Lost Planet 3

Ah, the first upcoming video game post of 2013. This will be a fun year... at least, if the movie and game lists have anything to say about it.

This week we're highlighting Lost Planet 3, the sequel to Lost Planet 2 which, in turn, was the sequel to Lost Planet. As though that was not very obvious... =)


Lost Planet is a sci-fi Action trilogy that takes place on the planet E.D.N. III.

And, of course, whenever a planet is called "Eden" it's always everything but a Garden of Eden.

Developed by Spark Unlimited and Capcom, and published by Capcom, "Lost Planet 3 introduces Jim, a rig pilot who leaves Earth to take on a hazardous but lucrative contract on E.D.N. III working for Neo-Venus Construction (NEVEC.) NEVEC's existing Thermal Energy reserve is running low, and the fate of the Coronis mission depends on the natural source of the energy supply being located. Realizing the opportunity for a huge pay-off and early ticket home, Jim braves the risk of the treacherous enviroment and threat of the indigenous Akrid. Acting as a home away from home and boasting an array of tools that can assist Jim on the field, the utility rig provides Jim's safety and is essential for not only his contract work but also his protection against the ever-changing climate" (IGN).

It's basically a survival game. Stay alive long enough to get the rare whatever and try really, really hard not to get blasted or eaten alive or frozen to death in the proccess.

According to IGN, Lost Planet 3 is not only a survival game. It also serves a secret-leaking function, revealing "new truths about the forboding planet and the colonial history of E.D.N. III." Players are also warned that the climate conditions on E.D.N. III are much harsher than they were in the last two Lost Planet games.

But even with the harsher conditions, Lost Planet 3 has much to offer both new and returning gamers.

The game is a mixture of both first person combat within Jim's utility rig and third-person shooter when he's running around on the surface of the planet. The Akrid - E.D.N. III's original alien species - are also "bigger and angrier and demanding a more tactical approach during combat" (IGN). For those who don't like to solo, Lost Planet 3 also offers a wide assortment of different multiplayer modes. And since the game was developed using the Unreal Engine 3, you can expect that the cutscenes and the in-game graphics will be beautiful to behold.

Plus Jim looks like a mix between Tim Allen and Nicholas Cage. I kid you not. I leave it up to you to decide whether or not that's a good thing.


DISCLAIMER!: Lost Planet 3 has not yet been rated by the ESRB, though the target rating is T for Teen or above.

Lost Planet 3 will releasefor the XBox 360 on January 15th in the U.S. The exact date for the Australian, United Kingdom, and Japanese releases have not been confirmed yet, though it will also occur this January.




 - Edessa, signing off

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Hard to believe that this is actually Andy Serkis...

Planet of the Apes has always been a story that greatly interested me.

I mean, movies about ape-like aliens putting humans in zoos and taking over the world? That sounds pretty cool, if you ask me.

I've never seen any part of Planet of the Apes, but the story has still intrigued me. That, and I've always wanted to watch it so I can dissect the proposed worldviews, but I do that with every movie I see anyway.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes is definitely high up there on my "To Watch" list, mostly because of Andy Serkis (that man is pure awesome genius!) but also because of the story and so I can dissect the worldview. And now that a sequel's being made, I find myself even more anxious to see Rise so I can see this next installment.


Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is the sequel to 2011's Rise, a story that takes place not too long after tehe events of its predecessor. The synopsis (courtesy of Movie Insider): "The sequel, which continues the story of the original film, follows the apes on the path to emerge as society's new rulers."

That would be kinda strange, having a bunch of gorillas in Congress with human slaves who wait on their every whim.

This is when I could totally and very easily make a crack about the government.....

....but I won't. =)

Even in its early development stage, Dawn still has a nice handful of notable people attached to it.

Matt Reeves (Let Me In, Cloverfield) has taken over the directing chair, which was formerly inhabited by Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Escapist). Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver - both of whom wrote the Rise screenplay - are on hand again to write Dawn, and they have been joined by Scott Z. Burns (Contagion, The Informant!, Bourne Ultimatum).

What makes me really, really, REALLY excited, though, is that Andy Serkis is returning to play Caesar, the genetically enhanced main ape who is planning world domination. Serkis is a brilliant actor, particularly in the field of motion-capture (which explains how he is realistically able to play an ape without the use of a suit and fifty layers of make-up), and I just love to watch him act. He's probably my favorite actor, and I can't think of a single film of his that I didn't like.

Brilliant man. Just amazingly brilliant!

20th Century Fox is also distributing this sequel, as well as producing it alongside Chernin Entertainment.

Currently Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is in the Development Phase, when the script is finalized and casting and budgeting begin. The film is set for a May 23, 2014 nationwide release, but that could change over time. No worldwide date has been set yet.

Officially the film is not being filmed in 3D, but that hasn't been confirmed yet. Personally I think they should go ahead and film it in 3D. If they don't, they'll probably end up converting it later, so they might as well just do it now.

