Starting tonight at midnight and lasting until 3A.M. Halloween night, online matchmaking in Halo 3 will include the “Infection” game type and maybe other surprises (I assume this is probably only in social playlists). The point of the mode is to kill as many zombie infected player who can only wield swords. The catch is if a zombie kills you, you become infected. Looking on Bungie.net there are quite a few interesting medals you can get in this game type that are similar to the different spree medals. Can you survive the zombie outbreak? Master Chief craves brains and I crave some multiplayer goodness!

I wonder what the Christmas will be like? Maybe assault where you have to sneak in and plant Playstation 3’s under the opposing team’s festive trees?

See you chumps online, look out for Cronofiend. Aim true, aim for the head Spartans.

EA is pumping out Rock Band demos all over the country. Well, actually it’s just in Best Buy. The demo includes 15 songs including Wanted Dead or Alive by Bon Jovi. I mention this song only due to the fact that I am excited like a little school girl in a skirt with the thought that I will be able to sing this song in public without people looking at me as if I was insane. Because I’m a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride… genius. The demo will be up on the XBox360 display units and will have the 4-way USB port, guitar, mic, bass, and the not to be forgotten drums. Bad news though, some of the stores are being reported that the drums don’t included the Bass pedal. So if you can overcome that minor defect, run to your local Best Buy quick before a punk 10 year old breaks the damn instruments by laying his sticky soda drenched fingers on them.

Just a little FYI. the upcoming animated film “Kung Fu Panda” looks amazing. Here’s some notes…

• Jack Black is funnier in this movie than in Pick of Destiny.
• Main villain makes me gay for tigers
• His jail escape scene is surprisingly violent for a children’s movie.
• Micheal Clark Duncan as a big nosed rhino = racist?
• I can’t understand Jackie Chan in this movie.
• David Cross is comedy gold.
• A little obvious, but I still think its clever that they have the Crane fight Crane style and the Snake fight Snake style, so on and so forth.

Introducing the Predator/Alien hybrid from the up-coming Alien VS. Predator: Requiem movie. I’m not a betting man, but I am willing to bet you my paycheck that this movie will suck. Haven’t they learned from the first movie? If they don’t have Governor Arnold, Carl Weathers, Jesse “The Body” Ventura and Danny Glover duking it out against Sigourney Weaver, Ron Pearlman and Bill Paxton, this movie will not do too well.

I just realized how many known actors of today starred in these movies. Well… Pseudo-known.

The first Saw was a breath of fresh air to the horror/suspense genre, plus it had the guy from Princess Bride! Where has he been all this time?! It set a new standard for bringing original ideas into an almost dead realm. Unfortunately, that is the only nice thing I can say about Saw IV. This film is both asinine and self indulgent in every way possible.

In case you were curious, Saw IV picks up where the third movie left off. (Spoilers from 3 for the uneducated): Jigsaw is dead, he’s on a slab being autopsied. And OH LOOK! A tape in his stomach! (dun dun dun!) From here, we focus on one of the officers from the previous movies as he is goes through Jigsaw’s series of tests and puzzles, usually those that involve some creep getting horribly massacred via an infernal device.

That’s just the problem with Saw IV, it’s like playing a game of Mouse Trap designed by Leatherface. The characters follow through their tests in such a linear way that it’s almost laughable. Would this cop be stupid enough to never call for back up while going through these puzzles? Even when he DOES have access to the outside world for once? Nope! Jigsaw sure has thought of everything from beyond the grave!

“I am so going to screw this up somehow.”

If you’re not completely insulted by the lack of logic in what is supposed to be a semi-intelligent thriller, let me explain what else should set you off. The film is edited in such a way to be almost condescending to the viewer. “OH LOOK THERE’S THAT NUMBER! SEE IT!? NO? WE’LL SHOW YOU ANOTHER FIVE TIMES UNTIL YOU GET IT!” Or how about when a scene that was shown literally 5 minutes ago gets replayed, just in case you have goldfish memory! Oh, and let’s give everyone a plot twist ending where it all comes together but with little details emphasized so it will all make sense. One problem: you never see those details until the end of the film! Don’t you feel stupid?! The creators are so clever that they’re making the illusion of a smart film by treating the viewers like idiots. Plus, some of the questions this film raises aren’t even answered in this movie! Now you have to see the next one to get the full story. Looking for closure? Fool!

The folks at Twisted Pictures have been doing this for a while. Dead Silence was possibly an even bigger joke, but the fact is they’re getting away with using the same damn style of ending (and movie) every time. While the original Saw’s appeal was this great new idea, now we’re just seeing it be done over and over to the point where it’s a joke. Hopefully it will only be so long before viewers catch on and get sick of it. Maybe around Saw IX or XX. Until then, don’t expect these movies to treat you like a rationally thinking human being.

