Sorry for the unexplained delay. I was out of town and didn't get a chance to warn my faithful reader(s) I'd be away. More original reporting and other good stuff coming tomorrow, but here's the big stuff that happened while I was away:

-More rumors that Warner Bros. is one of the bidders for Midway. Wouldn't be surprising at all. The studio would get a lot of IP, and a good brand name, pretty damned cheap, to further its video game ambitions.

-The last remaining in-production Sierra game passed on by Activision Blizzard without a publisher, "Wet," finally found one: Bethesda Softworks.

-Speaking of Bethesda, it landed hot-again Oscar nominee Mickey Rourke to do the voice for its upcoming military shooter "Rogue Warrior."

-Another realistic military shooter, "Six Days in Fallujah," has lost its publisher. Konami chickened out in the face of public controversy and dropped the game. More specifically, the word is that Konami's conservative Japanese executives had no idea what kind of criticism the game might face and quickly told their enthusiastic American subsidiary, which made the deal, to reverse course. Really disappointing news for those of us who would like to see publishers taking risks and pushing the boundaries of the medium and the kind of stories it could tell. And yet more evidence that we're not likely to get that from any of the big Japanese companies.

-Microsoft isn't exactly off to a good start in its efforts to produce original video content for Xbox Live. Writing on his blog, horror director James Gunn, who made a short as part of the "Horror Does Comedy" series the Xbox 360 maker did with Saffran Digital Media to produce its first original video for the service, wrote "Microsoft/XBox was by far the most dreadful, non-talent friendly company I've ever worked for." In short, the company repeatedly censored and cut Gunn's piece (totally rejecting the first one, in fact), acting as if they didn't know what they would get from the maker of "Slither."

This is obviously an attitude and reputation Microsoft is going to have to change since it really does aspirations to be, as Gunn wrote, "their own network, as well as a gaming console, DVR, and way to buy movies."

Pyramid Head, say hello to your new brother Jigsaw.

Konami has confirmed an earlier Cut Scene report that it bought the rights to bankrupt publisher Brash's in-production video game based on "Saw." It will be released this fall on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 to coincide with Lionsgate's "Saw VI." (As you've probably noticed, Konami provided us with the first ever screenshots from the game as well).

Though there's obviously no sequel plans yet, the Japanese publisher is undoubtedly hoping "Saw" will become its second survival horror franchise, alongside "Silent Hill."

"Because we have leadership in the survival horror genre, we're passionate about it and wanted to find another property on par with 'Silent Hill," explained David Daniels, director of marketing for Konami.  "'Saw' has grossed over $600 million worldwide and sold over 28 million DVDs, so we felt like it was a great opportunity to align ourselves with one of the most successful horror film franchises in history."

After Brash went bankrupt last fall, rights to the game reverted back to movie studio Lionsgate, which considered but ultimately rejected the idea of handling publishing itself. Konami then picked up the license and engaged developer Zombie, which was handling production for Brash, to finish "Saw" under its direction.

The game's plot will be original, tying into but not directly adapting any of the films. As "Saw" fans might expect, gameplay will center on torturer Jigsaw's signature traps, turned into puzzles. Players control a character in an asylum who has to decide whether and how to solve the puzzles and save Jigsaw's victims.

"One of the big pillars of 'Saw' is the maniacal, twister serial killer Jigsaw's very unusual traps and you can expect that's something we'll carry forward," explained Daniels. "Some traps will even be a direct translation from the movies, particularly the iconic ones fans love."

Daniels declined to comment on whether actor Tobin Bell will voice his character Jigsaw, but I've confirmed from other sources that he will. No word on whether anyone else from the film is involved, except that the producers at Twisted Pictures have been consulting.

Brash had a lot riding on "Saw." It was going to be the company's first AAA title, its first not based on a kids' movie, and its first sure to earn an M rating. As I was reporting on Brash's demise last fall, employees repeatedly said "Saw" was one of a few games in development they had been counting on, if the cash hadn't run out, to help turn around the company's reputation for low quality.

