The Cut Scene - Video Game Blog by Variety

How licensed kids games are like "Hostel" and "Big Momma's House 2"

Here at Variety, we pride ourselves on reviewing literally every movie that's released and doing so as early as we can. But even we occassionally get stumped when studios don't screen their films for critics, the industry, or at festivals. Then we're stuck waiting until the movie opens and running a review a day or two earlier.

Typically, they're mediocre-to-terrible horror movies or comedies aimed at teenagers. "Snakes on a Plane," "Big Momma's House 2," "Hostel," etc.

And of course it makes sense why the studios won't show those movies to critics. If it's sure to get a bad review and you're targeting an audience that doesn't use reviews at all to cue them what's coming out and whether they should see it, why bother to screen it?  If a huge movie like "Iron Man" or an "adult" film like "No Country for Old Men" didn't get review, critics would be publicly asking why. But because they mainly target adult readers, the only reason any critic is going to mention "Hostel" before it opens is if they get to see it and give it a bad review. So let them ignore it and count on teenagers seeing the ads, chatting about it online, etc.

In videogames, I'm starting to discover, we have a similar model. Only it's not horror or comedy. It's licensed kid games. Think about it... is there any genre that more regularly gets whacked by game reviewers than movie licenses aimed at kids? Is there any audience less likely to be looking to IGN or EGM or G4 for what to buy than little kids and their parents? Is there any way GameSpot would be writing much about "The Spiderwick Chronicles" game if it didn't get a copy?

Of course at Variety, since our core audience is still entertainment industry professionals, writing about any and all licensed games is important to us. And as with movies, we really try to run our reviews in a timely manner. But I've discovered the hardest ones to get are always the kids licenses. "The Golden Compass," "Alvin and the Chipmunks," "The Spiderwick Chronicles," "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian," just to name a few recent examples.

I'm not criticizing the publishers of these games. I totally understand their marketing strategies. Even if the game is good, the best reviews they can hope for in most outlets (though not Variety, to be fair to us) are probably "it's not as bad as I expected." And the core demographic to whom they're marketing won't care. So it's no surprise that the soonest they're willing to send a review copy is several days after the game comes out.

Compare that to games aimed at either a broad audience or "core" young male gamers. "Iron Man," "Rainbow Six Vegas 2," "Lost: Via Domus," "Turok," etc. In those cases, I'm often e-mailed several weeks in advance offering me copies. And/or I often ask for and get (or get for one of our freelance reviewers) code to play on a debug machine before retail units are even ready. Why? Because the potential buyers of those games read and care about reviews.

As I said, I'm not blaming publishers at all. It's not their job to make my life easy and sell copies of Variety / boost readership of our website. Their job is to sell games the best way they know how. But for the record, if you saw me in Best Buy last December sheepishly asking a clerk, "Do you have any copies of the 'Alvin and the Chipmunks' videogame? I know it just came out today," try not to judge me. Now you know why.

Boom Blox: the Wii's best game that's truly a Wii game

When I turn on my DVR, I often notice that  the shows I know are the best ones on there are not always the ones I actually watch as soon as they're available. "The Wire," "Mad Men," "30 Rock"... these are fantastic shows I know I'll appreciate watching. But "South Park," "The Amazing Race," "Big Bang Theory"... these are the shows I usually turn on as soon as they show up because they're always fun and sometimes that's just what I want.

So it was this past week when I got my hands on "Boom Blox." I had assumed I'd put in enough time to do my review, but intersperse it with some heavy doses of "Grand Theft Auto IV." But while "GTA IV" is a great game, the fact is that once I got my hands on "Boom Blox," I always wanted to play it first. Like a good comedy or reality show, it' s a lot less of a commitment than something that's more traditionally "high quality" like "GTA." I can play it for five minutes or an hour, I discovered, and it's always a good time.

