The third main installment of EA's Skate is out, making the third Skate game in 4 years. I hope this franchise doesn't turn into the next Guitar Hero, but thankfully, its innovation is still pretty fresh three games in. So in Skate 3, we skate in the fictional skater paradise Port Carverton, where three different districts (University, Downtown, Industrial) are custom-made for skating only. That doesn't mean there aren't cars or pedestrians, but the landscaping is obviously tuned toward awesome skating lines. Your goal here is to start a board company, and eventually reach 1,000,000 board sells. The technical details are hidden behind the scene, while you just see the profits come rolling in as you complete challenges. There are six milestones of board sells, which break up the daunting final 1,000,000 sells. Once you reach 1,000K, the boards will continue selling as long as you continue completing challenges, or other skaters interact with your online creative content.


1| The gameplay feels as great as always, continuing the familiar and realistic Flick-It control scheme. Your right control stick will be worn out by the time you are done with this game.

2| Finally implemented are difficulty modes: Easy (featuring increased snap-on grinding, easier to get speed, etc.), Normal (assumed to be the approximate mode from the previous two Skate games), and Hardcore (which includes more realistic physics in terms of speed and air).

3| Plenty of challenges, with two ways of completing most of them: you can "Own It," which is completing the simpler objectives, or you can "Kill It," which has tougher objectives, generally requiring you to perform a specific trick or get a certain amount of points. It is only optional to Kill the challenges, but there is a nice achievement/trophy waiting for you if you Kill a certain number of them.

4| Upload instant replays and photos, or save as many of them as you want offline.

5| Build your own skate.Parks in any of four different locations based on the districts they are in (a gymnasium, a warehouse, an urban plaza, a stadium). Upload up to 25 custom parks for other skaters to download, use, edit, and rate.

6| Use the Skate graphics creator on the Skate website and upload these graphics to the game for use on your skater or as your team logo.

7| Online teams simplify teaming up with other skaters to take on other teams in certain challenges.

8| The soundtrack is good, but what really makes this game's music shine is the original compositions by several famous musicians.


1| There aren't many good hairstyles to choose from, and the facial modifications all look the same.

2| The graphics look fine, and the sound effects are good.


1| Some challenges are extremely difficult to Kill, and literally require playing on Easy mode. I found myself using Easy mode for half the game just to get the challenges "over with," which shouldn't be happening.

2| I am pretty worried about this franchise after setting foot (or board) in the Industrial District. Most of it is okay, but one particular area, the Carverton Quarry, takes it over the top. Doing vert tricks on huge curved rocks? Sounds like Tony Hawk games...

3| The "Own the Lot" challenges bring you a giant list of individual challenges, all of which must be completed in order to Own (you can't Kill "Own the Lot"s) the Lot. These seemed fun at first, but they quickly turned into a dull checklist of things to-do, almost like any excess challenges were just bunched together into one. These can be very difficult to complete and generally require Easy mode.

4| The Hall of Meat challenges are made specifically for epic bailing. Seems fun, right? Well, maybe it is part of the time. But it gets to a point, especially during the final Hall of Meat challenge, where you realize that this is a skating game... I bought this game for the realism, and so I don't have to play Tony Hawk games. These challenges, in my opinion, ruin the game.

5| Pedestrians and cars are as stupid as ever, and a new problem plagues the game. Pedestrians will literally create a crowd wherever you skate. Not a happy, cheering crowd, but one that stupidly stands in front of whatever line you are trying to skate. Free Play can fix this if you are just trying to record some footage, but while completing a challenge, those brainless noobs are there to stay.


Skate 3 is a fun game. Difficulty modes arrive, full-fledged skate.Parks are ready to be created and uploaded, and online teams foster organized competition. However, the flaws this game have certainly dull down the experience, namely bad pedestrian AI and difficult or unrealistic challenges. I wouldn't let this stop you from buying the game, because there are still too many good features that outweigh the bad. I find the most fun simply going into Free Play in hardcore mode, with no cars or pedestrians, and catching some cool instant replays to upload for others to see. I think EA should slow the production of the Skate games, however, and try to keep what made the original Skate as great as it was and still is.