Konami has the opposite problem. Its signature franchise is one of the two biggest in survival horror, along with Capcom's "Resident Evil" (although whether that still qualifies as horror after the last installment is an open question). It doesn't have much to gain with "Saw," critically speaking, but it has lots to lose if the game doesn't measure up. The last thing Konami needs is to lose its survival horror credibility by putting out a mediocre licensed title.

If it works, however, Konami could end up with a pair of horror franchises that complement each other well: One that screws with gamers' minds and the other their stomachs.

"'Silent Hill' is more about psychological terror, but 'Saw' for us is more about graphic, intense horror that overwhelms you," explained Daniels. "We want players to turn away from the screen for just a moment because of the visual intensity."

"Saw," one of the highest profile games left orphaned when Brash Entertainment went out of business, has been picked up by Konami.

Sources close to the project have confirmed that Konami has made a deal with Lionsgate, to whom the rights reverted when Brash breached its contract, and developer Zombie Studios. The game will come out this fall along with the sixth "Saw" film (I almost wrote "Saw VI," but that series is getting so long in the tooth I'm wondering if they'll take a cue from the seventh "Star Trek" movie and just drop the numbers).

Konami is an obvious choice to pick up "Saw," since it has experience selling horror with a little franchise called "Silent Hill." But the game almost took a very intriguing twist: no publisher at all.

Or rather, no traditional publisher. Several sources told me that after it got the game rights back from Brash, Lionsgate strongly considered holding onto it and jumping into the videogame business by making "Saw" its first self-published game. Like every other movie studio (some of whom have gotten into videogames, the rest of whom are considering it), Lionsgate was tempted by potential profits in the fast growing videogame biz. But in the end, execs there apparently decided they couldn't properly model sales, or weren't sure they could market a videogame, and went the safer route of licensing it to a new publisher.

The "Saw" game hasn't been shown publicly, as far as I know. But the many Brash ex-employees I interviewed late last year uniformly said that it was looking really good, nothing like the three embarassments the defunct publisher released in its brief year-and-a-half of existence.

Apparently they've got Jigsaw himself, Tobin Bell, doing voice work and the game looks to be a bloody, violent M that's just as hard as the movies' R. I don't know much about gameplay, but I gather that it's based on the puzzles that Jigsaw likes to rig for his victims in the films. I do know it's for PC, PS3 and 360. Which is a bit of a shame, because while I understand that the typical Wii and DS owners aren't exactly the target market, I can't help but think of all the disturbingly awesome things you could do in a "Saw" game with a touch screen or a Wii-mote. (If it's a hit, maybe they'll use the "Dead Space" example and follow it up with a Wii version).

As is common with movie licenses these days, Konami's deal with Lionsgate is long term, meaning that if the first one's a hit, the games could become just as much of a never ending -- and never endingly profitable -- institution as the movies.

Reps for Lionsgate, Konami and Zombie all declined to comment or didn't respond to requests for comment.

(That's a teaser poster Brash made for the game above. Unsurprisingly, whoisjigsaw.com isn't working anymore.)

(Part of our series counting down the top ten videogames of 2008 -- with interruptions for the most disappointing and most overrated -- according to Variety critics Leigh Alexander, Tom Chick, Chris Dahlen and Ben Fritz. Full details are here. To check out the rest of the list, click here. Most importantly, vote for your favorite games of 2008 in the Cut Scene reader awards here.)

Drumroll, please, as we present our picks for the #1 best game released in 2008. A first-person shooter, an RPG, a casual family game and a stealth actioner with 30 minute-plus cutscenes. An original, a "2," a "3," and a "4." Two American games, a French Canadian game and a Japanese game. A PS3 exclusive, a Wii exclusive, and two multi-platformers. Two unqualified hits and two moderate sellers. I'd say this is a pretty diverse and interesting set of choices...

Tom Chick

Far Cry 2 (Ubisoft / Ubisoft Montreal)

Of all the places I went this year without leaving my house, "Far Cry 2's" lush African countryside was my favorite, and not just because these are currently the best graphics I've ever seen. Here is a game that breathes without breathing down my neck. It's not afraid to let me roam without making the gameplay equivalent of idle chit-chat. With its emphasis on an interface-free interface, it does a tremendous job getting out of my way (in this respect, it is the anti-"Fallout 3") and letting me just be here. If Terence Malick were to make a videogame, it would be "Far Cry 2." And when things happen, they happen dramatically and dynamically. There's a glorious sense of spontaneity in the way the shooting erupts, unfolds, progresses. I almost never feel that these firefights were built by the developers. In fact, I almost never feel that about any of the moments in "Far Cry 2." These moments are mine. Some games unfold. Others are revealed. Some are like thrill rides. Others are like  playgrounds. But "Far Cry 2" is a beautiful place where amazing things simply happen. 

