STRANGLEHOLD (M)
Rating: ***1/2
Midway Xbox 360
The influence of John Woo’s films on modern video games is undeniable. And given his recent track record with cinema, there are many of us who think he’d fare better in the realm of video games, where action games and shooters can still get away with Woo’s brand of cheesy storylines, balletic violence and excessive use of slow-mo. So here’s Stranglehold -- John Woo’s video game sequel to the silver screen cult classic, Hard Boiled. The trouble is, Woo’s influence over video games has been so overwhelming, Stranglehold winds up feeling a tad derivative. It’s John Woo imitating video games, imitating John Woo.
That’s not to say that Stranglehold doesn’t have anything to offer. It does -- especially to fans of Max Payne, a game to which Woo’s title bares an uncanny resemblance. There are plenty of destructible environments for you to carefully obliterate in bullet time (or Tequila Time, as this game calls it, referring to the main character, played again by Chow Yun Fat). And all of Woo’s excess -- which made movies like Windtalkers and Paycheck unbearable -- is perfectly appropriate when your thumbs are setting the pace of the narrative.
BLUE DRAGON (T)
Rating: ***
Microsoft Xbox 360
Those of you who have been waiting for the first great Xbox 360 Japanese-style RPG … are going to have to keep waiting. Blue Dragon is the very definition of mundane. You battle through lackluster grassy fields and nondescript industrial complexes with a cast of characters that range from uber-cliched to downright dull (with the exception of one little Pokemon-looking fellow who crosses into the realm of the annoying). The game’s one saving grace is its combat system, which forces you to strategize just how you’re going to use your titular creatures.
CARNIVAL GAMES (E)
Rating: **
Global Star Software Wii
The latest in the Wii’s unending string of party games is based on midway attractions most people will find familiar. That was the game’s first mistake. Most midway games aren’t that fun. Sure, there’s Skee Ball, and that utilizes the motion controller satisfyingly, but then there are games like that claw machine that pulls up stuffed animals. If you think that thing is a frustrating rip-off in real life, wait ’til you play the virtual version, where you can’t angrily shake the machine afterwards.
WORMS: OPEN WARFARE 2 (E10+)
Rating: ****
THQ Nintendo DS
I’ve never been so happy to say, “I’ve got worms!” A far cry from the underwhelming DS original, this sequel takes gamers back to the Worms fundamentals they fell in love with in the first place. There’s enough strategy to make you use your head, enough over-the-top cartoon violence to make each victory satisfying and enough humor to make you bust a gut laughing. These are worms you’ll want to carry in your pocket.
When Las Vegas Weekly contributor Matthew Scott Hunter realized his career as a lab technician was seriously interfering with his gaming, he pink-slipped himself into a successful career as a freelance writer. Bug the hell out of him at [email protected]