Music to Save the World To

Maybe I’m the only one, but when I get into a game, really into it, I start imagining what it would be like if I were the hero of my own “fate of the world hangs in the balance” saga. Of course, important concerns are that I look bad ass while saving the world, and we all know that nothing helps set the tone for this sort of thing like a good soundtrack. With that in mind, I present my collection: Music to Save the World To, for your pleasure and consideration.

Track List:

1.    Combat (Afro Season II) – RZA
2.    This Blood – Black Lab
3.    The Day the World Went Away – Nine Inch Nails
4.    The Little Things – Danny Elfman
5.    The End is the Beginning is the End – Smashing Pumpkins
6.    Storm Center – Shiro Sagisu
7.    When the Smoke Clears – RZA
8.    Prayer of the Refugee – Rise Against
9.    Reach out to the Truth – Shoji Meguro
10.    Hero – Hans Zimmer
11.    Stone Eyes (The Great Warrior) – Shnabubula
12.    Divinity II (Cloud vs Bahamut) – Nobuo Uematsu
13.    Shifu Faces Tai Lung – Hans Zimmer
14.    One Winged Angel – Nobuo Uematsu
15.    My Number is 47 – Geoff Zanelli
16.    Dance of the Yi People – Min Xiao Fen
17.    The Lonely Shepherd – Georghe Zamfir
18.    Baker Street – Gerry Rafferty
19.    Cloud Smiles – Nobuo Uematsu
20.    Together We Will Live Forever – Clint Mansell

Combat (Afro Season II) – RZA

You May Have Heard it In: Afro Samurai Resurrection

This awesomely bad ass track has stalking killer seeping through its beat, melody and lyrics. In its aforementioned use, it’s played during the first real combat sequence of the film, where Afro slaughters a gaggle of challengers who are trying to kill him for the number one headband. If you’re caught in a series of dark, gory and extreme battles on your quest while you tear through your opponents with vicious precision and skill, this is the track to have over it.

This Blood – Black Lab

You May Have Heard it In: Blade III Trinity

Just like in Blade, this song begs to be played when you come back, fueled by adrenaline and rage to tear through hordes of enemies. Since sometimes, in saving the world, you’re going to have to turn up the adrenaline and let fly your fury, this track is definitely perfect for those moments.

The Day the World Went Away – Nine Inch Nails

You May Have Heard it In: The Trailer for Terminator Salvation

So, Terminator Salvation may have been a bit of a disappointment for most of us (it was for me), but the trailer used it very effectively. This is a song for the darker times of your struggle. For when the tide is pushing against you and you’re seeing allies fall before the onslaught. Nine Inch Nails’ dark tones and chaotic sonic qualities perfectly accentuate this mood and that point in a conflict.

The Little Things – Danny Elfman

You May Have Heard it In: Wanted

Danny Elfman’s Wanted theme is expanded to a power chord driven rock track complete with complimentary nihilistic lyrics. Just as it is applied in the movie, something about this song just screams: a duo working together to take down their opponents.

The End is the Beginning is the End – The Smashing Pumpkins

You May Have Heard it In: Its complementary slower version (The Beginning is the End is the Beginning) is used in the trailer for The Watchmen, and was also on the soundtrack for Batman & Robin.

This song is about more than just struggle, but loss, the all consuming casualties a battle for the fate of the world is bound to have and how that kind of struggle can consume you and drive you mad. The melody and the sneering singer’s voice all carry you to this place in your battle against that world, nay, universe ending evil.

Storm Center – Shiro Sagisu

You May Have Heard it In: Bleach (used particularly whenever Captain Hitsugaya fights)

This track is pure instrumental and begins with low distorted guitar chords that almost seem lyrical in themselves from their challenging tones. Finally, a louder guitar comes in, and the song takes off into its slightly off tempo rage, screaming of a furious fight that is still a display of collected discipline and skill (which would roughly be why Hitsugaya is the character its usually associated with).