Chris Dahlen

Fallout 3 (Bethesda Softworks / Bethesda)

I could go on about each of the core elements the game got right – that it was so much more than "Oblivion" with shotguns, that even the escort missions were fun, and that the sight of the Chinese army invading a ‘50s "Leave it to Beaver" cul-de-sac will stay with me for years to come. But the single reason I loved "Fallout 3" was that I never knew what was around the next corner.

Ben Fritz

Boom Blox (EA / EA Casual)

The first great game for the Wii that would only work for the Wii is also the most surprisingly deep, universally accessible, and  unyieldingly enjoyable videogame of 2008. Using the Wii-mote to play with blocks seems like the most obvious concept in the world (no offense, Mr. Spielberg), but the development team at EALA crafted an experience so rich that I’ve enjoyed it with non-gamers, with hardcore gamer friends, with kids, and by myself late into the night. The diverse array of challenges and huge number of levels stands as proof that “casual” and “core” are not mutually exclusive. “Boom Blox” is the videogame that demonstrates, truly, we all can play together.

Leigh Alexander

Metal Gear Solid 4 (Konami / Kojima Prods.)

Simultaneously one of the highest-rated and most controversial titles of the year, it polarized its audience. Sure, there were those who loved the game's uncontested technical polish and the most sophisticated implementation yet seen of the franchise's stealth mechanics -- but much of the discussion revolved around the merit (or lack thereof) of Hideo Kojima's self-indulgent directorial style and the game's long periods of non-interactivity badly in need of an editor.
 
But a brilliant director who's overambitious is essential to a medium long constrained by narrative status quo, risk aversion and repetition. Look closely at the subtleties of "Metal Gear Solid 4's" brilliant postmodernism -- underneath the overt sprawl lies an exercise in stunning elegance whose largest failing was that it imposed itself on an audience that prefers a different format.

And that's a wrap. I'll provide a convenient summary of all four of our top ten lists in a post later today. Don't forget to cast your votes for the top games of the year here.

(Part of our series counting down the top ten videogames of 2008 -- with interruptions for the most disappointing and most overrated -- according to Variety critics Leigh Alexander, Tom Chick, Chris Dahlen and Ben Fritz. Full details are here. To check out the rest of the list, click here. Most importantly, vote for your favorite games of 2008 in the Cut Scene reader awards here.)

Tom Chick

Midnight Club: Los Angeles (Rockstar / Rockstar San Diego)

It's not a good year for videogaming without an almost perfect racing title lighting up the room. "Midnight Club: Los Angeles" is this year's belle of the ball, with its crowded and evocative Los Angeles-a-like serving as a shrewdly crafted rumpus room for the same great driving physics that graced "Grand Theft Auto IV," but this time with better AI in the other cars. No one does traffic like Rockstar, bless their city-building hearts. But this next-gen "Midnight Club" will really ruin other racing games for you once you see how well it plays by actually looking at the world instead of a minimap. Not since "Forza" invented a color-coded gravity indicator (really!) has a driving game so successfully put you in the driver's seat instead of behind a TV screen.

Chris Dahlen

No More Heroes (Marvelous and Ubisoft / Grasshopper Manufacture)

Probably the roughest and least accessible game on my list, "No More Heroes" succeeds because of the way its story explores one of pop culture’s best lies - namely, that an average schmuck can become a winner through doggedness and hard labor, whether it’s pumping gas and cleaning trash, or spending half an hour wearing down a lolita with a lethal baseball bat. And the fact that after all that, Travis Touchdown remains a schmuck, is the perfect kicker. 