That's a long way of getting around to the fact that I just published a rave review of "Boom Blox" in today's Daily Variety. I'm not the biggest fan of many "casual games" or many popular Wii games, but "Boom Blox" easily tops the list in both categories. It's innovative, it's deep, and it's engaging without ever requiring you to commit a significant amount of time. I spent many a long night in the past week trying to get gold on every single puzzle, so much so that eventually I realized I had to stop and move on so I could play the dozens of different modes I needed to get through for a thorough review.

As I wrote, it's "the first great game for the Wii that wouldn’t be possible on any other system." That doesn't mean there haven't been other great games for the console. But the other Wii games people have loved -- "Super Mario Galaxy," "Zelda: Twilight Princess," "Super Smash Bros. Brawl," even my personal favorite "No More Heroes" -- all would have worked fine on a Xbox 360, PS3, or, let's be honest, GameCube. "Boom Blox's" interactive puzzles just wouldn't be the same if you had to use a thumbstick. The Wii-mote as extension of the player's hand is a key and integral part of the experience. For all those who have whined, with some justification, that no game has really taken advantage of what the Wii has to offer, "Boom Blox" is the solution.

Here's the intro to my review:

For his first title under his three-game partnership with Electronic Arts, the obvious assumption might be that Steven Spielberg would draw on his expertise as a visual storyteller. But the helmer went the exact opposite direction with “Boom Blox,” a charming, brain-busting and incredibly addictive game that almost completely eschews story to focus on using the Nintendo Wii’s motion-sensing controller as an puzzle-solving tool. “Boom Blox” is the first great game for the Wii that wouldn’t be possible on any other system and should prove a hit with auds young and old.

And in the interest of fairness, here's the one real problem I had with the game, which is quite possibly more Nintendo's fault than EA's:

“Boom Blox” also includes a robust level editor that lets players design new puzzles or edit the pre-made ones with all the same tools that the game designers had. It’s a bit persnickety -- making levels would surely be easier on a PC than with the Wii-mote -- but incredibly engaging for those with a creative bent. It’s only disappointing that there’s no easy way to share the results. Though it’s possible to send new levels to a friend, “Boom Blox” desperately cries out for an online community where players can rate each other’s creations and download the best.

If "Boom Blox" only had the equivalent of "Halo 3's" file share and Bungie.net, it might just be my favorite game of the year. Ah well, maybe next time.

For now, read the whole review right here.

Speed Racer, Echochrome, more reviews debate to enjoy while I'm prepping a huge story

Sorry for the relative quiet, but I'm working on a really big story that will be going online. Trust me, this is the kind of thing Variety does best. You guys will be grateful I put the time into it. Plus there will be a related interview with one of the big names involved available exclusively here on The Cut Scene.

Meanwhile, here are some things to enjoy...

-Brian Crecente review Warner Bros.' "Speed Racer" videogame for Variety. He says it's a viscerally fun racing title for the Wii, but doesn't have much of the movie/TV show's personality.

-Tom Chick reviews "Echochrome" for Variety. He loves how the game flips the perspective that players are used to, but finds that playing it for too long is frustrating and, quite literally, headache inducing.

-On MTV's Multilayer blog, Stephen Totilo asks whether critics have to "finish" a game in order to write a fair review and includes some questions about me and my "GTA IV" review.

Narrative sophistication vs. open world in Grand Theft Auto IV

(Given the nature of the blogosphere, I probably need to establish up front that I gave "Grand Theft Auto IV" a very positive review. Not as much of a rave as most of these reviewers, but still very positive. So even though I'm going to discuss a problem in the game here, please don't start writing "Variety hates 'GTA IV.'" Take the time to read the review if you're interested in my overall opinion.)

Anyone who read my review of "Grand Theft Auto IV" may have noticed this paragraph since it was my one really substantial complaint about the game (my not so substantial complaint about the game is that the parodies on the radio are so stridently left wing and on-the-nose that they're completely unfunny):

“GTA IV’s” only fundamental problem, however, is that the world and the story have advanced so far past the gameplay. The ability to go anywhere and do anything was revolutionary in the early “GTA” titles, but sometimes feels awkward in a game with such well-crafted characters and stories. How can players seriously believe Niko’s on a date when his girlfriend doesn’t mind that he’s carrying a knife, walking her through a 5-foot-deep pond and getting in numerous car accidents? Why can a distinctive-looking illegal immigrant commit hundreds of carjackings and nobody seems to care? There are good gameplay-related answers, of course, but they still detract from the immersive realism that “GTA IV” otherwise creates.