When the Smoke Clears – RZA

You May Have Heard it In: The Afro Samurai Video Game

This i a sympathetic action track. It’s an amazing beat, but the whole idea of a hero who is conflicted inside about the pain driving him isn’t quite thematic of the Afro Samurai (he was fairly certain of what he was doing), but it drives a moment where the hero may be conflicted about having to commit the actions and feeling as if he’s locked into the battle at this point and has no point to draw his sword now if only because he drew it so many times before.

Prayer of the Refugee – Rise Against

You May Have Heard it In: Guitar Hero III

Prayer of the Refugee is a song that screams of the kind of struggle and determination that one would rise from the darkness of the Nine Inch Nails track towards. A bit more mainstream than the other tracks on this list, but definitely a great fit.

Reach Out to the Truth – Shoji Meguro

You May Have Heard it In: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4

Because this is what it looks like when four teenagers decide to beat the shit out of someone.

Though not mainstream, this track definitely has the most pop music feel of anything on this list. Taking a step back from the darker tones of some of the previous tracks, this one serves beautifully as a battle theme (just as it does in the game) for the group dynamic battle against baddies.

Hero – Hans Zimmer

You May Have Heard it In: Kung Fu Panda

Kung Fu wha? If you missed this one, you missed out. I’m mainly recommending the first half of the song which is set to Po’s introductory fantasy of the “legendary warrior of legend” (the rest of it is just a cutesy plucking melody as he helps his father in the noodle shop). The song feels classic and, well, legendary. The sort of thing a hero of the world has playing when he displays his incredible skills against the minions who he is vastly superior to.

Stone Eyes (The Great Warrior) – Shanbubula

You May Have Heard it In: It’s an adaptation of Uematsu’s “The Great Warrior,” you can find it here for FREE on OC Remix)

Stone Eyes is a beautiful take on Uematsu’s theme for Red XIII’s sadness from Final Fantasy VII. It begins tragically, with a strong tone of grief but eventually builds to a beautiful crescendo of hope and determination to carry on with the fight. A must for the warrior in his moment of doubt.

Divinity II (Cloud vs. Bahamut) – Nobuo Uematsu

You May Have Heard it In: Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

Don't Stop Believin' (Hold onto that Fee-eee-lin').

Cloud’s renewed passion and determination in the face of what feel like impossible odds leads up to the first of the three climactic battles against one of his stolen summons: Bahamut. Hebraves the beast that all his other friends were barely keeping at bay together by himself. The song’s powerful tones and chorus drive any sort of pivotal battle, and the interlude over which Cloud briefly sees Aerith’s hand in the film captures a similar moment of digging deep into yourself to find the final drive to finish the fight. The song’s closing invokes the peace and relief of a battle finally ended against all odds.

Shifu Faces Tai Lung – Hans Zimmer

You May Have Heard it In: Kung Fu Panda

One of the final battles of the film, the master Shifu must (again) face his villainous pupil who has come back for revenge and the legendary Dragon Scroll. The song is the more desperate side of Divinity’s tones. It’s clear this fight is also against impossible odds, but is leading to a more tragic end for our hero. The pain and imminence of death at the hands of evil loom very close throughout this song.

One Winged Angel – Nobuo Uematsu

You May Have Heard it In: Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

I’m sticking with the Advent Children thing here. Uematsu’s remastering of the classic song from the game for the final battle between Cloud and Sephiroth in the film is masterful. The song captures perfectly the kind of living nightmare Sephiroth is: relentless, inhuman (super human more like), ruthless, and twisted evil. The blending of rock guitar and orchestral music is a brilliant move, conveying the dark chaos that is the villain you’re trying so desperately to take down that it takes everything out of you as the song finally ends.

My Number is 47 – Geoff Zanelli

You May Have Heard it In: Hitman (the movie)

Zanelli’s soft song comes in at the final farewell of our anti-hero and the woman he has fallen in love with (at least as much as it’s possible for the inhuman 47 to fall in love). It’s sad tones convey the length of a journey that is at a crossroads, and it clearly ends with the building resolve of the hero that has to go on alone.

