REVIEW: DAWN OF WAR II

I was looking forward since 2008 for the Dawn of War II. I can’t say I’m disappointed, but Relic will have lot of work to make this DoW2 as remarkable as where the previous ones.


- GRAPHICS: 9.0
(The graphics are top, but like the other DoW, the effects cause my – and probably more people’s - eyes to get red after some time playing. Relic should be aware of that when making its next release)

- SOUND: 9.0
(very adequate for the game)

- GAMEPLAY: 9.0
(the unit’s upgrades are good, but we, DoW fans, wanted more squads to control. Playing with an army of only 4 squads is frustrating)

- MULTIPLAYER: 8.0
(the cooperative campaign is great, but the regular skirmish multiplayer is too much simplified. We all miss the DoW gameplay in skirmish. And why Windows Live + Steam?)

- INNOVATION: 8.0
(DoW + Company of Heroes resulted in a downgrade DoW)

- EXTENSIBILITY: ?
(will Relic release decent mod tools? Community content support? We don’t know yet. If not, DoW2 will dye pretty soon)

- REPLAY FACTOR: 7.0
(as the campaign is much more linear than in Dark Crusade or Soulstorm, this game is unlikely to be played much after completed)

- OVERALL: 8.5

Duel of titans

Pimp your squad!

Fast action in a destructible environment

Scary cut scenes

- CONCLUSION:
DoW2 it’s a good but yet limited game, which carries the burden of other great titles. Being very different from the previous DoW series, it’s better to don’t uninstall your Dark Crusade. Let’s just hope the expansions will not only add the awaited new factions, but also new game features and deepness.

COMICS IN FILMS

Speaking about comics’ super heroes adaptations, I made a list of the movies from 2000 until now, classified in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

The Good

1- Watchmen
2- The Dark Night
3- Iron Man
4- Batman Begins
5- X-Men 3
6- X-Men 2
7- X-Men
8- Hellboy 2
9- Spiderman 2
10- Spiderman 3
11- Spiderman

The Bad

1- Constantine
2- Hulk
3- The Incredible Hulk
4- Hellboy
5- V for Vendetta
6- Ultraviolet
7- The Punisher
8- Superman – Returns
9- The League of Extraordinary Gentleman
12- Fantastic Four
13- Fantastic Four 2
14- Wanted

The Ugly

1- Cat Woman
2- Electra
3- Daredevil
4- Ghost Rider

“The Good” movies are faithful or improved versions of the comics that really work as a film.
Most in “The Bad” list are not always that awful as movies, but they use to be so different in concept from the comics that I couldn´t like them.
And “The Ugly”… well, they just suck hard in all ways.

Funny as hell

I’m a jerk, but I’m the Iron Man

REVIEW: WATCHMEN – THE MOVIE

This one will be fast: I loved the movie and I endorse every change made by the film’s authors.




Best scenes:

» The amazing opening, with an amazing song, telling the (alternative) story of the US from the thirties to the eighties.
» Most of the Rorschach citations, like:
“- Is this BEAN juice?
- HUMAN bean juice...”
» Prison scene. “I'm not locked in here with you. You're locked in here with me!”
» The ending – greatest director “liberty” and works even better than the gigantic psyche octopus from the comics.

Conclusion:

» Sure it was hard to adapt these comics to the silver screen, but the director chooses the only acceptable way: to be as faithful as possible. This is not a movie for everyone, though. As the graphic novel wasn´t.

Minutemen flashbacks

Only in real world the villains are more human than the heroes

Flawless locations

A darker America