Ben Fritz

No More Heroes (Marvelous and Ubisoft / Grasshopper Manufacture)

The first action game to successfully embrace the Wii from the ground up, rather than jamming in something that works 100 times better on a PS3 or 360. The swordplay and wrestling are a bloody good time and the villians are over-the-top awesome. But “No More Heroes” really stands out for the way it overflows with style tailor-made for its audience, giving gamers the ultra-violent, retro, bombastic, hilarious fantasy life they never knew they wanted. It’s “The Last Starfighter” for otaku.

Leigh Alexander

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (Konami / Konami)

Though "Castlevania" creator Koji Igarashi persists, in the face of fan pleas to the contrary, in pursuing the franchise in 3D and on next-gen consoles, the long-running series continues to shine on the DS. There, its jaw-droppingly complex and artful 2D sprites can take center stage, while the stylus controls make for intuitive mechanics that don't try to overhaul the basics. Previous DS "Castlevania" titles have excelled, but "Order of Ecclesia" combines a lovely heroine, environments as variegated as they are visually captivating, and the smashing new "Glyph" game system for what feels like the series' richest and most challenging entry since the classic "Symphony of the Night."

Coming tomorrow morning: The sixth best videogame(s) of 2008

(Part of our series counting down the top ten videogames of 2008 -- with interruptions for the most disappointing and most overrated -- according to Variety critics Leigh Alexander, Tom Chick, Chris Dahlen and Ben Fritz. Full details are here. To check out the rest of the list, click here. Most importantly, vote for your favorite games of 2008 in the Cut Scene reader awards here.)

Leigh Alexander

Midnight Club: Los Angeles (Rockstar / Rockstar San Diego)

A car game that even a reviewer who hates car games can love. Its graphical dazzle is as glitzy as the world of West Coast street racing it portrays with the satirical disdain that serves as developer Rockstar's hallmark. The technically impressive in-game transition from a realistic Los Angeles to an overhead map lit with linking lights is one of the year's coolest special effects, and the point system for passing races is welcome and friendly for players not quite so bad-ass as their gleaming, fully customizable car might indicate. Energizing, enervating and infinitely replayable.

Tom Chick

The Club (Sega / Bizarre Creations)

As a commercially successful game, "The Club" was doomed. A shooter based on replaying the same levels to see if you can improve your score? But consider that it was from a developer known for the Project Gotham Batman-less racing games (a game based on driving the same route to see if you can improve your time?). And consider this is also the developer of the maddeningly addictive score-based compulsion of "Geometry Wars" games (it's all in the multiplier, baby!). Now it clicks. And by "clicks", I mean it slides into place with the decisive ka-thunk of chambering a new shell in a shotgun. Bizarre  Creations has taken what they know and managed to create something I haven't seen in a very long time: a shooter that's unlike any other shooter I've ever played.

Chris Dahlen

Fable 2 (Microsoft / Lionhead)

I went back and forth on whether to list this. On the one hand, while I was playing this game, there was nothing else in the world I’d rather have been doing. Bartending is my mini-game of the year; the real estate feature made "Fable II" an ideal dollhouse for grown-ups. At the same time, the story was underwhelming, and only one of the characters had three-dimensions – and it wasn’t the player. Or the dog. I felt like the entire game was just setup for the Big, Important Choice at the end, and while the choice was haunting, I wound up feeling played.

Ben Fritz

Metal Gear Solid 4 (Konami / Kojima Prods.)

Based on everything I read, I thought I’d need earn a PhD in Kojima Studies to even remotely enjoy this game. But it turns out “MGS 4” has loads to offer anyone who appreciates an uncompromised directorial vision and expertly crafted stealth gameplay. Sure, the overwrought cutsenes are as creaky as Snake’s knees, but just like its hero, “Metal Gear Solid 4” unapologetically holds onto its old school values and proves they’re not quite as irrelevant as those in thrall of the new would like to think.

Coming today at noon: The ninth best videogame(s) of 2008

Apologies for my absence since early last week. Many of you probably know that this is one of, it not the, busiest weeks of the year for videogame reviews, so I've been absolutely buried with writing and editing reviews, as well a tracking down a big story that I think you'll all find really interesting when it's done in a few days, plus other assorted things.