Dance of the Yi People -Min Xiao Fen

You May Have Heard it In: A Tea Shop (I’ve never heard it used in any media before)

Dance of the Yi People is a song traditionally played on the Pipa, and is a slow mournful song that eventually, and suddenly, transitions to a frenetic and passionate whirlwind of string plucks that comes when the song seems to be withering to its conclusion. Perhaps it’s the song that plays as our hero calmly tries one last time to talk things out with his nemesis only to have it devolve to a tragic fight to the death. Perhaps it’ll convey something different to you, either way, it’s beautiful.

The Lonely Shepherd – Georghe Zhamfir

You May Have Heard it In: the Kill Bill flicks

This pan flute melody is the kind of slow yet dedicated tune you play to send off the “pops” hero; the guy who everyone thought was just the old dog too tired to have any fight left in him, but made it to the end and made a difference. This was a close tie with Auron’s Theme from Final Fantasy X for similar reasons, but I decided Uematsu is getting plenty of love on this list as it is.

Baker Street – Gerry Rafferty

You May Have Heard it In: An episode of The Simpsons, or any dive bar generally populated by 40-somethings

I hate Lisa Simpson and didn't want a photo of her with her stupid sax.

Gerry Rafferty’s ballad is a song that always conveys more a sense of goodbye to me. The final huzzah for a person who knows it’s time to cash in and get out with one last honorable fight with everything he has in him. Personally, I see it being set to another “pops” type of battle, where he refuses the help of his comrades, knowing it’ll be his last fight one way or another, and somehow pulls the win out at the very end, just before he rides into the sunset to leave the war to the younger heroes, content to know he’s done his part and served as an example for them. The Foo Fighters version was a close contender for this spot, but Rafferty’s original version hits a more poignant crescendo (as opposed to just rocking out) for the emotional moment I’m looking for.

Cloud Smiles – Nobuo Uematsu

You May Have Heard it In: Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

Like I said, Uematsu is a heavy hitter on this playlist, claiming three spots (a fourth if you count the rearrangement of his Final Fantasy VII song “The Great Warrior”) and mostly his Advent Children work no less. Cloud Smiles functions as the happy ending for our heroes. Coming out of the war  to find not just victory, but even more to look forward to and be grateful in the peace to come in the aftermath.

Together We Will Live Forever – Clint Mansell

You May Have Heard it In: The Fountain

Clint Mansell’s track punctuates the moments of dawning comprehension for Jackman in the film. The things  that are worth the most to us are things that we have to be ready to lose since having them for only a limited time is what makes them truly special. The theme of Jackman’s tragic lesson is the perfect theme for the bittersweet ending of any adventure.

Your Mom Wants You Playing Final Fantasy

I know she doesn’t say it directly, mom’s are tricky like that, but take it from me, it’s all just an elaborate psychology game she’s playing with your feeble childish mind. Why? Because that’s what moms do, they throw their invisible psychological strings of guilt and weird motivations, playing you against yourself to turn you into who they want you to be, who, if your mom is like any other mother will simultaneously never be good enough, and always will be better than she’d be happy with.

Your mom wants you to play Final Fantasy.

Do I know your mom? Not as well as I’d probably like to (she hasn’t gotten back to me about that seafood dinner), but I know moms (lots of ‘em, oh yeah), and they all want the same thing. Have they ever said so to me directly? Of course not, how often do mothers ever say anything directly? No, just the same way she wants you tuck your shirt in, and gets you to do so by asking sly questions like “Don’t girls appreciate cleaner boys?” she’s trying to spin your psyche to get you to play Final Fantasy and is hoping it’ll someday work.

Maybe all the hype leading up to XIII’s release next year is working on you, but God forbid you’re one of those anti-marketing cats who gets turned off by that kind of hype. Shame on you. You really should make your momma proud and get ready to spin this disc in your PS3 or 360 (depending on how you roll).

Why? Well let’s see: your mom probably wants you to be a good little (nerdy) boy and stay home rather than getting into trouble. Even if she doesn’t approve of video games in general, Final Fantasy is a lesser of all the other evils, and comes with some unique benefits:

Morals

Final Fantasy always has a  love story at its epicenter, and this sort of thing gives us the example of fealty and lasting love that we should work to find and honor in our lifetimes. Whether you’re Cloud, pursuing the preservation of the memory and mission of the girl you lost, or Squall, finding himself and becoming a true hero for Rinoa, or Tidus, willing to face his own mortality and being for the sake of his love, you’re finding a powerful story about heroes and their devotion to their loves and how far they’re willing to go to honor and protect it.

