So Far the Only Reason to Buy Motion Plus

Like the typical, hardcore, Wii gamer, I bought the Motion Plus add-on as soon as it came out. It was only $20, and I was sure there would be many more games coming out that will need the 1:1 apparatus of motion control. Or, at the very least I thought, the next Zelda will have Motion Plus. Well, turns out that the very least is exactly what I got. That's not a remark on Red Steel 2, but on the countless companies that failed to utilize the accessory. Ok, countless may be stretching it. It has, after all, only been on the market since June 2009 and any game that was in the works before that couldn't possibly add such a unique feature as an afterthought. Red Steel 2, however, implemented it beforehand with ample time, despite the game's lack of commercial success. In regards to the poor sales figures, the Creative Director, Jason Vandenbergite, of the game told IGN that Red Steel 2 had a very small audience window and explained how gamers didn't want to "exert themselves." Neither of those arguments is unfair, but the latter makes me wonder about the future of the Playstation Move and Microsoft's Kinect.

To begin with Red Steel 2, I must admit I was excited to play this game long before I ever got the chance. Sword fighting, westerns and 1:1 movement will do that to me. But my first copy of the game had to be sent back because it was faulty and it was over a month before I found it again for the same price. So one can understand that the buildup of desire was much like that of a virgin high schooler at his prom. I was also just as hopeful of experiencing something that I thought would change everything. I would never -- could never -- go back to what it was like before direct 1:1 motion. For those of you not familiar with the Motion Plus accessory, it doesn't live up to this hype, which is seen clearly now with the noticeably few games that even offer the option of using it. Only one game, to date, takes advantage of the accessory and offers a complete gaming experience. The review of Red Steel 2, then, must include a review of Motion Plus gaming.

The opening cinematic of Red Steel 2 was very impressive. You begin by being tied by the wrists to the back of a motorcycle going through the desert and nearby city. I instantly thought, "wow, this looks fantastic. Cel-shading and the Wii are a perfect match." Even better was the idea that whoever gets dragged behind a bike like that would surely be dead by the end of the ride. I even winced a couple times when hitting glass bottles. Eventually the sequence ends and I was happily surprised when the in-game graphics stayed in step with the cinematic. We find out our hero is a member of the Kusagari clan, and so we start wandering the city in search of other Kusagari clansmen. At first the only weapon available is a gun, but that changes after a few minutes. The moment of truth for the Motion Plus add on. Can 1:1 movement improve the overall quality of a game? It took some getting used to, that's for sure. At first I was not able to swing the sword without turning the point of view in tandem with my swing. But, yes, there was 1:1 movement and it definitely made a difference in the game. For instance, the game immediately tells you to swing "with your elbow" because frilly wrist waggles won't be enough. The strength of the sword swipe depends on how fast and long your movement is. I can honestly say that my arm felt a little sore after a while, though, and I used to play tennis.

The entire set up works very well together. Motion Plus completely changes the action of the game. Since no one without wrists the size of dictionaries will be able to make little movements effective against the enemies, the gameplay is much more difficult. No sitting and leaning back. You gotta be front and center, ready to have broad slashes against armored foes. It doesn't feel like you're actually swinging a sword, even if the Wii remote is now longer, but it does get your head more into the game. As for the gun, there's nothing special there. It would work exactly the same without Motion Plus. Think Resident Evil 4 but without the stationary shooting. And the zombies.

As I mentioned earlier, the game's story is reminiscent of a spaghetti western. You get to play the wanderer who comes in to clean up the town, which is under siege by a group of bandits. In addition, there is also some classic Japanese story-telling here. The lone samurai, having been disgraced and banished by his clan, returns to help in a clan war and has to deal with other, sword-wielding assassins. The look and sound also blend the East and West. Not only are there paper lanterns, but telephones and vending machines. Not only is there a drunken-ish sheriff, but also a samurai master who reluctantly agrees to train you. If you're a fan of films like "Unforgiven" or "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" you will recognize the classic western sound, but with a Japanese tinge to it.

The combat gameplay largely relies on the sword, but that's the point. There is the option of buying additional guns and upgrades for them, but you can play the whole game without using your gun, while you need the sword for several things from taking off an enemy's armor to using for finishing moves. Also, almost everything you see lying around is breakable and will give you cash to purchase said upgrades; it would just be a waste of bullets to use them on shooting up every barrel and trash bag. The last little detail I would mention is the surprising use of the Wii remote speaker. Personally, mine is always off because the sound is usually awful quality and adds nothing to the experience. But, in Red Steel 2, the speaker is used to hear clicks when trying to unlock safes. You turn the remote as if it was the lock on the safe itself and listen for the clicking to know where to press A. Not a bad idea or implementation -- it was certainly never annoying. High praise for that little speaker.