I thought it was worth exploring this issue a little more. Dan Houser said in my interview with him last month (extended transcript here) that "GTA IV" has a more original and sophisticated story and characters than previous franchise entries because they should match the growing sophistication of the technology, graphics, physics, etc. that power the game.

When he said it, that made sense to me, but as it turns out, I don't think it holds true in an open-world game. As better technology makes it possible to do more things in an open world, that increasingly conflicts with well developed characters and plots.

Basically, you (aka Niko Bellic) can do a lot of crazy shit in "GTA IV." And you can do it really realistically. Cause mass traffic accidents; shoot cops; commit suicide off a tall building; jump in the Hudson River; stab random people; etc., etc.

It's all great fun. Except it's Niko Bellic doing these things. The same Niko Bellic who's involved in a fairly sophisticated plot with fairly well developed supporting characters. If you choose to do crazy shit in the sandbox of Liberty City, why doesn't it impact the story and the way people in Niko's life treat him? It's impossible to care about Niko's relationship with Michelle early in the game when she doesn't care if he stabs people or dunks her in the water gets in a dozen car accidents while on a date.  Roman may be a bit of a nutcase, but based on what I know of the character, I feel like he would care if his cousin Niko had killed a dozen innocent civilians with an uzi and carjacked 50 different vehicles in the past 24 hours.

Technically speaking, of course I understand why the story and characters can't react to the infinite number of things that players can do in an open world. Artistically speaking, however, there is a fundamental conflict between sandbox and well developed narrative. When the player has opportunities to do anything, the events that the developers make happen no longer hold together in a tonally, thematically, or even logically consistent way. It's the equivalent of a novel where all the even chapters are written by a professional writer and the odd chapters are left blank for the reader to fill in with any random thought that pops into his or her head.

"GTA IV" has the most opportunities for realistic mayhem of any game in the series as well as the best characters and story. Which is why this "open world vs. narrative sophistication" conflict is more pronounced and more disturbing than any previous game in the series. Which is why I gave "GTA IV" a very good review, but not a rave.

(Thoughts? Please discuss in the comments and/or write on your own blog if you have one.)

Iron Man = Superman Returns

Anybody who played the lame "Superman Returns" videogame from Electronic Arts in late 2006 (Variety review here) will remember what it's like to marry great technology (Supes flying around Metropolis with completely awesome) with atrocious level design (basically, there was nothing fun or intersting to do in Metropolis).

It seems like Sega and Secret Level don't remember that, or took the wrong lesson, because the "Iron Man" videogame has the exact same problem: awesome powers and controls for the main character joined with the most boring and banal level design imaginable. As soon as you're no longer impressed just by making Iron Man fly, hover, and shoot all his different weapons, you'll notice how bored you are.

Here's the first paragraph of my review that just ran in Variety:

"You are a one man army," promises the slogan for Sega's adaptation of Marvel and Paramount's "Iron Man" movie. Problem is, one-man armies need something to do besides fly through generic environments fighting hordes of generic enemies. "Iron Man" mars its solid technology and smooth controls with consistently awful level design, resulting in yet another mediocre movie-based game whose only hope for sales will come with the pic's heavily hyped opening weekend.

And you can read the whole thing here.

Grand Theft Auto IV review

After dozens of hours of playing (still undoubtedly not enough to truly take it all in), my review of "Grand Theft Auto IV" is done and up. Is it the greatest game since "Ocarina of Time?" Am I angry and bitter that I didn't get to run an "exclusive review?" Have I been paid by some competitor of Rockstar to write a bad review?

