spiden

"Amidst the blue skies, a link from the past to the future. The sheltering wings of the Protector... The flames of hatred scorch the skies, igniting Gaia's funeral pyre..."

These words usher you into "Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies" with a grandeur foreshadowing the next 30-some hours, because once you become attached to this game, you can't put down the controller. Very simply, the entirety of this game is engaging in a personal way. It has one of those rare stories you find in a video game that makes you feel like you just stepped out of a movie theater showing a four-star film. Of course, the gameplay is equally on par with its plot. However, while you play as a fighter pilot, the story is seen through the eyes of a man writing a letter to someone. The various experiences he puts on paper unfolds in still images drawn like a color manga, with the man narrating his life story.

The man recalls he was "just a child when the stars fell from the sky." By this, he means that as a boy, meteorites pounded the Earth. In response, the Erusians built a superweapon to combat the deep-space attackers. After the danger subsided, the Erusians realized the power of their weapon and turned it towards the rest of Usea. Here, a war ensues with fighter planes playing a crucial part. During a dogfight in the Narrator's hometown, a plane is shot down on his family home. Still a child, the boy was left to fend for himself in a wartime society. He found a job at a local bar where he played the harmonica and developed a crush on the barkeep's daughter. The boy also becomes attached to the squadron responsible for his family's deaths. The rest you must experience for yourself, it truly becomes heartfelt and intense.

During gameplay, you play an ace fighter pilot designated Mobius 1. Throughout a series of cutscenes the boy occasionally sights Mobius 1 during battles in and near his town. He idolizes the fighter pilot along with the rest of his town.

The gameplay itself is smooth and easy to learn. The handling corresponds to your plane's statistics, which are precise and accurate to the actual plane on which they're based. The different enemies, especially the superweapon(s), are varied and have unique fighting abilities. There is a choice of a couple dozen planes with special weapons and different ammunition capacities. Their statistics are based on several criteria including air to air combat, air to ground combat, mobility, stability, durability, and speed, if I remember correctly.

The graphics look fantastic for a 2001 game. In fact, it's one of the best looking games on the Playstation 2. The planes are detailed and often dirty, with different textures contrasting vibrantly with the rest of the colors on the ground and the cities. In a night battle, it's difficult to distinguish the sky from the ocean, so the graphics, in a sense, are acting as your enemy along with other vehicles.

The game features an incredible, grand soundtrack that, personally, made me want to look it up online and listen to it over and over. The music sounds like techno, but also has beautiful non-lyrical vocals that makes a great combination. This game isn't just for viewing.

Trust me, folks. I tried. I really tried to find a disappointing aspect in this game. However, I'm blown away by the sheer excellence and enjoyability of "Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies." 10/10.

Bond movies are at the core of the action film genre. Not only is this series the most financially successful of all time, but the films appeal to nearly every generation. Make no mistake, though; Casino Royale abandons the cheesy and light-hearted demeanor of its predecessors and instead focuses on an in-depth analysis of Bond's beginnings... including one hell of a poker game.

This installment begins with a summing-up of Bond's first two kills to achieve his "00" status. Here, we begin to realize that Bond will be displayed as a far more vulnerable and deep character. At the helm of the most difficult role in 007 history is Daniel Craig, who proves that he is a formidable addition to the cavalcade of actors chosen for Bond. It soon becomes apparent that we'll be seeing more of him in the series. Eva Green is introduced as Vesper Lynd. This is interesting. If you watch this movie expecting a beautiful broad with a name you can't say twice on television, you're only partially correct. Vesper features an individualism only seen in such roles as Honor Blackman's Pussy Galore, and "Agent Triple X" in the Spy Who Loved Me. Bond succumbs to Lynd's beauty and impeccable character which has faint reminders of... Bond himself. They ultimately fall in love when Lynd has "stripped Bond of his armor." Without spoiling anything, I'll just say that the result from this relationship is the Bond we've all come to know and love over the 50+ years since his initial birth in Ian Fleming's legendary series.

Aside from our leads, Mads Mikkelson gives a great performance as the lead villain, Le Chiffre. This particular megalomaniacal genius has an unfailing ability to calculate the odds in a poker match, and--thank God--he's physically deformed! Le Chiffre has a scar over his eye (reminds me of Donald Pleasance's Blofeld) and weeps blood. Judi Dench returns to the role of M. A feature of this reboot is the development in Bond and his superior's relationship, which is one of the many differences from Bernard Lee's character.

Casino Royale has small and satisfying reminders of Bonds long past; such as the gun barrel intro, the best opening credit sequence since "Live and Let Die," 007's famous "Bond, James Bond" line, Felix Lester (Jeffrey Wright is excellent here), and a couple of snappy comebacks.

It's almost insulting to call this and action movie. In the action genre we see henchmen firing machine guns at the hero/heroine when no bullet actually hits, and features melodramatic acting with a terrible script. Casino Royale is the polar opposite.

I've fallen for every aspect of Casino Royale. A must see for every Bond fan, I give it a well-deserved 9/10.