Story: 1/2
Gameplay: 42/50
Graphics: 16/20
Sound/Music: 20/20
Re-playability: 5/8

Aggregate score: 84/100
Independent score: 80/100

Although the cast has been expansive in terms of actors and character, X-men First Class has yet to pull any true surprises. While it is great to see such favorites as Magneto and Beast among the list of mutants, director Matthew Vaughn (Kick Ass) has yet to pull the rug out from under our legs. That is until today.

According to Straight2DVD, actress Erica Hosseini recently auditioned for the role of Willow, an obscure mutant from the 2099 spinoff series (most famous through its series Spider-man 2099, which appears in the upcoming Shattered Dimensions game) : "I was auditioning for a role named Willow -- hopefully I don't get in trouble for blabbing details on the off-chance that I get it. It's a role similar to Mystique from what I understand. Potentially lots of body paint, so that would be really fun."

So what does this mean for the series? Honestly, I have no idea. Willow is too obscure for a hoax, which adds legitimacy to this statement.

After several months of annoying announcements and misleading rumors, we now have a new Peter Parker for the latest adaptation of Spider-man. Here is the rather extensive press release given by Sony Pictures.

After a comprehensive worldwide casting search, Andrew Garfield has been chosen to portray Peter Parker when Spider-Man swings back onto the screen in 3D on July 3, 2012. The new film will begin production in early December directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt. Laura Ziskin and Avi Arad will produce the film from Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios.

Today's confirmation culminates what has been one of the most eagerly anticipated casting announcements in recent memory. Bloggers, pop culture speculators, and everyday fans have pored over and analyzed every conceivable online rumor in an attempt to discover the identity of the next actor to play Peter Parker. Garfield will immediately begin preparing for the coveted role.

The Spider-Man franchise is one of the most successful in film history and the three previous motion pictures have collectively grossed more than $2.5 billion in worldwide box office.

On selecting Garfield, director Marc Webb said, "Though his name may be new to many, those who know this young actor's work understand his extraordinary talents. He has a rare combination of intelligence, wit, and humanity. Mark my words, you will love Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker."

Commenting on the announcement, Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Matt Tolmach, President of Columbia Pictures said, "Spider-Man is a classic superhero -- a young man who balances his responsibility to serve humanity and crush evil with the shyness and normalcy of someone struggling to find himself. The role demands an extraordinary actor. You need someone who can magically transform himself from Peter Parker into Spider-Man. An actor who will depict the vulnerability of youth and the strength and confidence of a legendary figure at the same moment. We have found that actor in Andrew Garfield. From the first time we saw him in the upcoming film The Social Network, to his glorious screen test, which floored all of us, we knew that we had found our new Peter Parker."

Producer Avi Arad added, "I'm incredibly excited about Andrew Garfield. In the Spider-Man tradition, we were looking for a smart, sensitive, and cool new Peter Parker who can inspire us and make us laugh, cry, and cheer. We believe we have found the perfect choice to take on this role and lead us into the future."

Producer Laura Ziskin said, "We are thrilled to have Andrew Garfield for this new incarnation of Spider-Man under Marc Webb’s direction. We were fortunate enough to meet with a group of fantastically talented young men. In the end, we all agreed that in addition to being an extraordinary actor, Andrew had the right mix of humor, youth, and pathos, along with an underlying sense of strength and power necessary to bring Peter Parker and Spider-Man to life on screen."

The selection of Garfield was revealed at a press event in Cancun, Mexico for international journalists attending a media tour promoting upcoming films from Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Garfield is fast becoming one of the most respected and sought-after young actors working in the industry today. In a short career, spanning only five years, he has already been directed by, and starred alongside, some of the greatest names and received a BAFTA for a role that won him international praise.

Garfield most recently worked with director David Fincher on the upcoming film The Social Network. He previously starred for Spike Jonze on his robot love story I'm Here, which premiered at Sundance this year. He plays the lead male opposite Keira Knightley and Carey Mulligan in Mark Romanek's Never Let Me Go, due for release later this year.