Read it and decide for yourself. Here's the opening paragraph:

"Grand Theft Auto IV” marks a huge leap forward for videogames as an immersive experience while making little more than a few tweaks to the ultra-successful franchise's formula. The technological prowess and artistic detail are so phenomenal and the sheer amount of content is so staggeringly deep that players will find themselves drawn into Liberty City like no other fictional place. Such deep immersion sometimes highlights the flaws in “Grand Theft Auto’s” well-worn formula, but that will be little more than an asterisk for the millions of gamers sure to be carjacking their way through “GTA IV” for a long, long time to come.

And you can read the entire thing by clicking here. If you have any thoughts, please go ahead and share them in the comments.

Some further analysis of the game that didn't make the review is coming to The Cut Scene soon.

Battle of the Bands: bad controls and stereotyped characters on the wrong system

THQ's new music/rhythm entrant "Battle of the Bands" is out and Variety critic Leigh Alexander doesn't have too many nice things to say about it. She likes the core idea: "A competition between two genres of the same song... players can be privy to a disco 'Blitzkrieg Bop' or even a surprisingly lovely Spanish-language mariachi version of Def Leppard's 'Photograph,'  only to hear the genre flip again when the other team, controlled by a friend or the computer, has its moment in the sun."

But the controls aren't up to par, the graphics are "terrible, even for the underpowered Wii," and the characters designs "aim for edgy but land squarely on obnoxious."

Leigh makes two particularly important points I wanted to highlight. One is that if you define your characters entirely by the musical genre they play, well, you're not going to get the most racially sensitive characters. So we end up with "some questionable portrayals of redneck country singers and bling-bling black rappers." Maybe "Resident Evil 5" isn't the only game that could use a little more racial sensitivity in a diverse world.

Also: It's understandable that developers want to make more games for the Wii given how well it's playing and given the relative lack of quality games for the console. But as Leigh says, "only certain types of games make solid Wii titles." And a game that requires precise timing and movement detection isn't one of them, since we all know the Wii's motion sensor more gets the gist of what you're doing then exactly what you're doing. "This one," Leigh concludes, "probably would have worked better as a timed tapper on the DS, along the lines of "Elite Beat Agents."

Read the whole review right here.

Mabinogi: the hardcore kiddie MMO

Korean videogame giant Nexon has brought its latest free-to-play MMO to the U.S., "Mabinogi." Variety's Tom Chick isn't too impressed. In his review we just posted, he writes:

The latest arrival in the Korean invasion is "Mabinogi," a massively multiplayer online game (MMO) from Nexon, the folks behind "Maple Story" and "Kartrider." These games are built around cute graphics, challenging gameplay and a presumably "free to play" business model. Although they've been wildly successful in Asia, they're struggling to find an audience in North America. With its unforgiving difficulty, unfriendly interface and annoying incentives to make players pay, "Mabinogi" is a perfect example why.

What's particularly interesting is that while the game is full of anime-style children, "after several hours, the average player will hit a brick wall." But Tom also notes that "a player who wants a better magic skill has to cast a certain number of spells, whereas a player who wants a better fishing skill has to catch a certain number of fish. The refreshingly simple DIY system is essentially 'Do what you want to do and you'll eventually do it better.'"

You can read the whole thing right here.

"Dark Sector": one step forward, one step back

Variety critic Brian Crecente thinks that D3's new action game "Dark Sector" is a "woulda/coulda/shoulda." Lots of potential, but it never quite pans out.

"For each bit of innovative game and surprising level design, he writes, "there are just as many technical issues and a sluggish storyline that keeps it from becoming a well-made work and a likely hit."

As always happens with these reviews, there's one element I find particularly amusing: "The appearance of Tenno, who is more emo rocker than secret agent, is particularly off-putting."

Check out the whole review here.

Condemned 2 aka CSI: Horror-fest

Leigh Alexander has our review of "Condemned 2: Bloodshot" and reports that it's a disconcerting mix of grizzly horror and CSI-style forensics. My favorite detail: "To keep his gun hand steady, Ethan must continue swilling alcohol salvaged from dirty alleyways and abandoned buildings."