The game’s most recent trailer from TGS (which you can view here at IGN) shows the love story between Snow and the main character’s sister. It’s clear that this will function as a major pliant and motivator for Snow throughout the conflict and fight for their world.

Even beyond love though, you’re given examples of honor, friendship, and integrity. Every Final Fantasy has had their role models and everyone who has played a Final Fantasy game has a character they, in some way, look up to. That’s just your mom trying to slip some role models your way.

Intellectual Stimulation

Yes, the games can be played by little kids, but there’s a lot of depth in any Final Fantasy for people to pick up on. From the strongly Marxist overtones of VII’s story, to the commentary on religion and political conflict therein of X, all the Final Fantasy’s bring a narrative with deep themes that, strangely enough, allow for a good amount of intellectualizing in themselves, but also for an interesting commentary on the world we know.

Shinra’s capital control of the world and Midgar specifically, even over the Mayor Domino is a frightening example of the capitalist system gone unchecked. X’s Al Bhed vs. Yevon conflict bears evident parallel between Christian and Islamic cultural and societal conflicts, but also bears a fascinating ethical commentary on the associations of ignorance with religious practice, as well as allowing religion to dictate ethics and policies in society with regards to useful technology and other advancements.

Aesthetic Appreciation

Finally, all mother’s want their children to have a touch of class and taste for the finer things about them. From good writing and plot structure (compared to a lot of movies and especially among video games), to production value, artistic style and even music, Final Fantasy brings a lot to the table, and does so superlatively.

Nobuo Uematsu’s musical contributions to the series are timeless classics that regularly sell out concert halls when orchestral concerts are put on for them. The art styles for character designs are directly influenced by artistic periods and movements that, if you take a stroll through your local art museum(s) may strike a chord with certain artists and movements.

Creativity and Imagination

Every mother wants her boy to be a beautiful and creative snowflake, and sure, there’s nothing unique about playing a game that millions of other people are bound to play, but these are the kinds of games that inspire people. Some in more poignant ways that others, but there’s nothing to deride about someone’s imagination being enlivened by something like this (even if it leads to hordes of poorly written Fan Fiction).

Trust me, make your mom happy and put Final Fantasy XIII on your little wish list. That way I can tell her what a good influence I’ve been on you over that seafood dinner.

I’m Too Old For This $#!% – Moving Forward Means More When You Look Back

“Eight year old me is very disappointed right now,” my friend Andrew said. I had to agree sadly. I had, on a whim, bought Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection, and my friend and I were passing the afternoon working our way through Sonic the Hedgehog 2. We reminisced of the old days, where the games had to be beaten in a single sitting, with just the number of lives you were given (and managed to earn). Aside from not being able to save progress between levels in the old days, the Collection allows you to use a quick save function to save a file to the HD at any point. Considering how often we found ourselves dying, without this feature Andrew and I would have found it impossible getting past the second levels in any of the Sonic games.

Was it that games have simply gotten easier? It seemed that, for only occupying two dimensions, the classics were throwing a lot at us. We had no idea how to reasonably get through the game without relying on the quick save function, far less how we used to survive these games without such functionality. We recalled our younger days, racing through Sonics 1-3 at the top speed the Hedgehog managed, getting Super Sonic in parts 2 and 3 with ease and never having trouble building up my store of rings to activate the Super Saiyan hedgehog. These days, I’m lucky to hold onto enough rings to make it to the emerald bonus stages, far less actually win them all.

So have games begun holding hands more these days? Definitely. Sonic is, by today’s standards, unforgiving. 3 failures and you get a game over? One hit and you lose all your hard earned rings (more or less), one more hit and you’re dead? Compare this to any game you’re played recently: Uncharted? Restart from a checkpoint one episode before where you died. Prince of Persia? No death, just Elika saving you. Fallout 3? reload from the last autosave.