Besides, enraged apes taking over the world in 3D? I think I wanna see that.... =D


Do you think Dawn of the Planet of the Apes will be Good, Bad, or Ugly? Did you ever see the original Rise of the Planet of the Apes? If you did, did you like it?




 - Edessa, signing off

Ratchet & Clank Collection

You do not mess with the R.Y.N.O.!

Ratchet & Clank is one of those special kinds of franchises that seems to have everything: awesome weapons with equally awesome mods that can all be leveled up, cool armor suits, interesting plotlines, good voiceover work (particularly by James Arnold Taylor), and a fuzzy alien hero with a seriously epic name for players to control. I play Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters on my PSP, and I would definitely reccomend the game to anyone who likes third-person shooters. Sure, it's not an easy game (I still can't seem to beat the last Quodrona level in Master Mode), but it sure is a lot of fun.

If you love Ratchet and his robot companion, Clank, or if you've never played any of the games before, the Ratchet & Clank Collection will likely be a good investment if fun third-person shooters are right up your alley.


Published by Sony Computer Entertainment and Developed by Idol Minds Digital Entertainment and Insomniac Games, the Ratchet & Clank Collection is a box set of three R&C classic games: the original R&C, Going Commando, and Up Your Arsenal. All of the games have been "remastered in 1080p...with additional upgrades such as Trophy and 3D support" (IGN).

Here are the synopsises (synopsi? Whatever the plural of "synopsis" is) for all three games, courtesy of IGN: "In the original Ratchet & Clank, save the galaxy as Ratchet, a wrench-wielding Lombax, and his robot buddy, Clank, in this action-adventure with a multitude of crazy weapons.

"In Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, Ratchet and Clank return as heroes for hire. Upon taking a job to find a stolen experiment for mega-corporation Abercombie Fitzwidget, Ratchet and Clank meet a large cast of character who will help them along the way.

"In Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal, gamers return to Planet Veldin, the setting of the original game, where the duo set off on a gripping new adventure through a multitude of diverse planets to fight for galatice peace. Up Your Arsenal includes a multiplayer feature that allows up to eight players to play at once."

According to the official PlayStation 3 blog, this box set of three classic R&C games has been created "to commemorate the achievements of the Ratchet & Clank saga," a saga that is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year (the first game was originally released on the PlayStation 2 in 2002).

If you live in Europe then the collection was released in the spring of this year, but North American fans will have to wait until this fall to get their version.

Why do North Americans have to wait longer? "...It's becuase we have something very special planned for our North American fans to celebrate the 10th anniversary" (The Official PlayStation Blog). What is this "special" something that Sony has in store?

*NOTE: Skip over the next paragraph if you're the type of person who likes surprises and wants to find out the special something for yourself!*

For North American gamers only - sorry, international gamers - the Collection will come with a demo for Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, the new game in the Sly Cooper franchise. The reason why North Americans get this bonus content is because Sony wants to reward the gamers here for their patience, since the game released internationally in the spring and the North Americans have had to wait an extra few months.

*NOTE: Continue reading here if you like surprises.*

The Ratchet & Clank Collection will release in North America on August 28, 2012, for the PlayStation 3.

DISCLAIMER!: The Ratchet & Clank Collection has been rated E 10+ for Everyone 10 and Older for Comic Mischief, Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes.


Who here plays Ratchet & Clank, and what do you love about the franchise?

My favorite thing about R&C is the weapons. I adore my dual, double barreled Lacerator pistols, my Acid Bomb Glove, Agents of Doom (mine are Agents of Dread because I've leveled them up to Titan 4), and the Rocket Launcher. Currently I'm saving up for the R.Y.N.O. and I can tell you right now that I am gonna have so much fun with that bad boy when I finally get Ratchet's fuzzy hands on it!




 - Edessa, signing off

Halo 4

Master Chief is back in the new Halo sequel

Halo is one of those types of game that even if you've never played it you've most likely heard of it. In fact, the futuristic First-Person Shooter is one of the best video game franchises out there. Even people who don't particularly like or play Shooters or Mature-rated games will admitt that Halo is one of the most iconic, highest grossing franchises of all time.

Coming soon from Publisher Microsoft Game Studios and Developer 343 Industries is the newest installment in the Halo series: Halo 4. The synopsis (courtesy of IGN): "Master Chief returns in Halo 4, part of a new trilogy in the colossal Halo universe. Set almost five years after the events of Halo 3, Halo 4 takes the series in a new direction and sets the stage for an epic new sci-fi saga, in which the Master Chief returns to confront his destiny and face an ancient evil that threatens the fate of the entire universe."

It seems as though there's always some ancient evil or another threatening the universe, not just in Halo but in many different books, games, and movies.

One of the newest options available to Halo 4 players is the Halo Infinity Multiplayer. "The hub of the Halo 4 multiplayer experience is the UNSC Infinity - the largest starship in the UNSC fleet that serves as the center of your Spartan career. Here you'll build your custom Spartan-IV supersoldier, and progress your multiplayer career across all Halo 4 competitive and cooperative game modes" (IGN).