Joe Lieberman is really gonna love this one!

Here's the intro to Leigh's review:

“Condemned 2: Bloodshot” will strike some players as a pulse-pounding, mind-challenging delight; for others, it will be a nausea-inducing nightmare. Investigator Ethan Thomas’ sophomore outing unevenly combines innovative CSI-style forensics with a bloody barrage of alcohol-induced, unsettlingly visceral violence. Ultimately, the game can’t seem to decide whether it’s a gritty cop story or a cult supernatural horror-fest; as a result, it won’t fully appeal to fans of either genre.

And you can read the whole thing right here.

Rainbow 6, Padres 2 -- plus stats, stats, and more stats

My friend Justin astutely pointed out that "Rainbow 6 Vegas 2" is one of the most unfriendly-to-non-gamers titles we've ever seen. What the hell is an average person supposed to make of that? How would the uninitiated understand that the first number refers to the name of the squad, but the second number refers to the game's place in the franchise? It sounds more like the final score of a baseball game than a videogame title.

As I pointed out in my review today, "Rainbow Six Vegas 2" barely even qualifies as a new game. It's basically an expansion pack to the first "Rainbow Six Vegas," with all of the original's many great qualities and its few basic flaws.

According to reports, the game has already shipped over 1 million units, so a solid expansion pack is apparently worth $60 to a lot of gamers. It's also possible that plenty of people who didn't buy the first one will start with the second, since it's essentially the same game anyway.

One change I found interesting is how this franchise went from stats heavy in the first game to stats obsessed in the second. There are literally four different stats: marksman, close quarters, assault and experience points (plus, for those playing on Xbox 360, achievement points). Literally every kill gets you points in at least one category. The screen is constantly popping up "+3" or "+5" messages. And you can't go more than 10 minutes, max, without finding you leveled up or ranked up or something in one of the categories.

It's weird, since of course the basic concept of "scores" in games has pretty much gone out the window (save for "Guitar Hero" and "Rock Band"). But now instead of "scores" we have "stats," which is somehow more meaningful, I suppose. I guess it's great for those who like to get constant validation. Every time you play "Rainbow Six Vegas Two," you're sure to get an ego boost for "achieving" something or other.

(The screen above, for instance, shows the player simultaneously getting "kill using explosive" points and "experience points" for taking down an enemy.)

Here's an excerpt from my review:

At its basest formulation, a videogame franchise with annual sequels is a lot like a car with a new model every fall. So it is with “Rainbow Six Vegas 2,” which takes last year’s hit squad-based shooter, makes a few minor improvements, and offers essentially a big expansion pack of what was a tightly designed game with a few notable flaws. As such, it should enjoy solid sales amongst hard core fans of the original eager for more and some new fans who want to start with the souped up version, but won’t turn as many heads as its predecessor.

And you can read the whole thing here.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl: a pitch perfect crowd pleaser

When I wrote a mixed review of "Super Mario Galaxy" in November, the response from Nintendo fanboys was by and large not too kind (take a look at some of the comments calling me an "anti-Nintendo hatemonger," "horrid little twat for brains," and other friendly terms here.)

Luckily for Variety.com's message boards, our critic Matt Peckham was overwhelmingly positive about "Super Smash Bros. Brawl," calling it "a grand love letter to everyone who played the last two 'Smash Bros.' games and an irresistible invitation to anyone who hasn't."

Sure, the graphics aren't any better than they were in "Super Smash Bros. Melee" on the GameCube, but "it's not the sort of game that's either slow enough pace-wise or vain enough gravitas-wise to invite such scrutiny." In other words, there's so much fast paced fun going on that sharp hi-def visuals aren't what matter. I haven't played the game yet, but between the adventure mode, the on- and offline battles, the endlessly customizable options, and the level builder, it looks like you could literally never run out of things to do for your $50.

