, adding to what will become the published entry each day I game. It also prevents my blog from becoming littered with random gaming updates that might obscure much more important entries.

This week I gave up on Infinite Undiscovery, continued my time-traveling escapades in Chrono Trigger, and took a risk purchasing The Last Remnant despite overwhelming criticism.

Wednesday I had a mad scientist of an idea. Well, maybe not that crazy but certainly an odd one. Since I am currently only capable of walking on my treadmill at 2 miles per hour (go go appendectomy!) and have seen every damn episode of Fresh Prince two or three times now (thanks early morning Nick at Nite), I decided to attempt to play my DS while treadmilling. Yes, I just turned treadmill into a verb. The results were fantabulous. In the thirty minutes I spent on the walking machine, I managed to complete the first expedition to 2300 A.D. Robo's lumbering robot ass is now a permanent member of my time-traveling Scooby Gang. There really isn't enough dilapidated steampunk robots in video games these days...

I also put a few more hours into Infinite Undiscovery, wandering through some obligatory pain-in-the-ass desert. Sewers and deserts, man, they are never any fun in Role Playing Games. Plus, Infinite Undiscovery's art direction blows, the characters are subpar, and the storytelling is lacking in focus. This game just isn't doing it for me. After putting up with desert chores for much too long, I shelved the game and handed it back to Jim, who is equally bored with it. Tri-Ace needs to get their shit together.

Thursday I continued playing Chrono Trigger on the treadmill, this time for an hour. I trekked through the middle ages, kicked Ozzie's fat green ass on the Zenan Bridge, and took on Masa and Mune for their half of Melchior's legendary weapon. I'm really digging exercising and gaming in tandem... even though it's terribly decadent.

I'm still reeling over Infinite Undiscovery's lameness. My experience was in stark contrast to 1UP's, who thinks the game is "absolutely worth playing through at least once." Whatever, this is Skies of Arcadia all over again. With my RPG itch left unscratched, I went to the local GameStop and purchased The Last Remnant on a whim. I almost didn't buy the game in lieu of all the negative reviews, but as awesome-tastic as Prince of Persia and Mirror's Edge no doubt are, $60 is a steep price tag for 5-10 hour games that lack a significant online aspect. At the very least, The Last Remnant's supposedly 40 hour adventure will give me a few weeks of play.

My experience with The Last Remnant so far has been rather enjoyable. Unlike Infinite Undiscovery, the game touts quality voice acting, interesting narrative and a great deal of intrigue. The battle system is a little intimidating. At its heart it's nothing more than cleverly-disguised traditional turn-based combat. There's a lot of nuance to it, though, that borrows from Strategy RPGs. Without a doubt, The Last Remnant is quickly shaping up to be a promising title.

Friday sees me once more Chrono Trigger-treadmilling. If I could maintain faster speeds and still focus on the DS I would totally do this all the time. I picked up where I left off yesterday, traipsing about the prehistoric era with Ayla. We danced, we drank, we loved and laughed. Then her jealous love interest done stole my gate key stranding me in 65,000,000 B.C. I bullied my way through the Reptite Lair before quitting to do that whole "attend class" jaun.

I said it before and I'll say it again: this game feels right at home on the DS. Sure, it'd be wicked-awesome if the game were as tricked out visually as Final Fantasy IV on the DS, but I'll be damned if the "outdated" sprites aren't still rife with the same charm that captivated me all those years ago... If you're an RPG aficionado and have yet to play Chrono Trigger, please please please go pick this game up. It's one of a kind.

After classes I rocked out to more of The Last Remnant -- quite literally. The game's soundtrack was composed by Tsuyoshi Sekito, lead guitarist of The Black Mages. Because of this the game possesses some serious aural rockitude. I haven't progressed much further from where I left off last night, but I am still very much enjoying this game and will no doubt continue playing long into the night. Everyone who has reviewed the game skewered it over technical issues, namely texture pop-in and slowdown. The thing is, these issues are no worse than any other Unreal Engine 3 game -- Gears of War, Gears of War 2, Mass Effect, and Lost Odyssey all had brief moments of texture pop-in. With that in mind, I suspect fault lies more with Epic Games than the developers utilizing their engine. Texture pop-ins are certainly a bogus flaw, but it's awfully biased to crucify The Last Remnant for having the very same problem many other games do.