I have a few really good (I think) forthcoming posts that I hope to start writing by tomorrow. Meanwhile, rather than fall endlessly behind, here are links and very short summaries to some of our recent reviews in Variety. I'd call particular attention to "Fable 2," which has a very good shot to be my favorite game of 2008:

Fable 2: "No interactive world has ever felt quite so alive," says Variety's pretentious twit of a videogame blogger. "Deep, accessible and endlessly adaptive, it's a boundary-pushing experience."

Far Cry 2: Chris Dahlen, in his first review for Variety, calls this action sequel "stunningly beautiful and morrally harrowing," but "plodding in its execution."

Midnight Club: Los Angeles: "Detailed beyond most players' interests," writes Leigh Alexander, "the game still manages to be broadly accessible thanks to simple controls, a smooth mission structure, and jaw-droppingly stunning graphics."

LittleBigPlanet: Above referenced pretentious twit describes it as "[A]n exercise is anti-immersion, attracting even the most casual player to its irresistibly adorable cartoon world, then slowly pulling back the facade until they're left with a blank canvas."

Rock Revolution: "Overly complex where it should be simple and soulless where it should be rich," says Leigh.

When I was editing Leigh Alexander's review of "Silent Hill: Homecoming," (which ran in today's Daily Variety), I cut out this paragraph for space, but noted that it was pretty interesting:

Real purists may still dislike the increased combat, and the critical trade press is likely to fault the gameplay's distinctive format. Then again, gamers have always hated Silent Hill's combat, and mainstream reviewers have never "gotten it" - but Silent Hill: Homecoming is sure to be recognized by true fans as a proper franchise heir that, in many ways, is the best yet.

Boy was she right. About the first part at least. I can't say what "true fans" will think. But GamePro wrote "though Homecoming boasts some genuinely intense moments of dread, its equally distressing gameplay flaws will take a big bite out of your enjoyment" and gave it three stars out of five; IGN called it " a major letdown for a title with such a great horror pedigree" and scored it 6.7 (which regular readers of that site know is about as low as they go for a major release); Crispy Gamer concluded that it has "some genuinely frustrating moments; Painfully obscure puzzles; Depressing as all hell" and recommended that readers "fry it" (as opposed to "try it" or "buy it"). Some others were a little kinder (1UP gave it a B), but the reactions seemed to range from bad to decent. Whereas Leigh thought it was, well, to put it in her words, "A true heir, lovingly crafted with the same psychological intensity as its predescessors while improving on their weak combat controls."

For those who want more insight on why Variety critic Leigh Alexander is so much more passionately positive about this game than most other critics, here's an excerpt from her review:

"Homecoming" follows in the series' tradition of casting an emotionally unsettled protagonist into a disturbing wasteland that suggests allegories to the personal Hell in his mind. Developer Double Helix's steepest challenge -- and therefore its greatest achievement -- is the game's thematic consistency, drawing identifiable relationships to the four previous "Silent Hill" console titles and even the regrettable (if visually correct) film -- though fans will be glad to know it doesn't take very many cues from the latter.

And you can read the whole thing here.

Leigh also wrote a long and heartfelt post on her SexyVideogameLand blog about how critics react to games like this. It's well worth reading. I actually have some thoughts in response that I'll be posting here soon.

I'm sure Ryan Payton is a wonderful guy and I certainly wish him the best and all that, but it's amazing how quickly you can become a celebrity in the world of videogames just by being the English-speaking public face of a big game release ("Metal Gear Solid 4," in this case). Has there ever in history been an assistant producer whose departure from a development studio for personal reasons got as much attention as Payton's got today?

I can't imagine how the blogs will react if an associate producer ever leaves Kojima Productions.

Solid Snake and Liquid Ocelot (who's alive again due to a butt cheek transplant) appear on a talk show to try and work out their never ending family problems. Then their mom shows up to talk about how Snake has always been jealous of all seven of his brother. The latest from Comedy.com's videogame show Glitch in the System.

(I produce "Glitch" for Comedy.com)

As promised, all week we'll be providing transcripts of some of the interviews conducted for Variety's just released videogames impact report. First up is "Metal Gear Solid" impresario Hideo Kojima. And who better to interview him than "Metal Gear" player, Variety critic, Kotaku news editor and SexyVideogameLand proprietor Leigh Alexander? Here's her conversation with Kojima:

How do you define your goals as a director? 