Matt's a pretty tough critic, and when the only negative thing he had to say is that the controls are  "a little loose and occasionally inaccurate," (Nintendo fanboys, you may start accusing us of bias now for that outrageous statement) you know you've got a damned good videogame.

Here's the first paragraph:

Packed with beloved icons catapulting across jostling screens as they engage in bloodless grudge matches, "Super Smash Bros. Brawl" explodes onto the Wii at the top of its game. With more characters, more tweaks, more multiplayer options, and a sprawling side-scrolling story mode, it's a grand love letter to everyone who played the last two "Smash Bros." games and an irresistible invitation to anyone who hasn't. Nintendo may be mining an utterly familiar lode, but "Super Smash Bros. Brawl" is such a pitch- perfect crowd-pleaser that it's certain to secure a place as one of the year's best sellers.

And you can read the whole thing here.

God of War Chains of Olympus: Tried-and-true becomes a bit tired-and-true

Tom Chick has a review of "God of War: Chains of Olympus" in today's Daily Variety and he's definitely not as kind as most other critics seem to be.  He definitely doesn't hate it, but he finds the formula is getting a bit tired and is certainly not improved by going handheld:

“Chains of Olympus” is a short game and there’s not a lot of variety to encourage replay. The previous games offered a nice spread of weapons and magical abilities, but this one has a pared down feel, with only two weapons and three spells. The only new weapon is actually pretty silly: Kratos dons an oversized glove that looks like something a football fan would wave from high up in the bleachers. There’s not much variety in the different enemies, many of whom are carryovers from the previous games. There are a couple of memorable set pieces, leading to a dull final level and a disappointing climactic fight.

You can read Tom's entire review here.

Lost Via Domus: Good video, not so good game

My review of "Lost: Via Domus" is up now, and I'd say I'm in agreement with the other reviews out there: it's not very good. Fundamentally, there's just not much good gameplay. Here's the introduction to my take:

Watching the tense faces of actors carefully carrying dynamite made for several minutes of very exciting television in season one of ``Lost.'' Watching the back of an animated character carrying dynamite as you make him walk through the jungle in slow motion? Not so much. That's the fundamental problem of ``Lost: Via Domus,'' Ubisoft's new adaptation of the ABC series that hews so closely to its source material it never gives players anything remotely interesting to do. The only people bored enough to play through this tedious and poorly conceived videogame would have to be stranded on a remote island.

Of course, I recommend reading the full review for all the details, good and bad. But here are a few items that I couldn't fit in there:

-The gun has a re-loading mechanism and you can buy extra clips from Sawyer. That's actually pretty funny, since it holds 15 bullets and I only fired it five times to finish the entire game. And two of those shots were at the same guy.

-If you haven't taken any standardized tests recently, brush up, because there are a bunch of "IQ" tests from the Hanso foundation you have to take on computers. Most are standard logic ("god is to dog as 394 is to..."), though the final one is a trick question that almost drove me insane before I realized how obvious the answer is.

-Beyond the necessary questions you have to ask Locke or Sayid or Kate or whomever to get information, there are a lot of general questions you can ask them. Sometime it's interesting, but a lot of times they have nothing to say. Which makes you wonder why the developers even bothered writing and recording dialogue. It hardly seems worth it for gems like this... Elliott (the player): "I was attacked." Hurley: "You've got problems."

-Sawyer doesn't seem like a very good businessman when there are water bottles you can  trade him worth $5 sitting on the ground about two feet away from him.

-Most of the characters from the show are voiced by sound-alikes, some of whom (Jack, Kate, Sayid the Others) sound good, but some of whom are way off. Locke sounds like one of the Country Bears and Charlie sounds like one of the kids from "Mary Poppins."

-Those who like the gameplay more than I did -- or can at least stand it -- will find a decent story worthy of at least an average "Lost" episode. And there's a really fascinating twist at the end that will make you think twice about what happened in "Via Domus" and even some of what you've seen on the show.