Then again, I’m a founding editor of POWSO. Maybe that doesn’t mean much compared to the bigger dogs out there like IGN and PSM, but I haven’t encountered a game in some time I can’t manage to work my way through on Hard. So what is it about those old games I can’t get these days? My brain is definitely not too old to handle video games. What is it then?

Bear in mind, I have nothing but respect for the games of yore, but everything is all about progress, especially where art is concerned (that should let you know where I stand on the whole “games as art” debate if my previous feature didn’t already). Those classics were fantastic for their time, but where technology and design has progressed, and our minds have kept up with those advances, and we’ve gotten used to a standard of responsiveness and control that modern game technology has afforded us.

Not to say that Sonic was a horrible game that we were too young to realize back in the day, far from. It was as good a game as a game could be. I’m looking forward to a day when Uncharted 2 and God of War become offensively clunky by standards of where the technology moves in years to come. If anything, looking back on that classic collection served not as a means to groan dismissively at a past that should be packed into an attic, but to enjoy nostalgia that shows us how far we’ve come. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get onto some Uncharted 2 multiplayer and appreciate just how far we’ve come.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Review

It’s been a fabulous year for Sony. Killzone 2 and InFamous were huge exclusive releases for the system, and were timed to release when Sony’s main competitor, the 360, had a wilting release of exclusives. Multi-platform games, like Batman Arkham Asylum managed competitive sales with the 360, and the PS3 topped both the 360 and the Wii in monthly sales for the first time ever. Uncharted 2 keeps up this spectacular rhythm, having released just two weeks ago.

So, why am I still reviewing it this late? Because a game like this means more than just having something awesome that you MUST play if you own a PS3. It’s even more than just a very good argument for why someone should buy a PS3 if they haven’t already.

First of all, this game really is a must play. InFamous was fantastic, but I can understand if its gritty comic style, soft-science, super hero storyline is not everyone’s cup of tea. Uncharted 2, on the other hand, is the kind of game with the kind of universally appealing story that anyone who considers themselves a gamer should not only be willing to play, but be able to thoroughly enjoy.

I’ll start with the basics: the game is gorgeous. If this isn’t pushing the PS3 to its limits, then I can’t wait to see an Uncharted 3. This game has a much brighter variety of environments than the previous installment. Whereas the original Uncharted took place largely in colonial and ancient  ruins of South America, with the only surprise environments being World War II era army bases, this one really takes Drake on something that feels like a grandiose globetrotting treasure hunt. All the environments of both games were rendered beautifully, and really were the concrete bases for the atmosphere and story of the game that made it spectacular.

Uncharted 2 starts off with a museum heist as you and an accomplice traipse around beautiful courtyards and architecture of the Istanbul museum. You eventually find yourself in Borneo, a civil war torn Nepal, snowy mountains, and all new fertile paradises that the story transitions you smoothly among  as it unfolds.

What a story too. The characters we came to know and love are well established and consistent. Even though Sully, Drake’s erstwhile companion, plays less of a role in this game, his absence is understandably consistent with the story’s theme, if not somewhat abrupt. When it’s held against the ultimate personal struggle Drake faces along with the larger conflict, it contributes beautifully.

Elena Fischer returns, separated from Drake due to dubious circumstances after the last adventure, and Drake has a new accomplice, the lovely dark haired British thief, Chloe Fraser. While there was an opportunity for Chloe to feel like just a jammed in femme fatale for the “new” Drake adventure, her character displays depth, wit, growth and importance to the story and Drake’s character that makes me sit up and hope she reappears in future installments.

The story follows the same basic premise as the first: a treasure hunt that grows in scope of the pursuit, and eventually becomes a race to prevent a mystical object from winding up in the wrong hands. This time, the revelations of the mysticism in the story are more paced and poignant with regards to Drake’s personal struggle and conflicts with the people around him. The villain is more menacing and evil rather than the previous game’s who just seemed creepy and leering by comparison. The new villain, Lazarevic is ruthless, and commands his army with strategic mastery, making this game’s sense of urgency and danger all the more legitimate.

