Friday, 31 March 2023

Resident Evil 4 (2024)

2005...

I'll never forget it, the year when action was redefined.

Eighteen years later...

Summary

Rookie cop turned federal agent Leon S. Kennedy travels to a rural mountainous region in Spain to rescue the President's daughter Ashley Graham, from sinister cult the Los Illuminados.

Embrace serenity

RE Engine ensures environments and character models look amazing.

Just like Village took multiple cues from RE 4, it appears the Mold is somehow connected.

Darkness forces Leon to whip out flashlight and heavy rain reflects RE 2.

Knife can now parry and crouching can be used to avoid melee attacks and projectiles.

Sneaking up behind regulars guarantees an instant kill and also hurts stronger enemies.

Attache case adds two slots for each D-pad direction.  Typewriter is used for saving, accessing storage and moving weapons.  

Interface can also auto sort, customise and equip charms (dispensed from Shooting Range's vending machines), replacing bottle caps.

Being able to run and shoot has been addressed.

Crafting is streamlined and trading spinels for exclusive goodies is a new addition to Merchant.

QTE's are gone, but we're still required to mash buttons when necessary.

Ashley will always follow Leon and automatically ascend and descend ladders.  Health bar has been removed and if incapacitated, will need reviving.  

She can still be sent to open doors, activate mechanisms and be hidden ahead of an intense action sequence.

As before, not rescuing her in time brings a game over.

Luis is given a larger role and assists during dual El Gigante fight.

Instead of Saddler's tentacle, Krauser ultimately cooks his goose with a knife to back. 

Cosmetic changes include markers and most destructible objects slapped with yellow paint and communications occur in real-time, rather than on a separate screen.

16 chapters vary in length and not split into multiple parts.

Unlike RE3make, the majority of content remains.

Having said that, I missed laser hallway and negotiating traps.

Salazar statue doesn't come alive and rotating head just belches fire.

There are new puzzles to solve, with old situations expanded.

Bestiary is as you were, but new types of Ganado mix shit up.

Unfortunately, the same can't be said for Las Plagas.

No thanks, bro!

Script is fine during cut scenes, but gameplay is full of terrible one-liners, with cheese lacking charm.

New voice actors do a decent job, but Michael Adamthwaite's Merchant doesn't hold a torch to Paul Mercier (who also voiced Leon in original).

Salazar's design is a joke and Lily Gao's line delivery (reprising role as Ada from Welcome to Raccoon City) is lifeless.  

Sally Cahill did a much better job.

Krauser's 'the bitch in the red dress', Luis admiring Ashley's 'ballistics' and Baby Eagle suggesting 'overtime' are forced omissions in this day and age.

Taking aim at Merchant is cancelled.

No matter how many times he's shot, Luis won't kill Leon.

The only secret death retained is Leon arranging for Del Lago to devour him.

Aside from some minor design differences, boss encounters are lazy.

Also, U-3 is given the finger.

As per original, game seriously loses its way on island.

Goof

Intro has Leon specifically recall 30 September 1998.

Footage of Raccoon City nuked in RE 3 is shown.

Firstly, he wasn't there and more importantly, event occurred on October 1.

Verdict 8/10

Impressive yes, but classic original remains untouchable, justifying why Code: Veronica should've been remade instead.

Sunday, 26 March 2023

John Wick: Chapter 4 - The scoop and digest

Chad Stahelski goes on a European vacation.

Keanu Reeves - John Wick
Donnie Yen - Caine
Bill Skarsgård - Marquis
Laurence Fishburne - The Bowery King
Ian McShane - Winston
Clancy Brown - The Harbinger
Shamier Anderson - Mr. Nobody
Scott Adkins - Killa

Summary

Mr. Wick is out to take down The High Table and earn his freedom.

Can anybody stop the Baba Yaga from doing so?

Err.

Post-credits

A vengeful Akira approaches Caine.

The Wick and the dead

Action doesn't quite reach the giddy heights of The Raid 2, but it's still 'fu'cking amazing.

New characters are a breath of fresh of air and the evergreen Donnie Yen proves age has no bounds.

Against thumping music, choreography is orchestrated with furious energy and sinuous grace, easily topping anything series has done before.

Epic finale in Paris is split into three parts.

Highway is basically Frogger on steroids and while a stretch, staircase swarming with baddies smacks of mobile game Mr Gun.

Top-down perspective of abandoned building was inspired by The Hong Kong Massacre, not Hotline Miami.

At one point, Caine stabs somebody with a pencil.  In the original, we're told a story about John killing people with said drawing tool.

In Chapter 2 - he actually does this. 

Close up of DJ's mouth broadcasting the call to prevent John from reaching the church pays tribute to The Warriors.  Other parallels include her referring to listeners as Boppers.

After killing Marquis, John staggers away and apparently dies peacefully.

Even though Winston and the Bowery King visit his grave, their reaction suggests he may have survived.

Whatever, Les Wiseman's upcoming spin-off/interquel Ballerina (confirmed to take place between Parabellum and 4), means Reeves will definitely wear suit once more.

In memory of Lance Reddick.

Friday, 24 March 2023

Infinity Pool - The scoop and digest

As per Antiviral and Possessor, Brandon Cronenberg writes and directs.

Alexander Skarsgård - James
Mia Goth - Gabi
Cleopatra Coleman - Em
Jalil Lespert - Alban
Amanda Brugel - Jennifer
John Ralston - Dr. Modan
Jeffrey Ricketts - Charles
Caroline Boulton - Bex
Thomas Kretschmann - Detective Thresh

Summary

The rainy season in Li Tolqa is fast approaching.  Locals call it 'Umbramaq' or The Summoning, and celebrate occasion like there's no tomorrow.