Television High

2008-12-03T20:56:00.007-05:00

So I'm sitting around watching another episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as I have been for the better part of two weeks now, when suddenly I felt a little frowny. Something about the show just wasn't synching up with me. And not just in the current episode, but rather my whole experience with the show thus far. But what? I dig the empowered female protagonist, kicking boy and monster butt alike and taking names. I certainly dig Mutant Enemy's witty dialogue and inventive slang. So what then could it be... Oh, wait! I know!

What's the deal with how almost every television show portrays high school?

Yes, yes, I'm aware that television demands everything be coated with a thick layer of drama and suspense, but c'mon... was high school anything like that for anyone? All cliquey and vicious and hostile like some kind of teenage prison, sans the shanking?

Like the perspective characters featured in any entertainment media set in high school, I was far from athletic, hardly outgoing, a terrible dresser, and had geeky/nerdy interests. Despite this, the so-called "jocks" never randomly terrorized me by knocking books out of my hands or tripping me in the halls. Groups of blonde-haired beauties never tormented me for not being popular. I wasn't some special case, either. Many whose geekitude far exceeded my own, many of whom I still consider friends, were never hunted by high school pepsquad predators. In fact, unless you needlessly called intention to yourself and how "different" you were, everyone in my high school left one another alone. Cliques/groups/flocks existed, sure, but it wasn't some blood war where the turf was the halls of academia.

So where does this ridiculous notion of high school come from? Is television just perpetuating and archaic stereotype of the high school experience? Some remnant from the 1950's or whenever? Or is Washington Township High School an anomaly? I can believe that the sort of behavior seen in The O.C. really happens -- the super-wealthy can afford to be ridiculous. However, I find it jarringly unrealistic that this is so for middle-class America, the socioeconomic class most commonly portrayed on television.

Having long-since graduated (Class of 2002, wuh wuhh!), my memory of high school is slowly fading. But I can honestly say that I loved every minute I was there (except for the minutes I spent underachieving and squandering my potential. Oh god, I sound like my teachers!). It was never a torturous approximate of hell on earth that scarred me emotionally and saw me beaten and bruised physically.

I feel bad for cheerleaders and football players in the real world, as their television counterparts portray them as mentally stunted, unrealistically vapid, unlikeable people. That sort of broad, sweeping generalization is of course absurd... but there's no denying people flock to shows in which high school is structured like this, and claim that it "speaks" to them or that they "connect" with it.

So what's the deal? Am I alone? Did I attend the Greatest High School in the World Ever? If so, rock on Washington Township... rock on.

Racial Consciousness in Our Society

2008-12-02T07:36:00.023-05:00

Unlike what many people may think, racism is still very much alive in our culture. Trouble is the racism prevalent today doesn't take the active form of dropping the "n-bomb" or using other dehumanizing racial slurs like it once did. Instead, racism is subtly woven into everyday language in a more passive form, coated in the linguistic equivalent of radar absorbent material. As I have become more and more aware of the issues facing "minorities" (a term itself needlessly divisive) it has become increasingly apparent to me just how peppered everyday speak, particularly between white people, is littered with moments of unconscious divisiveness.

Recently, my sister let slip a seemingly innocent comment that in actuality is rife with passive racism, which prompted me to write this entry. As much as I hate to hang a loved one out to dry, I am going to use her comment to illustrate the sort of passively racist comments made day-in and day-out.

And so, as overheard earlier this week:

"She should have told me she's dating a black guy!"

Comments identical to my sister's are made all the time, everywhere, and usually seem more benign. We make a distinction between the doctor and the black doctor, the skateboarder (Tony Hawk) and the black skateboarder (Ray Barbee), our friend and our black friend, the children and the black children. O-M-G Chris, but, like, you know, what else are we supposed to say? It's totally harmless! Far from it. Adding these kinds of labels is not only superfluous but also subversive.

Is a black doctor educated and trained any less extensively than a "regular" doctor (who, I might add, despite being white, Indian, or Asian is not similarly labeled)? Is Ray Barbee's performance on the half-pipe in any way affected by the color of his skin? Are black friends worse or less reliable than regular friends? Are those black children in some way different than other children? How does color, in any of these cases, change the nature of the relationship we have with people in any capacity?

When we make these kinds of distinctions we imply there is a difference between the person and the black person (or any ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation stamped before title). One little word carries with it a subtle notion of inferiority, perhaps even ineptitude.

This is especially true when we consider how racism intersects with classism. The two are often interchangeable, and since we typically associate lower socioeconomic status with certain groups of people, we tend to make assessments of value based on either or both. Race, gender, sexuality, socioeconomic status, etc. has no place influencing the perception of our talents and abilities as human beings.