I don't really set specific goals. I just want to continue my career and create games as a game designer until the day I die. Games are unique, fluid media, which evolves with technologies and times. I am going to keep absorbing cutting-edge technologies and keep current and try to always be one step ahead. Someday I hope games will be recognized as a "subculture" which stays with people and the times.

As a game critic, I've always felt that MGS as a series had a purpose outside of "just being a game." Was that your intention?

I don't think every game needs to have a purpose outside of "just being a game." But when I create games, I do hope that it serves a purpose higher than just being a game.

When I was a child, computer games did not exist. In my case, movies, comics, novels and music from around the world supported me and helped make me who I am. These mediums encouraged me, taught me, healed me and sometimes even saved me. Now I am creating games, hoping to return the favor.

I was lucky to have met good people, read good books, watched good movies and listened to good music. They made me who I am. Therefore, I hope that people will treasure the games I create and it will shape them in a beneficial way. 

What impact would you like Snake's finale in MGS 4 to have on fans, and on the industry?

The heroes in most animations and movies don't age. They are often immortal. Snake, on the other hand, has aged with the times. I made him this way because of the unique characteristics of the game medium. Snake is a fictional character, but at the same time he represents the players themselves because of the interactive nature of games.

This is very different from other types of entertainment mediums in which you just watch or listen. Therefore, Snake’s memories become the players own journey. In that sense, I believe that interactive games are somewhat similar to live shows that reflect the signs of the times. Therefore, this allowed me the opportunity to bring the character of Snake to life and make the story more realistic by showing signs of his aging.

One decade has passed since the release of Metal Gear Solid. I believe that fans have shared these past 10 years with Snake. The final story of Snake equals closure for these fans. Therefore, the Snake that has existed over the past 10 years could have only existed during this time.

I would like you to think that this good-bye to Snake is a good-bye to this era and represents closure to your old self. If there ever were to be a new Snake (might have a different name), he will be a Snake for a new era. 

Whenever I write about you, I usually theorize that you are influenced by postmodernist authors like Haruki Murakami. Do you see yourself this way?

I am afraid that I haven't read too much of Mr. Haruki Murakami's works. But if you are talking about post-modernism in the sense of antithesis to modern literature, I think I am influenced by such writers. 

It is true that I created MGS as an antithesis to current games and trends. I tried to create something new and unique that does not fit in the existing genres and categories. If I were to pick a few American writers, I think Paul Auster, Phillip Kindred Dick and Kurt Vonnegut are good examples.

I recall reading once that you said it was important to have Raiden in the story, since he appeals to female fans more than Snake does. Personally, I love Snake and Big Boss. I mean, Raiden is OK, but Snake is the best. I cried like a baby at the end of MGS 4.

I'm honored that women feel that way!

...was without a doubt the drums for Konami's "Rock Revolution." Others have commented on whether this drum set is good enough to be remotely competitive against "Rock Band 2" and "Guitar Hero: World Tour," but I'll just say that the noise of these things is truly annoying.

As soon as I walked in the Konami booth, it was like hearing wood snapping against solid plastic over and over and over. It's overwhelming and headache-inducing. For anyone who thought the "Rock Band" drums annoyed the neighbors... they've got nothing on these babies, which sound like you're pounding the wall. Especially at a time when Harmonix is focused on making the drums for "Rock Band 2" quieter, this design is not promising for anyone who won't be playing "Rock Revolution" at a farm where they live alone.

A few months ago Harmonix sued its former publisher Activision for allegedly not paying it proper royalties for "Guitar Hero III." That suit was dropped presumably to be settled out of court, but now Harmonix is on the receiving end of a music game related suit from one of its past publishers. Ahhh, the circle of life.

Konami, which  published Harmonix's "Karaoke Revolution" games, is suing the MTV-owned developer for allegedly violating its patents related to "simulated musical instruments, a music-game system and a 'musical-rhythm matching game,'" according to Bloomberg. Konami is demanding its fair share of the Benjamins, plus an order preventing Harmonix from using its patents. There's no indication of what such an order would do to "Rock Band' exactly, though I can't imagine it would be an easy fix.

