Driver: San Francisco (ps3/360/pc)

The Driver series has always been a love or hate it affair with some nice wheel action thrown in ..or at least it used to be, Detective Tanner is back only this time everyone will enjoy the ride.

The story this time is even more far fetched than you could possibly imagine, but if anything it heightens the fun and kicks it into overdrive. When the infamous crime boss Jericho manages to break out of police custody during a prison transfer Tanner is as always quick on his heels. During the pursuit to apprehend the felon Tanner gets involved in an accident, the result is a coma but unlike any other. From his hospital bed he soon realizes he has the ability to interact with the world he left behind in a way he never thought possible, this is where the bold new approach comes into play. Driver games work when it comes to the driving action but once Tanner leaves the car it often results in something completely different altogether, so how did they get around this problem? Tanner uses an ability called “shift”, put simply he can shift into the body of any driver on the road, so there is never a need to actually leave the car physically – at first I thought that was a bit of a cop-out but it works.

Shift is certainly a unique yet fresh idea that really brings the game into its own, it’s not just a gimmick that’s used to cheat you of a controllable character it completely changes the way the game can be played. Freedom is something past Driver games have tried to do offering vast expansive maps of well known cities but this time it’s taken a step further, your feet are literally not touching the ground. Shift lets Tanner inhabit the body of any driver on the road, it’s all at the touch of a button and works brilliantly. At first glance it can appear a bit silly but its such a great tool you will wonder how you played games without it, hovering over the city and shifting into the car of your choice is something you will come to love. So how is shift useful? Picture the scene.. you are racing down the freeway in a police car but the guy ahead is in a Lamborghini and almost impossible to catch, not if you shift into a truck up ahead and ram him head on. Shift is not just there to jump into the nearest car, when used properly it can be the difference between losing or succeeding in a level. It’s something you will use on both sides of the law, Tanner may be a cop but that doesn’t stop him from shifting into the body of a getaway driver complete with a barrage of chasing police cars.

The main game focuses on Tanner trying to play catch up with Jericho, this is done by a slow but deliberate attempt to infiltrate his gang. Along the way Tanner must prove himself as one of the gang by getting involved in get away driving and the like. The story is really not the best and for what it’s worth it doesn’t have to be ..but that’s not to say it’s terrible, a lot of work has been put into making shift mesh well with Tanners surroundings and the people he encounters as he tries to take down Jericho. Interestingly Tanners new reality sometimes blends with the real world, one of the missions involves speeding after an ambulance in a desperate attempt to keep his heart going. It’s these clever little ideas that really pay off in the end but the main story is not all the game has to offer.

Scattered across the map are a very generous amount of challenges/side missions and goals to meet. It’s the side missions where I had a lot of fun, one in particular had me driving under the trailers of semi-trucks to disarm bombs ..while the trucks are thundering down the freeway. Others can involve having to get to a location in a certain amount of time while losing the chasing cops along the way. Many of the challenges are races but not always as straight forward as just come in first, one particular part of the racing challenges you to control a team of two cars, so you shift back and forth to ensure you take both 1^st and 2^nd place rankings, it may sound complicated but like most elements of the game the learning curve is not that steep it’s more like a speed bump. As you would expect when he shifts into the body of another driver he is not always alone in the car so a lot of the conversations from Tanners unassuming passengers can be downright hilarious especially during side missions. Some characters will pop up more than once, a perfect example being a young Japanese student who is trying to pay for his college tuition and so he takes up street racing. Another sees you speeding through the streets in as you try to keep your passengers heart from stopping, and how does that work? Racing through oncoming traffic/drifting/and performing jumps will keep their heart from giving out.

The fun doesn’t end there, hidden across the city are over 50 film tokens, collect enough up and you unlock drivable side missions that are based on famous or iconic movie scenes, feel like speeding away from the cops in the bluesmobile (ford Monaco) it’s in there, or how about Steve McQueens pursuit in Bullitt ..there too. To unlock cars in the game Tanner earns willpower credit (WP), WP is gained by performing crazy stunts and generally driving like a lunatic. Very few games are rewarding in such a way so you are constantly building up credit even if you are not deliberately trying, credit is then used to buy garages across the map and each garage unlocks cars for sale and upgrades to your driving abilities. Abilities like a better boost bar, an improved game radar for finding movie tokens and much more. In short the map is so populated with side missions and challenges that you will never be short of anything to do, they vary in difficulty so no matter how good a driver you are there are always a few left that require tremendous skill.

Being that the game is heavily influenced by cars and motors you would expect a decent amount of vehicles roaming the streets of San Francisco and there is certainly no lack of them but I didn’t expect fully licensed cars and trucks, it’s not just normal cars either. Some of my favourite cars like the Bentley Arnage T/Lamborghini Murcielago/Aston Martin V12 Vantage/Mercedes McLaren SLR/Maserati GranTurismo S and even the Audi S5 Coupe all make an appearance and can be purchased in your garage, unlike many games they don’t cost an arm or a leg either so you will eventually be cruising the beautiful streets of San Francisco in style. Oddly enough the cars handle really well, early reports of the game insisted the handling was dreadful and the cars felt heavy but to me they felt fantastic, the cars move and sound as close to their real counterparts as possible with little or no drawbacks. It’s not all modern cars either, for fans of older motors there is the Shelby GT500/Aston Martin DB5/Jaguar E-Type and a whole lot more, the list of available cars will satisfy even the most hard to please petrol heads.