I try to give as little thought to the fact that I am "white," or that others are "black" -- race simply does not change who I am or who others are. But I can honestly say that I would never care to be a white journalist, only ever a journalist. So do the world a favor and join me in extending the very same courtesy and dignity many are given (without ever having to "earn" it) to everyone else. Quite simply, everyone deserves it.

Gaming Update: Infinite Undiscovery Edition

2008-12-01T19:45:00.002-05:00

I do not identify myself as a "gamer," gaming is merely another hobby of mine -- no different than reading books, watching movies, listening to music, writing, weight lifting, or any other interests I choose not to singularly define myself through. So don't expect a heavy emphasis on video games on this blog. But the kids and close friends do occasionally enjoy reading my thoughts on video games, so I'll probably post them here once a week or so.

So what's new this week? Well, as I previously mentioned I've been digging into Chrono Trigger for the Nintendo DS. My roommate purchased a handful of games on Black Friday, including Infinite Undiscovery, Far Cry 2, and Rainbow 6: Las Vegas 2 (R6LV2? What a numerically-rife acronym!), and so I've been giving those a spin on his downtime.

Infinite Undiscovery is currently my main squeeze. I'm roughly five hours into the game, and not so much impressed. By all means, the game is fun -- the gameplay is a mixture of elements from Final Fantasy XII and Star Ocean. Unfortunately, less than stellar voice acting, animation, and narrative pacing compromise my long-term interest in the game. My roommate, Jim, is already on the second disc and says he still has no idea why the moon is all chained up and what the purpose behind that is. Not a promising sign, Tri-Ace/Square Enix...

I really haven't spent enough time with Far Cry 2 or R6LV2 to comment on either. From what I've seen of Jim's play-through of Far Cry 2, the game is certainly expansive and pretty. I'm sure after this smorgasbord of Role Playing Games I'll be jonesin' for a good shooter.

Oh, I want to go on record stating that, for me, Fallout 3 was a tremendous disappointment. Now, I've never played the first two games to hold the game up to any standard within the franchise... but with all the hype, buzz, and other such vernacular I expected a bit more "oomph." Unfortunately, what I got was shoddy animation and voice acting as well as lackluster character development and storytelling. I think the game is certainly worth a play-through, but not worth the $60 price tag unless you're a die-hard Fallout enthusiast.

I'm not always negative, I swear! I do like some games! Just you wait and see... One of these days I'll post about a game I simply adore. Perhaps after I finally manage to play Mirror's Edge...

So... Appendectomies Are Fun. Not.

2008-12-01T08:08:00.000-05:00

Nothing kicks off four-day Thanksgiving Break weekend like doubling over in agonizing abdominal pain and spending 12+ hours vomiting your guts out while a pain best described as a tiny little monster stabbing the inside of your stomach persists relentlessly. I experienced just this from 11 p.m. Thanksgiving Day until roughly the same time Black Friday, when I finally begged someone to take me to the hospital. Turns out I had acute appendicitis.

I spent the remainder of the weekend cooped up in Underwood Memorial Hospital, room 666A (go figure), being poked and prodded by nurses, residents and interns alike until I was finally carted away for surgeries. Fortunately, despite all my compounding misfortune, they were able to perform the surgery laparoscopically, which is much less invasive than the traditional procedure. No worries, I am fine. Just a little sore and one useless organ lighter.

Being bedridden and all I managed to score some quality time with Chrono Trigger for the DS. Honestly, the purchase is hardly justified for anyone who isn't an absolute nut for the game or simply hasn't played it before. But it's still very much a wonderful video game that feels quite at home on Nintendo's DS.

I also managed to hijack the hospital's WiFi connection (okay, maybe they provided free access... whatever) and watch some more Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 2. I've seen most of the series before, but I was much younger and did not possess the level of appreciation for Joss Whedon's work that I've come to develop. Suffice-to-say, I'm thoroughly enjoying the show. The man, inarguably, is a witty dialogue machine. I can only hope that some of his talent rubs off on me from abusively watching Buffy, firefly/Serenity, and his upcoming show Dollhouse.

On an unrelated note, I apologize for how poorly written my first few posts here will no doubt be. The thing about writing is, if you don't practice daily you will get rusty. I sort of fell off the bike earlier this year and instead of picking myself back up decided to lay on the ground and poke at my scraped knees. Not the most mature decision I've made -- I don't recommend it.

Now I must be off. It'll take me 10 minutes just to get my shoes on and all. This is fun! But not really.