To sum up this game, I can say it was a unique, enjoyable experience. The Motion Plus attachment was iffy at first, but over time I felt more and more comfortable with it. The point of view rotating with the swing stopped happening and really never happened in combat to begin with. The story was a nice mixture of classic plots, although the voice acting was a little off-putting, but there aren't many games that do that too well. I enjoyed the way to accept missions, along with collecting money, optional side quests, and upgrading your gun and sword. This game has a great deal of positives going for it and the addition of the, sadly under-used, Motion Plus does increase the overall quality. Especially in light of being one of the only games after a year to use it. I rate both Motion Plus and Red Steel 2 as Super Dope.

4.5/5 Near Perfect Score! Super Dope!

Heavy Rain

Many say that video games are the next step in the evolution of Art, and I suppose there is no reason for me not to agree. Sure there are many areas that could use some improvement, but with the advent of motion based controllers and 3D television there are no signs of slowing down. So once again let us turn towards the comparison of movies and video games. Some members of the film elite may scoff at the idea that these two mediums have anything in common, but anyone who has played a video game of late can find plenty of reasons: an interesting plot, complex characters, epic soundtracks, and equal measures of sheer entertainment and poignancy. If one were to look for a quintessential example of how movies influenced the medium of video games, look no further than Heavy Rain, which has been repeatedly deemed as one of the most “cinematic” gaming experiences ever.

Writer and director David Cage and his company Quantic Dream are known to approach video games as a sort of interactive movie, which is exemplified from their first two games Omikron: The Nomad Soul and Indigo Prophecy. I only played the latter of the two, the gameplay of which has been adapted and improved in Heavy Rain. In terms of the story, both games tend to have a thing for weather and mysterious murders. The longer you play the more intense the blizzard/rainstorm gets, mirroring the intensifying plight of the characters (now that’s deep). Indigo Prophecy and Heavy Rain also center on a mystery that needs to be solved, whether it be by police or by some average (but oh so mysterious) Joe Schmo.

I can honestly say the plot of Heavy Rain does show much more control and the characters ring more true than those of Prophecy. Both games start in a gritty urban environment, but while Heavy Rain remains firmly grounded in this universe, Prophecy goes off in some crazy mystical directions with cults, spells, and resurrections (not to say, of course, that any sort of plot centered in a mystical realm is trash per se, but there should at least be a better way of introducing such aspects to the audience). I was totally digging Prophecy until (SPOILERS) you find out there is some elite of magical hobos, you die, come back to life, make love with the police woman, impregnate her with your zombie sperm, and then watch your half-dead children frolic around a field. I don’t know about you, but really? Did I throw a couple of hours of my life away to see that sort of crap? Maybe it’s because David Cage is French and they are into strange, kinky $#!* like that. I’m happy to say that Heavy Rain had nothing of that sort.

As far as the gameplay goes, you play as four different characters, each with different pieces of the puzzle. You start as Ethan Mars, the main protagonist, who is happily married with two kids. The beginning allows the player to ease into the control system of the game, a lot of which centers around hitting the right buttons or moving the controller at the right time. They even let you practice your combat skills by beating your children into submission! With plastic swords, of course.

I think I enjoyed beating that child a little too much.

Investigating a crime scene

Another aspect this beginning section expands on is how the player needs to use the character’s thoughts as well as choosing the right response in a conversation to help them navigate through the challenges that are presented, which becomes particularly crucial later in the game. We follow Ethan and his family as they go to the mall where they lose their son who is hit by a car and killed. This traumatic experience ruins Ethan, who we find out is divorced and living on his own two years later. Eventually Ethan’s second child is kidnapped by some psycho named the Origami Killer, who forces Ethan into performing suicidal tasks in order to see his son again (makes sense given the tagline for the game is “How far would you go to save someone you love?”). Meanwhile, you also play an old private investigator, an FBI profiler, and a photojournalist who all become involved with Ethan’s missing son one way or another.

Because this is an interactive fiction game with 22 possible endings, all the actions taken or not taken with the characters have consequences on the final outcome. There are two ways one can play this game: the first is going through the challenges in one attempt and letting whatever may happen to happen; the second is making no mistakes in order to get the best possible ending. Having played this game only once, I made damn sure to get the best possible ending I could. If you screw up royally, there is a good chance one of your characters will die, and if that were to happen…well, good luck trying to figure out who the Origami Killer is.

Doing a little soul searching

While Heavy Rain is great at exemplifying the similarities between movies and video games, it does an equally apt job of proving the strength of the video game medium. Video games are all about the experience and with so many choices and endings, players are able to experience various situations and outcomes. The first class soundtrack, stunning graphics, smart writing, and quality voice acting make it easy to get lost in this world and all the more difficult to stop playing. Ironically, there have been some discussions of this game being adapted into a movie, which basically defeats the purpose of the game. Assuming the movie adaptation takes the best ending, the product would most likely be just an average film noir/thriller. It is the moral choices the player makes in addition to the interactive controls that make this game so much fun, not the story itself.

Although I would not call Heavy Rain the Citizen Kane or the 2001: A Space Odyssey of the gaming realm, it is certainly a unique and consistently entertaining experience. This will hopefully be improved when Playstation releases its Move controller, which will be adapted to use for the game. Ideally, I'll be able to try this out (wallet permitting).

4.5/5 Fun, Addicting, and Well Made. Dizzope!