Two editions of this game will be available: the Standard for $60.00 and the Limited for $100.00 (all U.S. currency).

"The Limited Edition includes early access to six Specializations, the UNSC Infinity Briefing Packer, which includes an armor customization schematic, a blueprint of the massive ship itself, and insight into what it means to be one of humanity's finest warriors: the Spart-IVs, bonus digital content and access to nine maps - three future competitive multiplayer map packs, each including three locations" (IGN).

Both of these editions will be available on the same release date - November 6, 2012 - and Halo 4 will only be available for the XBox 360.

Speaking of XBoxes, GameStop is offering a Limited Edition Halo 4 320 GB XBox 360 console. The package includes a custom designed console, 2 Custom Halo 4 wireless controllers with blue LED lights and a D-pad, 320 GB HDD, Halo 4 Standard edition, XBox LIVE code for bonus Halo 4 downloadable content, wired headset, and custom sounds when the console is turned on and when the Eject button is pushed (GameStop). If you pre-order the console today, you will also recieve the customizable Forest armor skin. For more information on this limited edition console, please visit http://www.gamestop.com/xbox-360/consoles/xbox-360-320gb-limited-edition-halo-4-console/103352

DISCLAIMER!: Halo 4 has not yet been rated by the ESRB, though it is targeted for the M for Mature rating or higher.




 - Edessa, signing off

Robocop

The poster for the original "Robocop" film

In 1987 the original Robocop film was released to theaters. With Peter Weller in the titular role, Robocop told the story of a Detroit police officer who was gravely injured during a shootout. Taking a page from the Six Million Dollar Man and Bionic Woman, the officer was reconstructed by scientists, becoming a cyborg that looked like a splice of Gort from The Day the Earth Stood Still and Maria from Metropolis. The only parts of him that remained human were his face and his memories, which would haunt him whenever he went to his recharging chair to "sleep."

The film spawned two sequels, creating the Robocop trilogy. But now, almost thirty years later, the franchise is getting a remake courtesy of Sony Pictures.

Distributed by Sony and produced by Phoenix Pictures, Robocop tells the story of the mysterious titular character, who is still haunted by memories that only appear when he is recharging. Jose Padilha (director, screenwriter, and producer of Elite Squad: The Enemy Within) directs Joel Kinnaman (Safe House) as Robocop. No other cast members have yet been hired.

This action/sci-fi film has been in Pre-Production since September 25, 2011. Originally the plan was to begin shooting in early 2012, but they'll probably start filming sometime in July or August. Robocop will be in theaters on August 9, 2013. No worldwide release date has been confirmed yet, and the film will likely not be available in 3D.


Do you think that this Robocop remake will be Good, Bad, or Ugly? Have you seen the original Robocop trilogy, and did you like it?




 - Edessa, signing off

Star Trek 2

While I am a big Star Wars fan, I also have a soft spot in my heart for Star Trek. After all, I was first introduced to sci-fi by watching ST with my dad. The Next Generation has always been my favorite of all five ST series, followed closely by Deep Space 9, but I've never really gotten into the original series with Captain Kirk and Dr. Spock.

Maybe the new ST  movie will change my mind.

In 2009, the eleventh Star Trek film was released to a total of 3,849 theaters and made $76.5 million in its opening weekend. That is quite a bit more than any other ST film has made on opening weekend. The closest contender in 1996's First Contact (one of my favorite movies because I just love Borg!), which made $30.7 million on its opening weekend.

For those of you who didn't see it, Star Trek "explores the early Starfleet careers of future Enterprise officers Kirk, Spock, Scotty, Amanda Grayson, Uhura, McCoy, Sulu, and Chekhov" (Movie Insider). Most people liked the film, and Rotten Tomatoes - an online company that rates films - gave the film a 95% Fresh rating after compiling a total of 292 reviews from critics. Polled audiences gave it a 91% Fresh rating.

Now J.J. Abrams, the director of 2009's Star Trek and the creator of the TV series Alias, is attempting to continue that success with a twelfth ST film.

A scene from Star Trek 2

Directed by J.J. Abrams and distributed by Skydance Productions, Star Trek 2 has been in production since January 15, 2012, in LA. All of the 2009 cast have reprised their roles, including Chris Pine as Captain Kirk, Zarchary Quinto as Dr. Spock, and Karl Urban as Bones. Benedict Cumberbatch plays the unnamed villain, though he might be playing the infamous Khan because Benicio Del Toro was formerly in talks to play that villain. The official plot has not yet been released by Skydance Productions, but Star Trek 2 will continue where Star Trek left off. ST 2 will also be filmed in 3D, and the movie will be in theaters nationwide on May 17, 2013. No worldwide date has yet been released.

Can ST 2 continue in the success of its predecessor, or will this be one of those films that was better left on the notepad? I guess we'll have to just wait and see.



So do you think that Star Trek 2 will be Good (3-4 stars), Bad (1-2 stars), or Ugly (so bad that it couldn't even get a dying star)? What do you think of the villain possibly being the infamous Khan?




 - Edessa, signing off