Also of note: There's a story in the most recent weekly Variety about the poor record of serialized dramas turned into videogames (see: "The Sopranos," "24") and how Ubisoft is aiming to change that with "Lost" (and, next year, "Heroes") both creatively and business-wise.

And if you're looking for a blast from the past, here's the story I wrote when Ubisoft first did its licensing deal with ABC almost two years ago.

Patapon: The rare PSP game that thinks completely outside the box

It looks like everyone who reviewed "Patapon" really liked it or loved it (see here and here). Put Variety's Brian Crecente in the latter category. Words like "captivating," "fresh," and "original" all show up in his rave review, which notes how many weak ports there have been on the PSP and what a welcome change "Patapon" is. Of course the first PSP game to totally think outside the box as "Loco Roco," from the same development team at SCE, but Brian notes that unlike that game, "Patapon" "adds a level of depth to the wackiness that should take it beyond cult favorite status."

Here's the first paragraph of his Variety review:

The PSP’s status as the most powerful handheld gaming system on the market has somewhat backfired for Sony, resulting in a slew of derivative titles that feel like inferior spinoffs from those on a traditional console. “Patapon” is the rare PSP game that thinks completely outside the box, creating a fresh and original experience. Though it’s an obvious successor to 2006’s “Loco Roco,” a similarly creative rhythm game from the same development team at Sony, “Patapon” adds a level of depth to the wackiness that should take it beyond cult favorite status.

You can read the whole thing by clicking here.

The Club: Shut-up-and-shoot

Variety videogame critic Tom Chick has a very fun review of Sega's "The Club" up today. I'm kind of fascinated by the game, which apparently dispenses with all that silly stuff like story, high-end graphics, intricate level design, etc. and just focuses on running, shooting, running, shooting, and then running and shooting some more. Sounds a little boring, but Tom compares it to developer Bizarre Creations' "Project Gotham Racing," which also sounds boring at first, but is perfect for the kind of gamer who loves getting better and better racing on the same track, shaving seconds off his or her time and perfecting that slide on the third curve. "The Club" is apparently the same thing, but for shooting dudes in the head.

Here's the first paragraph of Tom's review:

Sega's new action game "The Club" dispenses with storyline, tactical depth, cinematic set pieces and colorful settings to deliver a kind of shut-up-and-shoot action game. The lack of pretense -- or is it depth? -- won't be for everyone, but fans who want to boost their skills will find it refreshing and uniquely addictive.

You can read the whole thing here.

Jumper: Griffin's Story review

In tomorrow's Daily Variety, Tom Chick reviews "Jumper: Griffin's Story," the second game from Hollywood publisher Brash Entertainment, and he's not too kind. Terms like "tedious," "dull," "bottom of the barrel" and "pointless" all pop up. Here's the first paragraph of Tom's review:

The tagline for "Jumper" boasts that "anywhere is possible." But gamers excited about that idea will be sorely disappointed by this uninspired, cheap-looking adaptation. Instead of giving players the power to teleport around the world, it shunts them through a series of tedious fisticuffs, one dull room at a time. Odds are slim that "Jumper: Griffin's Story" will generate even a fraction of the companion pic's opening weekend B.O. success.

And you can read the rest of it here.

Interestingly, there's no review yet on 1Up, GameSpot, or IGN. The only other review I can find, in fact, is at msxbox-world.com (never heard of it either) and they give it a 3.5. It seems like review copies didn't go out until a few days after the game was released, but given that it has now been a week since "Jumper" hit stores, it also seems like most videogame publications just aren't interested.

Spiderwick Chronicles... the first review

"The Spiderwick Chronicles" tie-in game came out on Tuesday, but as far as I can tell, Variety is the first outlet to review it. (Nothing on any of the big gaming sites, no entries on MetaCritic). I understand it's probalby not too popular with the core IGN reader, while an adapatation of a major film release is much more important to Variety. But I'll still pretty happy that Variety is not only competing when it comes to news and reviews of "mainstream" game releases, but taking the lead on videogames with a Hollywood connection.