Other notable screen credits include Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus playing opposite Christopher Plummer, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, Jude Law and the late Heath Ledger, Robert Redford’s Lions For Lambs, where he starred alongside Redford, Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep; Revolution Films' "Red Riding Trilogy – 1974" directed by Julian Jarrold, where he lead a stellar cast including Rebecca Hall and David Morrissey, and his unforgettable portrayal of a young ex-con in John Crowley's "Boy A," for which he earned the best actor BAFTA in 2008.

Garfield’s career began in theatre and in 2006 his performances in "Beautiful Thing" (Sound Space/Kit Productions), "The Overwhelming," and "Burn / Chatroom / Citizenship" (Royal National Theatre) won him the Milton Shulman Award for Outstanding Newcomer at the Evening Standard awards and the Jack Tinker Award for Most Promising Newcomer at the Critics Circle Theatre Awards. Other notable theatre credits include "Romeo and Juliet" (Manchester Royal Exchange) and "Kes" (Manchester Royal Exchange), for which he received the Most Promising Newcomer Award at the Manchester Evening News Awards 2004.

As many of you may be wondering, we did record a podcast wrapping up the information released at this year's E3. However, we did come upon numerous issues when recording the latest episode. Because of this we had to save the newest installment as a .WMV file instead of the usual .mp3. Due to this change in format, the podcast is not availible on iTunes for the moment, but is availible on our Jellycast site: http://www.artificialcontinuum.jellycast.com.

When it comes to DLC, the Mass Effect series has been a mixed bag at best. You have your fantastic add ons (Brind Down the Sky, your mediocre (Kasumi's Lost Memory), and your terrible (Normandy Crash Site). Although it is nice to have regular additions to the amazing franchise that Bioware has created, it is disappointing that that fans are not given a more consistent level in quality to these (some times expensive) features. It is easy to say that the latest update, Overlord, although far from perfect is the best released for Mass Effect 2 so far.


Story
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The story is the essential part of any Bioware game, and unfortunately almost every DLC has been lacking in this department so far. The concept for Overlord is a fairly simple one. Cerberus scientists in an attempt to gain influence over remaining Geth forces have interfaced a human mind with a highly intelligent and powerful virtual intelligence. When the VI goes highwire, machinery around the planet goes haywire and launches an all out assault against the science team. However, it does not stop there. The menacing computer plans to spread its influence across the entire galaxy creating a galaxy wide apocalypse. Already the scale of this DLC is far larger then any of those previously presented. For the first time since the main game it feels as if the mission we are undertaking is a worthy one for our now battle hardened team. Although the plot is a seemingly familiar one, Bioware manages to tell the story with a decidedly disturbing, human, and emotional tone. Despite the overarching plot, story only really matters at the onset and ending of the mission. However, the ending to Overlord is absolutely fantastic. The last twenty minutes of the campaign justifies several hours of relative mediocrity and is easily one of the best Mass Effect scenes ever rendered. The choice presented to the players is shocking and surprisingly poignant. There are also moments of refreshing comic relief scattered throughout the missions. However, perhaps the most disappointing aspect of Overlord is how little our main characters do throughout the campaign. Shepard (outside of the bookends of the mission) is surprisingly silent except for several snarky quips. Most upsetting is that your teammates will never utter a word. Although this is understandable due to budget and actor constraints, it is still sad to have your teamamtes stand there like relative puppets. (However, there is a rather nice scene involving Legion and the lead scientist.)

+Great Presentation
+Humor
+Fantastic Ending Sequence
+Epic Scale
-Slightly Cliched Main Plot
-Silent Teammates
-Story only relevant at the beginning and end of campaign.