James Foster and wife Em vacationing at the Pa Qlqa Pearl Princess resort meet mysterious couple Gabi and Alban. 

One drunken night, James knocks down a man, killing him instantly.

The next day, he's arrested and told by Detective Thresh that under federal law, the penalty for killing somebody, including the case of an avoidable accident is death.    

However, foreign visitors can pay the state to build a doppelganger for it to be executed instead.

The only stipulation is that the guilty must watch.

A surreal nightmare of blood-soaked debauchery begins.

Playground for the rich

Sci-fi horror paints the picture that money can literally buy anything, and titular pool of red goo is essentially a get-out-of-jail card for those not short of a few bob.

I'd suggest premise was heavily inspired by TV series The White Lotus.

Psychedelic imagery is complemented by a brilliant colour scheme and performances by Skarsgård and Goth kicked ass.

Although cinema got the edited version, it's still extremely gory.

Kid relentlessly stabbing James's first clone in the gut sets the bloody standard.

Uncut version shown at Sundance is rumoured to be about 90 seconds longer.

Atmosphere of idyllic setting (shot in Hungarian capital Budapest and Croatian city Šibenik) is made all the more ominous by Tim Hecker's score.

Slow burn can be a chore, but comes highly recommended.

Monday, 20 March 2023

Film Posters in Video Games - Everything Goes

Action packed finale is certain to blow minds.

Resident Evil 3

Tyrant of the Deep vs The Meg


Sudden Death Bowling vs The Brain


The Skull Stalker franchise ref Alien and The Terminator.
Wolf of the Battlefield¹ vs Aliens


¹Commando is known in Japan as Senjō no Ōkami.

Mars Carlisle's² Off Duty vs Doc Hollywood


²Captain Commando's real name.

Air Combat 1942³ vs Top Gun


³Title refs arcade 1942 and Tommy Clooney is an amalgam of Tom Cruise and George Clooney.

While pose of Carrie Gish obviously mirrors Kelly McGillis, name could be taken from Carrie Fisher and Lillian Gish.

The Last of Us

Dawn of the Wolf vs Twilight


Dawn of the Wolf Part 2 vs Twilight (alternative)


I don't care for the rest, but two ring a bell.
Vindictive vs The Gunman
Hair Trigger vs The Transporter
For shits and DLC gigs.

Left Behind
Raja's arcade plays the recycling game.
High on Life

These can be unlocked and watched in all their obscure, uncut glory.

Blood Harvest
Demon Wind
Vampire Hookers
Tammy and the T-Rex
Meet the Fartbags and Meet the Krakens spoof Meet the Fockers.


Superfat McDoomed takes a bite of Supersize Me.
Long Neck Finger Lady vs A Star is Born (2018)


Mind Nerd vs The 6th Day


The Darkness

Boys in Backlight and The Woman Behind the Mask
Lonely and Bon Apetit
Skin and The Gold Treasures of the Incas
Inferno from Hell and Jerk II
The Untrustable Man vs Warlock


Can't make out title, but this appears to be based on Titanic (1997).


Layers of Fear 2

Double Shadows vs The Maltese Falcon


Remember Her vs Casablanca


Mechanopolis vs Metropolis  


A Wondrous Voyage vs The Wizard of Oz


Time for a bit William Shakespeare.

King Lear and Hamlet


Twelfth Night and The Tempest


Flexing fake muscles.

Shizo
The Trial of a Martyr
The Night Fiend
The Pirate Prince and the Cyclops King
The Evil Within

Black Hair Curse is modelled on Laura.
Chainsaw 3D
I guess recurring enemy the Sadist lent his weapon.
But what of font?

Saw 3D
Amazing stuff.

Here comes a loading screen.

White Fog and Serbian Psycho
Wait a few seconds...


Hmmm, looks like Ring and The Grudge to me.


Illbleed

Haunted house survival horror revels in dark B movie humour.

Mutant Worms
Goblin Moon
Clash Heat
Godlla
Attack of the Monster Bee
House of the Lightning
Killer Department Store
The Homerun of Death
The Revenge of Queen Worm
Woodpuppets
Killer Man⁴
Killerman is a real film starring Liam Hemsworth.

Dummyman
Dummyman: The Over Drive
Dummyman 3: The Returner
A few more.

Eyes Wide Open⁵
⁵Presumably a play on Stanley Kubrick's final film Eyes Wide Shut.

Toyhunter: Cork Goes to Hell⁶
⁶Ignoring the obvious Toy Story parody, subtitle may be a nod to Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday.

Massacre in Nature⁷
⁷Tomy Hopper surely pays tribute to Tobe Hooper and psychopathic hillbilly was probably inspired by Leatherface.

Duke Nukem: Zero Hour

GoldenGuy vs GoldenEye


Duke Nukem 3D (original)

Beverly Hills Pig VIII vs Beverly Hills Cop II


Reservoir Pigs vs Reservoir Dogs


Pig Fiction vs Pulp Fiction


Ports were released under a different name.

Game.com version is the exception to the rule.

Anonymous piece bears a striking resemblance to Goblin, which came out a few years later.


HA HA HA!

Total Meltdown (Duke Nukem in Europe) - PS1

Men in Black


The Duke Brothers is probably a reference to The Blues Brothers.

The following are unique to Duke Nukem 64.

Twelve Monkeys


Godzilla, King of the Monsters!


2001: A Space Odyssey


A Clockwork Orange


Apocalypse Now