Here's an excerpt of the review from our crack critic Matt Peckham:

Games based on family movies often look and play like cheaply made quickies, but that's not the case with Sierra's pleasantly bright "The Spiderwick Chronicles," which turns in a surprisingly enjoyable if brief performance. It's mostly a grand Easter egg hunt punctuated by average mini-games and shallow combat, but what the game lacks in boldness it makes up for in wholesome design and rapid-fire pacing. Except for a frustrating patch during the denouement, "Spiderwick" is a well-made tie-in to the Par/Nick fantasy film opening next week and should sell well with fans of the books and pic.

Read the whole thing here.

Devil May Cry 4 Review

Today we're welcoming a new writer to Variety's stable of freelance videogame reviewers: Leigh Alexander. She writes for GamaSutra, WorldsinMotion, and GameSetWatch, and also runs her own highly enjoyable blog called Sexy Videogameland. Leigh's review of "Devil May Cry 4" just went online and, though I'm biased, I'd say it's totally worth checking out. Also check out Leigh's post on SVG about the women's fashion on display in DMC4, aptly titled "Ain't It Cold Down There?"

Excerpt from her review:

The next-gen debut of Capcom's successful punk-devil fighting franchise leaves every thread in place: stylish action flick aesthetic, cool-as-hell heroes, creepy Gothic vibe and adrenaline-rush destruction. "Devil May Cry 4" isn't too welcoming to rookies, but should more than satisfy the hardcore crowd by returning the series to its roots while also changing things up a bit with the addition of a new character, and his cool new abilities, against the backdrop of gorgeous, stunningly detailed environments. Solid sales amongst action game devotees seem assured.

Read the whole thing here.

Turok review: extra thoughts

I couldn't come right out and say it in my review, but I'll admit I was surprised at how much I liked "Turok." When a huge corporation like Disney decides to attack a new market -- like M-rated action games -- I expect something completely derivative and soulless. And sure, as I wrote, "'Turok' won't exactly revolutionize the game biz." This is "Halo with Dinosaurs," no doubt about it.

But coming even close to the bar set by "Halo" is no small feat for a first-time developer. By and large, Propaganda did it (at least in the campaign -- nothing comes to close to "Halo 3" multi-player). The graphics are just as good, the gameplay is just as deep, the story is much less ridiculous, and the audio and A.I. are arguably better. Overall, it's a solid package.

As always, you can read it all in the review, but here are a few extra tidbits that didn't make my final draft, along with reactions to some other reviews:

-The third person knife kills are awesome to see (though sometimes difficult to trigger). And the concept of having the camera flow back into Turok's head to re-establish the first-person POV looks great. However, it can be really annoying when, during the animated knife kill, Turok turns in a different direction. When you go back to first person, suddenly you don't know which way you're facing. Especially in the midst of an intense fight, this can be super annoying.

-I turned the camera speed down to the slowest possible setting and I still found that the reticule moved way too fast for me. Aiming at small targets is tough when you can't move the cross hairs precisely.

-Why the hell can't I run? Given how similar all the other controls are to "Halo 3," I kept pushing in the left analog stick expecting to dash, but got an an arrow telling me where to go instead as Turok kept walking at a normal pace.

-IGN dismisses the game's A.I. by calling the enemy soldiers "idiots," which I think is a bit harsh. They're at worst average in their cluelessness. But it's unfair to dis "Turok" on that front without noting how fantastic the dinosaur A.I. is. I loved how they would notice me if I got too close to them or made too much noise, but could also be drawn to the enemies when they start firing their guns. Not to mention the fun of attracting them to a group of opponents by firing a flare, then watching a velociraptor do my work for me. Eminently satisfying.

-1Up, to its credit, asks a question so obvious that it never occurred to me: "What the hell [are] dinosaurs  doing on this planet?" Sure, you could reply that it's so basic to the concept that it's not worth asking (like wondering why Bowser can never get over his freakish inter-species obsession with Princess Peach), but it would have been nice if the game took a second to provide an answer.