Score: 32/40


Gameplay
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The base game of Mass Effect 2 remains in this DLC. The outstanding combat and dialogue system remains, with great opportunities presented for both. There are numerous fun action set pieces in this expansion including a rather disturbing series of bosses ranging from a corrupted Geth Prime and the insane VI itself. The dialogue is offered less time to shine, but the amazing interrupt system is once again a standout. There are also numerous puzzles introduced into the gameplay that add to the experience. Perhaps the best introduction gameplay wise into this DLC is the expanded use of the Hammerhead vehicle, first introduced in the Firewalker pack earlier this year. Unlike the original Mass Effect's Mako tank, the Hammerhead is easy to handle and is alot of fun to use. There are numerous creative uses of the vehicle, including some very fun platforming sequences. However, the same flaws present in the original Firewalker pack still remain. The Hammerhead still only has one form of attack, and it you are prohibited from saving within the vehicle. Luckily, there are numerous autosaves which prevents this flaw from totally ruining the experience. Unfortunately, the campaign is also annoyingly short only lasting about five to six hours in length.

+Great Combat Sequences
+Fun Puzzles
+/-Dialogue
+/-Hammerhead
-Short

Score: 35/40


Graphics
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Overlord is perhaps the most impressive looking Mass Effect content ever released. Exploring the planet the campaign takes place is a breathtaking experience. As the VI on your Hammerhead points out, the scenery is a beautiful sight. Whether its the flames of the volcanic station of the game, the haunting presence of the VI as it stalks you throughout your mission, or the Tron-esque finale Bioware has provided a striking visual experience. The amazing character animations remain, and only experience slight hiccups.

+Outstanding visual design and scenery
+ Outstanding character animations
-Some minor graphical hiccups


Score: 9.5/10

Sound
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Mass Effect has always shined when it came to an exceptional sound experience, and Overlord is no different. Jack Wall's score returns, although more subtle then in previous iterations. The top notch voice acting is still present, although in smaller additions then in the main game. Shepard's actor gets better with each time he plays the character, and he is far from the wooden statue like soldier seen in the original. However, the real star are the brilliant sound effects. Whether its the pang of bullets shooting past your head, or the eerie insect liking shrieking of the villainous computer Overlord is an aural treat.

+Jack Wall's Score
+Voice Acting
+Sound Effects

Score: 10/10

Overall
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Overlord may not be perfect, but for Mass Effect fans it is easily the best expansion delivered since the award winning Bring Down the Sky for the series's original installment. Your money is well spent in this short but sweet gem of a DLC.

Aggregate Score: 86.5/100
Overall Score: 88/100

There are few films in history that have a larger cult status and influence upon its genre then Planet of the Apes. Although often remembered for its camp value, Apes still stands apart as being one of the most successful and original science fiction creations of all time. It's impact upon popular culture is undeniable and it helped to immortalize its lead star Charlton Heston. However, little praise can be said about the numerous sequels and the critically slammed 2001 Tim Burton remake.


Despite the negativity held towards the expanded universe of the original films, 20th Century Fox announced earlier this year that it planned to release a prequel to the original film entitled Rise of the Apes. Following the rise of the simian race to its status seen in the original 60's classic, Rise of the Apes follows Caesar a charismatic rebel who leads his fellow ape kind to freedom from oppression. Rupert Wyatt (The Escapist) is attached to direct the picture.

Today, 20th Century Fox announced via Twitter that Andy Serkis, most famous for his roles as Gollum and King Kong in the recent Peter Jackson directed epics, will be playing the lead role of Caesar. Reportedly, the film will also use motion capture to help portray its nonhuman leads.

The film is due for release next summer.

The cast of the upcoming X-men prequel, First Class, is growing larger every day. With such mutants as Magneto, Charles Xavier, Cyclops, Angel, Beast, and Emma Frost already added to the cast this looks to be one of the largest mutant gatherings in the history of film.

Today the Latino Review announced that Caleb Landry Jones (No Country for Old Men, Friday Night Lights) is in talks to play the screaming mutant Banshee.

The Mattew Vaughn directed film is slated to begin filming this August and to be released next July.

When it comes to classic anime sci-fi, there are few more beloved then the classic Toho's ( the same company that brought you Gojira and The Seven Samurai)Battleship Yamamoto. Following the efforts of a crew of a mighty space warship modeled after a WWII battleship, the series is a cult classic. Like any classic from the late 1900's, Yamamoto is now getting a big budget live action redux, and might I say I'm excited. Honestly, look at that. Best sci-fi epic I've seen in years. Finally, SPACE BATTLES!