Ben's Week In Review: January 4

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It's a brand new year, and there's already stuff I'm willing to talk about. Maybe I should just learn to shut it every once in a while. LOL

I need GT5, and I'd love to see Yamauchi do something new...

Okay, first of all, I find myself going back to Prologue because I'm starting to get that racing simulator itch. It happens every once in a great while, and a new Gran Turismo usually isn't far off to scratch that itch, but I've probably got almost a year to wait. I really can't get into the arcade style too much, although I do have the occasional good time with games like Burnout. It has been quite a while since I indulged in GT4, and it doesn't help that it's winter and my Z basically sits in one place for extended periods of time. So I just have to rely on Prologue, although I'm very excited about Yamauchi's idea for undertaking a "new, distinctly different" game. As much as I love GT, Yamauchi is one of those rare breed of designers who won't settle for anything less than the best effort humanly possible. I've often said that he's very much like the racing version of Hideo Kojima, and I have all the faith in the world in Polyphony.

I really have no idea what they might do, but perhaps it'll be a top-notch action extravaganza, or even a FPS. I suppose it's too much to hope for a project that's basically on the opposite end of the spectrum...RPG. I always hope for new RPGs from fantastic developers, regardless of the chances, but that's just me. In the end, though, after my thirst has been quenched with GT5, I will pay close attention to the next step Polyphony and Yamauchi takes. We should all pay close attention.

I'm SO on the fence in regards to Street Fighter...

And I'm talking about both Street Fighter IV and the movie, "Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li." As for the game, I've never been a fan of fighters - always got entertainment out of the Soul Calibur series, though - but it's tough to ignore all the positive hype surrounding SFIV. Everyone tells me how great it's going to be, and although I always have difficulty getting into the genre, I'd be a moron to pass on this one. Well...I'll think about it, I guess. As for the movie, I recently saw the Legend of Chun-Li trailer and it looks like it could be a decent action flick. I'm typically not a fan of over-the-top action but it's okay every once in a while...provided it's obscenely over-the-top. I just watched "Shoot 'Em Up," for example, and even though it's a terrible movie, it made me laugh at its insanity. That's fine. If the movie for SFIV does that, I suppose I'm good to go and the trailer makes me think some of the fighting might actually be worth seeing. I'm not holding my breath for a good movie, but I'm hoping for an entertaining movie.

By the way, on the subject of movies, I haven't bought one in quite a while, but I really can't wait for the Blu-Ray "Advent Children." I don't care what anyone says; I loved that movie. I liked "Spirits Within," too, so shut it, haters. ;)

Personal gaming update

Well, I'd probably be done with Gears of War 2 by now if it weren't for that busy holiday schedule of mine (which only concluded just a few hours ago), but I'm only about halfway through. That's fine by me, though; this is the type of game you hope lasts a long time, because it really is that good. When I'm done, I'll start on Prince of Persia and I'll seriously consider picking up Valkyria Chronicles this week. Thing is, I have nearly two full months before Killzone 2 - the next title I'm positive I will buy - and it shouldn't take me too long to finish GeoW2 and Prince. Therefore, I'll have some time for an RPG of some kind, and with all this talk about VC, I just might have to give it a try. I was going to download the playable demo, but I've heard that it's nowhere near as good as the full game, so I'm reluctant to do it...

As for the personal stuff, things continue on much the way they were. It's the "friends with benefits" program, which both of us agree upon, although I can still detect an underlying current of...something else within her. It's too bad, because if she thinks the relationship can be resurrected, she's dead wrong. Heh.