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Just beat odst... pretty amazing.

Red Ring of Death

Unfortunately due to the Red Ring of Death, there will not be any more video game reviews until my Xbox 360 is returned... I have a video on youtube of how the whole thing happended.

Thanks,

Connor

Connor Boyd Reviews 2009

Watchmen Movie Review

"The world will look up and shout 'Save Us!' and I'll whisper 'No.'" Those are the words of Rorschach, one of the main characters in Zack Snyder's movie adaptation of Watchmen. For those of you who don't know, Watchmen was a 12-issue graphic novel released in 1986. The story takes place in an alternate 1985 setting where a group of retired heroes called "The Watchmen" are being killed off. An unretired hero named Rorschach sets out to find the person who is behind all of it. This movie (as seen in the trailer) is said to be "The most celebrated graphic novel of ALL time". Before seeing this movie I did in fact read the entire novel just for the heck of it. This novel is not a super hero comic book adventure. It is a very political, deep, and adult themed book. It shows what it would be like if the "super" heroes had ordinary lives. It shows what life today would be like if heroes were an everyday part of life. So the book is very good...as for the movie...it's almost better. That's right. Better. This movie DOES have a different ending, but I have to say that it is probably better than the original. The film is very accurate to the book. It seems as if it just popped right off of the page into live action. People who are familiar with Zack Snyder's work know that he uses a lot of slow-motion action sequences. He does incorporate some of that into the movie but he doesn't over do it at all. The visual effects are STUNNING. The set design looks just like the environment in the book, and everything is accurate right down to the very obscure details (Gunga Diner, shadow graffiti, New Frontiersman, and the Bennies at the news stand). I also heard that the movie will be released to DVD and Blu Ray with a 3 and 1/2 hour long director's cut including all of "The Black Freighter" scenes.  The cast fits very well, especially the actors who plays Nite Owl and Rorschach. The music ranges from all different times of music from Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix to modern rock-metal. The action scenes are very well done with TONS of brutal gore and violence. There is also quite a bit of nudity and sex. The main concern for everyone was Dr. Manhattan's penis. It is shown at least thirty times throughout the whole movie. So if you're a parent who's kid wants to go see watchmen and you're thinking that it will be like Spiderman 3...DON'T GO SEE IT! A helpful website to check out is IMDB. It is very useful when your are deciding if you want your kids to see a certain movie. On each movie you can find content rating, parent's comments, and a whole bunch of good stuff. In conclusion, Watchmen was an incredible adaptation of the comic and is one of my new favorite movies. I say "Go see it twice, read the novel, and by it on DVD!". Hope you enjoyed this review

-Connor

Connor Boyd Reviews 2009

Halo Wars Review

Halo is Back!

Ensemble Studios has created a phenomenal RTS adaption of the Halo Universe. Halo Wars starts out in a setting 20 years before Halo: Combat Evolved. You are invading a covenant occupied planet with your frigate "The Spirit of Fire". You control Sergeant Forge and other UNSC soldiers along with a boat load of new and old vehicles, aircraft, and infantry. I am pleased to say that Halo Wars includes Spartan infantry. Because honestly... it wouldn't be Halo without it. The gameplay is fairly simple and unlike other RTS titles, mainly focuses on combat rather than evolution and building. If you have NEVER played an RTS of any kind then you won't be in the dark when trying to steer you troops into battle. The game is extremely easy to pick up and play. The 5-minute tutorial basically explains EVERYTHING there is to know about the controls and strategy. The camera is also fairly easy to control. Another perk that comes with you copy of Halo Wars Limited Edition is the Mythic Map Pack for Halo 3. This has driven many Halo 3 fans to their local game retailers just to purchase the Halo Wars LCE. The Mythic Map Pack however will be reviewed later this spring. The sound is fairly decent and the explosions are satisfying. One thing that stands out are the cut-scenes. Sometimes you find yourself trying to get through the level just so you can see the gorgeous cut-scenes. In conclusion, I say rent it before you buy, but you have to check this game out if you are a Halo or a RTS fan.

-Connor

Connor Boyd Reviews 2009