I’m typing this review solely with my right hand because my left currently doesn’t work after failing “Raining Blood” by Slayer on hard difficulty more than 10 times (at least I got 5 achievement points). Allow me to get my praises out of the way first. It’s the same core game play as the rest of the series and has a fantastic set list, so the game is still extremely enjoyable. So yes, it is a great game, but it certainly has its problems. Allow the trashing to begin. Firstly, what the hell happened to the character models? The lead singer looks like a mix between a shark, Sam the Eagle, and Lurch. The drummer looks like the sloth from Goonies with downs and drums like one of those robots from Chuck E Cheese. The bass player is the only one who looks even remotely decent and even he looks slight more like Cousin Itt than he did in the previous game.

Your Band Members

Another gripe I have is the boss battles/battle mode. Who the hell made this and what were they thinking? It is completely broken! The goal of this mode is to basically be the first player to get the power up and dick over the other player by screwing up their streak as soon as they get a chance to get a power up. The boss battles are even worse because the computer doesn’t screw up if you don’t hit them with a power up. Oh, I am sorry, did you miss your chance to get that power up? Well fuck you, I’m Slash and I am going to screw you over for the rest of the game. Slight spoiler, the last boss battle is the devil, too bad I can’t tell you how impossible he is because I can’t beat Slayer on hard. Which brings me to my next point: holy shit, this game is hard!

Bejesus, I am no slouch when it comes to Guitar Hero and could beat one and two on expert (no, I couldn’t beat Jordan on expert), but DAMN, hard is way harder than it ever was. The gap between normal and hard is now about as big as the lead singer’s mouth and the gap between hard and expert is very tiny (the difficulty up power up in battle mode basically does nothing if you play on hard or higher). In two hard rarely ever used three button chords, if ever. Smashing Pumpkins on three, nothing but three button chords. Up until tier seven was a breeze, except Slash, then Queens of the Stone Age and Slipknot decide they wanted to make me their bitch. Finally, I cleared those and Metalica and Slayer stopped me from getting any further.

The online play is cool, but you can’t play co-op career online, which is massively lame because to unlock a few songs you have to do so through co-op, so you better know somebody with another guitar and the ability to actually beat some of these damn songs.

Bottom Line: Get this game if you really want a challenge or you are a glutton for punishment and like sore fingers.

P.S. Red Octane better step up their quality control department, because their have been tons of reports of broken guitars.

UPDATE: I miraculously beat Slayer and Metalica. The “Lou” battle and it is probably one of the most frustrating moments I have ever experienced in gaming. Whoever tested this deserves to be curb stomped for being a massive douche. It reminds me of gaming back on the NES where winning some games were based more on luck and if the computer decided they wanted to shove a giant rod up your ass or not. This shit makes Ninja Gaiden feel like playing Contra with the Konami code.

The Team Fortress 2 Patch has been released last night for the XBox360. The patch includes:

• Reduced network bandwidth usage in multiplayer.
• Improved overall game performance.
• Arranged search results to favor preferred host conditions.
• Improved searching for ranked games.
• Addressed a possible false report of too little storage space on larger hard drives.

If you have the Orange Box, what are you waiting for? Go get it!

Wes Anderson’s films are some of the most unique you’ll ever see. He takes you into the lives of some of the quirkiest people even seen: a prep school student obsessed with a teacher (Rushmore), a dysfunctional family of geniuses (Royal Tenenbaums) and even a ship captain documentarian whose life is falling apart around him (The Life Aquatic). After his last effort, people criticized what direction Anderson was going towards with his work. Enter The Darjeeling Limited.

At its core, The Darjeeling Limited is a story of brotherhood. Francis (Owen Wilson), Peter (Adrian Brody), and Jack (Jason Schwartzman), are three brothers who haven’t seen each other in a year, but are reunited when Francis invites them on a train tour of India. Francis wants to bring them back together and frequently tries to do so by having Jack and Peter make promises and go to different holy places in a search for spiritual enlightenment.

This is where The Darjeeling Limited has it’s greatest concept: a search for deeper meaning in the events of life. Francis is trying to have his brothers share something great by visiting these scenic locations, but to no avail. Jack is constantly searching for the perfect romantic moment. Peter is about to enter a new phase of his life, but isn’t quite sure how to interpret it. What you find here is a strong message about reality: not everything has some deeper significance. The romanticism of real life can’t be forced, it just has to happen.

That’s what makes Darjeeling so compelling, the film may not accomplish something great or even have some deeper message, but it’s there. It’s beautiful and easily something everyone can relate to. Anderson has cast away the storybook look and feel of Royal Tenenbaums and Life Aquatic in favor of letting his settings do some of the storytelling for him. A lot of his trademark directorial moves are still present, but things feel a lot more authentic this time around. It’s a direction that fans old and new can enjoy.

Schwartzman, Brody and Wilson play off each other so well, you’d be convinced they really did grow up together. If you have ever had a sibling, you’ll immediately understand how these brothers react to the little habits that make us who we are. There are a few cameos by Anderson alumni that will please the viewer, but these three steal the show. I’ll relay it from one of my favorite lines in the film:

Jack: I wonder if the three of us would’ve been friends in real life. Not as brothers, but as people.
Francis: I don’t know, but I think we might have stood a better chance.

