Marvel Vs. Capcom 3: Review of Destiny

Marvel versus Capcom 3 is the eighth entry in “Versus” franchise and the second entry for this generation of home consoles. It oozes with style, capturing a comic book aesthetic in everything from fonts to stage designs. Small touches of fan service permeate MvC3 with character theme songs, scenario specific commentary before fights, and signature moves. Still, coming off SSF4 and seeing the scope of Capcom’s vision for next generation fighting games, not everything is perfect. Read on for my review of MvC3 or watch the video review. Hell, do both!

Alan Wake in your City

Alan Wake, one of the best new IPs to come out in the past couple of years, has been met with underwhelming sales. Enthusiasts are quick to blame Microsoft and their marketing campaign, but there are doubts if that is the underlying issue. Two campaigns which have captured the Internet’s attention are the billboard ads and the “machinima-esque” webisodes called ‘Bright Falls’.

Now, the billboards were very clever, but region locked. The only reported sightings were in the Toronto area and although the Internet can share, it isn’t the same as seeing one on the street. I would like to think that if these were spread to 5 major U.S. cities, it would have helped to bring in a little more buzz. Especially the giant night light, which was strange enough to draw ones attention during the day and had an awesome visual effect at night. It is a shame that for whatever reason these billboards were not brought stateside. Maybe they didn’t test well, but if that was the case, then there should have been some sort of marquee ads used (billboards, buses, train stations, etc.).

Next you have the mini-series ‘Bright Falls’, a prequel to Alan Wake, which does a good job creating the eerie atmosphere for the town in-game. Not machinima in the traditional sense, as the episodes are all live-action. The set pieces and characters do reprise their role in- game, including Mr. Alan Wake himself. At first, it had a very erratic story arc, revolving around a reporter who arrived in Bright Falls to interview someone and instead experiences a series of haunting events. I watched the series a second time after playing the game, and this allowed me to utilize my knowledge about the fictional universe that is Alan Wake. I almost immediately new what the protagonist was experiencing.

*SPOILERS* The protagonist is being consumed by the darkness over the course of the series and essentially he becomes one of the “Taken”. It is more than just a marketing campaign. The content is actually cannon to the story arc and provides an interesting perspective on what it must be like for the people of Bright Falls.

Combined with some major banner time on numerous gaming sites, it appears that Alan Wake will be achieve acceptable returns. It has combined worldwide sales of over 600,000 at this point, and should reach 1 million by the holiday season. If Microsoft is smart, they will try to bundle it with new 360’s in 2011 and make a cut off the episodic DLC Remedy is releasing. And if they are even smarter, Microsoft will release this on Xbox Live using the Fable 2 model. Play the first episode for free and then $10 for each additional episode. With 5 more disc episodes and 2 DLC, that $70! If you have yet to play Alan Wake, I highly recommend it and my impressions are forth coming. I only hope that the game sales long-term reflect the praise it deserved.

Note: All videos and images are courtesy of Super Punch and YouTube

Watch the episodes of Bright Falls yourself, after the jump!

Geeking Out in NYC - Part 1

Seeing Rockstar advertise Red Dead Redemption on one of the largest billboards in Times Square it became clear how much video games have integrated with modern culture. Most would think that video games would be last on one's mind in New York, surrounded by an incredible mix of culture, food, and spirits. Should that be the case, you might miss a couple of gaming gems hidden throughout the big apple.

I am Engaged!

On July 4th 2010, Lauren and I went with some friends up to the Empire State Building. While we were on top of the world in NYC, I asked Lauren if she would marry me and she said yes! For your viewing pleasure, watch the video of the event unfolding. Cheers!

Josh and Fallon's Wedding

Congratulations Josh and Fallon! Thank You for inviting Lauren and I to share in this wonderful evening with you two. It was a fantastic experience and I am still hurt from the chicken cordon blue poppers and open bar. We wish you the best of luck in your new life together. There is a video bar after the jump of some of the highlights from the wedding.

VR - Pixel Junk: Shooter

Apparently you cannot upload a video over 10 minutes in length. Not sure how I missed that, but therefore in the interest of time, I simply split the latest video into two parts. So watch below if you are interested in seeing Lauren and me’s experience playing Pixel Junk Shooter.

VR - Super Street Fighter IV

Check it out!

Video Recommendations are live!

Video has come to Two.Can Play thanks to YouTube and you should be able to start watching some of it now.

Sure it isn't production quality, but hey with the budget of about the cost of a Subway sandwich and my trusty Flip cam, it is as good as it can be for now. As for my "on camera" demeanor, it will improve with practice.

The YouTube username is TwoCanPlayBlog, but you can also go to the video page on http://www.twocanplayblog.com/ to find all the videos currently uploaded.

And since you are already here, click the jump for my VR of Battlefield: Bad Company 2