Here's Harmonix's official response, according to Wired:

Konami's actions are extremely surprising. Unfortunately, successful products such as Rock Band can often become targets for baseless litigation. We have substantial defenses to this claim and intend to vigorously defend it.

"Hellboy: The Science of Evil" doesn't have anything to do with Guillermo Del Toro's "Hellboy: The Golden Army," which comes out this Friday. But of course Konami, which already had the gaming rights to Mike Mignola's comic book, knows a good marketing opportunity when it sees it.

As Variety critic Matt Peckham points out, though, Konami and developer don't appear to have taken much advantage of the opportunity to improve Hellboy's standing in the videogame world. As he writes in his review:

In Konami’s “Hellboy: The Science of Evil,” the science involves pounding disposable enemies into nondescript turf, while the evil emanates from stunted battle tactics and an unintelligible story. Hellboy may look better than ever clutching his Samaritan revolver, but Aussie developer Krome Studios’ riff on Mike Mignola’s comic series about a crime-sleuthing demon with a wrecking ball for a right hook feels like a couple of strung-together demo levels instead of a cohesive videogame.

Basically, you brawl and you brawl and you brawl some more. Which might be forgivable if it the brawling mechanics were top notch, but as Matt notes, "it’s quite possible to blaze through the game by simply mashing buttons."

You can read the whole review here.

Variety writer Leigh Alexander has a review of "Metal Gear Solid 4" that just posted on Variety.com. It's a rave but also does a deft job (in this editor's opinion) of explaining the dense and complex world of the story and what it all means.

As Leigh explains, not only are the production values literally ridiculously awesome, but "the storyline, gameplay and imagery all blend together in seamless, often stunning metaphor and allegory."

Yes, there are some really long cutscenes. As Leigh writes, "'Metal Gear Solid 4' is arguably closer to a "movie experience" than any videogame yet. Its numerous pre-animated cinematics are frequent and can run as long as half an hour -- the experience of 'playing' the game is actually about 40% watching.These cutscenes look phenomenal and have some interactive elements, such as optional flashbacks from previous games, but it's undeniable that fully immersing oneself requires huge amounts of concentration."

And for those wondering about the rumors, yes it takes a while to install. Beyond the long install at the beginning, Leigh notes (not in the actual review) that it takes a few minutes to install between each act. But it's worth it, she says, for absolutely unparalleled visuals and audio.

Here's the first paragraph from Leigh's review:

Renowned game director Hideo Kojima delivers a bang-up swan song for the "Metal Gear Solid" franchise in his hallmark style, wrapping up the series' intricately detailed loose ends in a cinematic coup that will blow fans away. Dabblers and newbies will find the convoluted, metaphor-driven storyline as baffling as ever, but the tight controls and unparalleled production values should draw enough of them to make this Playstation 3 exclusive not just a big hit, but a system seller.

You can read the whole thing here.

The weirdest announcement I missed in San Francisco yesterday was probably Konami's "Rock Revolution," which promises to "redefine the rhythm genre" with... a better drum kit?

I guess six drum pads are cool, but the game apparently doesn't feature vocals for PS3 and 360 (the systems with the big-ass drum kit), which makes it immediately not as good a social experience. And unless Konami plans to spend aggressively to compete with MTV and Activision, it's hard to see how they can put together a track list that stands up to "Rock Band" and "Guitar Hero."

Then there's the Wii version, where Konami claims that "a unique aspect of the Wii version is the interactive use of the controls with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk for an air-drum and air-guitar experience." Of course, that's exactly what Disney is promising to provide with "Ultimate Band," an explicitly casual Wii rhythm title coming this fall that promises to provide the exact same air guitar/drums experience, along with unique controls for air bass and also lets someone be the "front man," who basically psychs up the crowd. So far, it seems like Disney is promising all the same things Konami is, plus more.

Of course, announcements are one thing and products are always very different. But so far, "Rock Revolution" is going to have to deliver even more than it's promising to compete against "Guitar Hero IV," "Ultimate Band" and (I presume) a "Rock Band" sequel this fall.