Most theaters that are getting this are now playing Hotel Chevalier before it, which is a short film that focuses on Schwartzman’s character and Natalie Portman as his ex-girlfriend. This might seen a bit excessive, but the flow into the film itself was all too natural and gives you a lot better understanding of Jack’s behavior.

Fans of Anderson must see this movie, but dedicated fans already have. Anyone else who is a fan of cinema should check this out, it’s simply beautiful storytelling and inspiring visuals wrapped into one film. Just remember, it’s not a comedy, but you’ll laugh at the easy to relate to awkward bits.

It is that time of year again and the flood of games to be released for the shopping season have started to arrive. There are a slew of games I am excited for and I figured I would share them with you and why.

1. Assassin’s Creed (XBOX 360/PS3/PC) - From Ubisoft Montreal comes the story of an assassin during the crusades. This game is a  “sandbox” game, so there is plenty of exploration to be done. This game is from the guys who made Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and it will feature an extremely interact able environment. See that crack in the wall or tiny ledge? Yep it can be used as a hand or foot hold.  Expect great acrobatic and stealth action from this title. (November 13th)
2. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) - Do I really need to explain this one? It’s freaking Mario and considered the true successor to Mario 64 (sorry Mario Sunshine) and we have all been dying to dust off our Wii’s and get some good use out of them (why did you have to get pushed back SSB: Brawl?). (November 13th)
3. Guitar Hero III (XBOX 360/PS3/Wii/PS2) - Good old rhythm game fun. This version has a killer soundtrack and features some great metal bands that sadly Rock Band does not have (I want to scream into that mic). It now features wireless guitars, except for the poor PS2 version. This one comes out this Sunday so go get it.
4. Rock Band (XBOX 360/PS3/PS2) - From the original developers of Guitar Hero, Harmonix, comes Rock Band. Instead of just rocking out on guitars you can now play as the whole band. This game will really bring the family and friends together and is sure to be a hit at parties. The only problems I see with this game is that the music isn’t as diverse as Guitar Hero’s because the limited ability to have vocal parts and that it only comes in the bundle, making is insanely expensive. (November 23rd for 360 and PS3, December 17th for PS2)
5. Mass Effect (XBOX 360) - The newest game from developers Bioware, the creators of KOTOR and Baldur’s Gate (the greatest game ever). It is a sci-fi tactical shooter/RPG and will supposedly have the best NPC interaction in a video game to date. (November 20th)
6. The Orange Box (XBOX 360/PC) - This one is already out, so if you haven’t picked it up yet what are you waiting for? This package includes 5 games for $60 for 360 or $50 for PC.  Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2 episode 1 & 2, Portal, and Team Fortress 2. Trust me, it is more than worth it.
7. Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass (DS) - Another one that is already out. It is Zelda and it is for the DS, I think that is all I really need to say on that.
8. Unreal Tournament 3 (PC) - Sadly I think only the PC version will come out before the new year, but this game looks EPIC (get it?..). From the creators of Gear of War, this game will include massive amounts of fragging and will leave gamers trying to capture flags long into the night. (November 19th for PC, TBA for 360 and PS3)
9. Guilty Gear XX Accent Core (PS2) - Yet another that has recently been released, this is the same Guilty Gear but with two new characters: Order-Sol (Sol Badguy in Ky’s outfit) and A.B.A. (the chick with the giant key from Isuka if you actually played that game). It is cheap and is one of the best 2D fighters ever made.
10. Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (PS3) -I had to throw the Playstation 3 bone here and include this title. The Ratchet & Clank series are consistently good games that tend to lack innovation, but sadly there really isn’t much coming out for PS3 this holiday season that will keep you playing for days so you should probably pick this one up and blow up some cartoonish robots with hilarious weaponry. This game just came out two days ago PS3 owners so go occupy yourself until Assassin’s Creed comes out, because I know you have probably beaten Heavenly Sword twenty times by now.

Did I leave a game off the list that I shouldn’t have or that you are really excited for? Leave a comment and let it be known what people should be looking out for this season.

Not much has changed in the Need For Speed formula since “Underground” and “Carbon” and from this demo I don’t really anticipate this game being very much different. Expect lavishly painted and decal ridden tuner cars, tuned up with nitrous and huge turbo chargers with overly loud blow-off valves racing to be the “King” at whatever race type of the four you may be doing. In the demo you get to drive a BMW M3 in a “Speed King” race through 5 check points at which they clock your speed, highest total speed wins. The other you drive a new Nissan GT-R in a “Grip King” race, which is your basic first to finish two laps wins. The graphics look great and the car damage is a nice addition but I don’t think it will make my cut for my holiday shopping list with so many other spectacular titles just over the horizon.P.S. There was a weird graphical issue that messed with my eyes on the grip king race. I’m not sure how to describe it but when I went through the tunnel it was very hard to focus my eyes, maybe it was the frame rate. Did anyone else have this problem?