The gameplay is almost identical to the previous Uncharted, but has been built up quite a bit in how it works and plays.  Unlike the original, enemies move with more strategy and purpose even on lower difficulties. Before, enemies would only move to flush you out and flank you on the harder difficulties. Now, even on the lowest difficulties the enemies move with that deliberate purpose.

Difficulty determines just how hard they are to actually kill (i.e. number of bullets), how smart their movements are (how well they assume and use cover), and your own resistance to their attacks. Headshots become a must in many cases because as before, you are very limited in your gun and ammo supply: one light gun, one heavy, only so much ammo for each and four grenades.

The developers did make the melee attacks much more effective. Melees use the same style as Batman Arkham Asylum: Square is attack, but should Drake need to counter, a tap of the triangle reverses so he can then launch a counter to finish the enemy off. Stealth attacks have also been improved thanks to tweaking of the enemy reactions and AI. Once the first level forces you to get the feel for them, stealth feels like a much more viable option in this game than the previous title. How often did we really get to use stealth attacks in the previous game? Somehow in the original you’d enter a room, and for no reason other than you were a certain distance in, you’d hear people yelling that you were there. In this game, if you’re careful, you can take out entire starting units in an area purely through stealth. However, it’s not calibrated to the Metal Gear Solid level of perfection. A few times I got away with moves without being spotted that were kind of unbelievable, and other times I’d be spotted, it seemed, through a wall. Luckily the cover system is just as effective and manageable as before, so dealing with the hordes of enemies and keeping yourself alive is doable.

Also, unlike the previous installment, enemies don’t seem to have that unnerving sixth sense of where Drake is. In the previous game, regardless of whether you were crouching or not, enemies would seem to know exactly where you were behind cover. This game allows you to move around and hide, should you be crouching, and flank enemies to catch them unaware. The AI’s new aggressive movements will make these kinds of strategies necessities on the Normal and higher difficulties.

Should you fail a section, the generous checkpoint system won’t have you rehashing more than is fair, and I found that should I die I was aggravated more in disappointment at myself than calling the game a cheat. One caveat, is that the cover system is a little jumpy, when you’re trying to move from cover to cover, but it’s never the kind of thing that’ll get you killed unless you panic and mash buttons too quickly since a lot of the moves are pressure and context sensitive.

In summation, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is one of, if not the best game I’ve played for the PS3. That’s a huge statement to make, especially considering where the PS3 library currently stands. However, this game, when I finished it, prompted me to put this status up on Facebook: “Who needs a fifth Indiana Jones movie when we have games like Uncharted 2?” I meant every word. The game’s story, animation and acting are better executed than most modern Hollywood popcorn flicks. That may not seem to be saying much considering the travesty that was Indy 4, but that doesn’t diminish the accomplishment. Uncharted 2 firmly places the medium where many people thought it never could reach. The Non-Player Controlled elements of the story and adventure are beautifully executed, and being offered the control of an original character who is just as likable, admirable and heroic as a classic icon such as Dr. Jones made it better than a film.

Drake’s character, his pluck, his courage, his adventure, his human insecurities and personal conflicts all beg for the comparison to that famous whip snapping Dr. Jones. When I caught myself thinking that, though, I realized I was thinking of Jones not because Drake felt like a knock off. Far from, in fact. I felt this way only because Drake was having as profound an effect and appeal to me as Indy had when I was kid, no

Simple conclusion: Own a PS3, Must play Uncharted 2. Go get it.

Score: 9.6/10

30 Rock Your World XXX Style

In the adult cinema tradition of parodying mainstream stories and ideas (Lord of the G-String, Super Hornio Bros., Pirates, etc) into XXX fantasy flicks, a parody of NBC’s hit comedy 30 Rock (ironically a parody in itself) is on its way. The very SFW trailer is embedded below.

I think the most amazing thing is how closely to the actual characters of the show some of the actors here manage to land (the Tracey Jordan spoof is pretty darn good), and the Jack Donaghuy voice is spot on as well. If you’re not squeamish for porn, and enjoy laughing at a good XXX parody, this one may be right up your alley:

Next Page »