Picking Your Battles

2008-11-30T21:56:00.003-05:00

It all started when Capcom unveiled the teaser trailer for Resident Evil 5 at last year’s E3. Many members within the video game community – white and black alike – voiced discomfort experienced while viewing the trailer due to supposed racial imagery.

MTV Multiplayer's Tracey John sat down with Newsweek editor N'Gai Croal to kick off a week-long series of interviews called “Black Professionals in Games.” When asked for his thoughts on the Resident Evil 5 trailer, Croal admitted that his first reaction to it was, "Wow, clearly no one black worked on this game."

It’s true that no one "black" was involved in RE5's development, but this is little to do with race and more to do with the fact that the game was developed in Japan. Japan's society is one mired in homogeneity – only 1.22% of their population is of non-Japanese descent according to government statistics. As approximately 99% of Japan’s population is native Japanese, the odds of finding a “black” game designer in Japan are slim.

Should Capcom have hired some sort of "Black Consultant" to assist with Resident Evil 5? Of course not. The very idea is absurd. The decision to use race in a creative undertaking does not demand approval by members of that race. Ultimately, the issue with Resident Evil 5's trailer isn't the developer's problem, but the audience's.

Croal points out undeniable racial imagery as the primary issue in Resident Evil 5’s teaser trailer, but fails to mention how perception of this issue is localized. The perceived imagery is the result of racial tensions unique to the United States – consequences of a nation’s history, not the world’s. The Japanese, for example, never experienced a massive civil war fought over the rights of an enslaved race. Because of this, the racial apprehension inherent to American culture does not exist in Japan.

In his interview with MTV Multiplayer, Croal likens the trailer’s imagery to a hypothetical zombie movie “set in Europe in the 1940’s with skinny, emaciated, Hasidic-looking people.” The problem is that one wouldn’t think twice about skinny, emaciated, Hasidic-looking zombies because no one, on average, would identify them as "Hasidic-looking". Who even knows what that means? Would a "Hasidic-looking" zombie sport a yarmulke on his "Jew-fro"? Croal makes this comparison in an attempt to appeal to our collective understanding of the atrocity the Jewish people of Europe suffered during World War II. This is an exceedingly specific illustration, however, and cannot rightly be likened to the abstract imagery being scrutinized over in Resident Evil 5’s trailer.

There's no denying that dark-skinned people are often ill-represented in the media. But, where exactly is the historical context about a bunch of dark-skinned people becoming zombified, flipping out, and being shot in defense? The so-called historical imagery is only made complete by the presence of the game’s white-skinned protagonist, Chris Redfield. However, it’s grossly negligent to relegate Redfield as some generic white protagonist when in reality he is an established character within in the franchise. There is undeniable relevance in tapping him as the hero.

The real issue with race in gaming isn't how dark-skinned characters are portrayed, but rather the absence of additional dark-skinned characters so that their differences become noticeable. Augustus Cole, A.K.A. "The Cole Train" of Gears of War fame is regularly called out for perpetuating a "black stereotype." The issue with this is that Cole's showboating college football star personality does exist. Anyone who has attended college can attest to this. It's very unlikely that all dark-skinned people on the game’s fictional planet Sera act like Cole. Unfortunately, there are no other significant dark-skinned characters to make Cole seem unique and as a result he's relegated to "obligatory black stereotype" status.

Croal and other critic’s impressions of Resident Evil 5 are mired in an innate negativity nurtured by North American upbringing. As a result, he fails to examine the potential positive influence Resident Evil 5 may yield. In a game populated by dark-skinned characters, there is a greater chance for several significant, dynamic dark-skinned characters to exist. Of course there will be a considerable number of drooling, snarling dark-skinned zombies. But Resident Evil is, after all, a series about putting bullets in the brainpans of humans become monsters – not humans that are monsters. This is not American social commentary. This is Japanese-created entertainment developed for a world audience.

There's so much we don't know about Resident Evil 5. Do Resident Evil games typically showcase normal life activities? Or do they usually depict a "scary" situation wherein a hero is threatened by hordes of zombies and monsters? So far all gamers have seen is a light-skinned person shooting dark-skinned people. Capcom has in fact revealed the existence of dark-skinned allies to aid Chris Redfield, such as the playable female protagonist Sheva Alomar, whose presence alone is a milestone in video game character diversity.

It would be naive to suggest that racial inequalities in society have been abolished. They haven't. These inequalities are still very much prevalent in society, North America's especially. These inequalities must be challenged, but we must learn to pick our battles. When it comes to racial misrepresentations in video games, there are plenty of causes to take up. Resident Evil 5, which hits store shelves in March, just isn't one of them.