The single player on its own is fun enough without the need for multiplayer and in true Driver style there is not just online play but a very fun and addicting offline multiplayer done through the magic of split screen gaming. As for the online that too is very addictive! There are nine game modes available that range from races to tag, capture the flag and a lot more. Each mode makes the best of Tanners new abilities so shifting while you are playing a cop in order to catch the getaway driver is unlike anything you ever experienced before, it reminds me a lot of The Matrix where the agents can shift to whichever vehicle will cause the most damage. Just like the main game rewards the player for the effort so too does multiplayer, rewards such as player icons and cars are unlocked as you make your way up in levels. It’s rare I find a multiplayer experience I’ll stick with but Driver implemented shift so well that the multiplayer is insanely addictive in every way possible.

It’s a good looking game too with cars glistening in the sun and sidewalks packed with people who inevitably dive out of the way when you either accidently or purposefully come speeding towards them. The gaming map is huge but not too big that you have to spend forever getting across the city, in short it’s just right. While most of the map is concentrated on the main city blocks you can cruise out across the golden gate bridge and take your ride off-road, San Francisco has never looked so good. While the city can at times look a little flat and not super detailed you really don’t notice as you speed past leaving a trail of smoke and wreckage in your wake. The games frame-rate is nigh on perfect, even when going full speed with boost firing away its hard if not impossible to notice a lack of smoothness. You would assume for such a high powered speedster of a game there would be sporadic loss of picture or frame quality but it’s just not the case, it looks and plays superbly even when pushed to the limit. Sound in the game is everything you would want and more, the actual in game music is controlled by the player and is a funky mix of 70’s rock and the occasional modern day tune to really help you put the pedal to the floor. Traffic and pedestrian sounds are crisp and come across real well even when drowned out with the roar and rev’s of a high powered engine, it all adds to the mood and Driver San Francisco is not lacking in that department either.

So is the game worth getting? Absolutely and it’s a must have for fans of the older Driver games. When it comes to negative marks I’m kind of at a loss, sure the story could be a bit longer and sure the map could be a little more detailed but that’s really my only complaints and even then the game plays so well and looks so well that all they are is minor strikes. If you like racing games especially the Burnout series you will be in for a treat with Driver, the learning curve is miniscule and the controls are so easy to learn you will be shifting and burning rubber like a pro in no time at all. To me the stars of the show are the cars, there are over 100 different motors and they all look the part, given that I didn’t expect such real attention to detail especially licensing it’s been a treat.

While the main missions can be done relatively quick a lot of the side missions and challenges will give the added lifespan of a few days at least, once you complete a challenge you can do it again any time you want, a save+ means once you finish the story you can either remain in free-play mode exploring or finishing challenges, or just play the story again with the skills and cars you already earned. If you want even more value for money then taking a spin in the online multiplayer will give you weeks if not months of high octane goodness. For a game I didn’t expect to be a hit it has certainly proven itself even with the likes of Deus Ex and Dead Island taking most people’s attention, I really loved the game and it’s everything and more you could possibly want from a Driver game. I’m giving this high octane thrill ride a 9 out of 10, if the story had been longer and the map a little more detailed it would have scored higher but as it stands its more than capable of standing up to some of the more recent game releases. Driver San Francisco is out now however PS3 owners should avoid buying it on the PSN as it retails much cheaper in stores.

Dead Island: game review (ps3/360/pc)

Welcome to the beautiful island of Banoi, situated in the south pacific this lush and picturesque paradise is soon to become a living hell for its many wealthy vacationers who come to the island for a nice peaceful getaway. Out of no where a strange and deadly epidemic hits the island turning all but a few into mindless bloodthirsty walking corpses, the few who are left must work together if they are ever to leave alive. What i like about the story is it goes out of its way to really leave you in the dark about what has happened and how you can stop it, instead you have to either work hard through the story missions or if you are lucky find some of the many news excerpts scattered across the map. What you do learn is this, the royal palms resort is no longer a beautiful getaway with all the trimmings of pure luxury, instead its overrun with hordes of the walking dead who are hell bent on making your stay a living nightmare.

The first thing about Dead Island is this, yes it’s easy to draw comparisons to games such as Borderlands/Dead Rising and of course Left 4 Dead but it’s a bit more complicated than that because really the game adapts and crafts itself to your own choices and so it’s not the same for everyone playing. There are four different characters to choose from each with their own sense of style and special moves, they range from the usual gunning expert/throwing expert/sharp weapons expert and the more in your face brawling expert. As you would expect each character has more power in their chosen field than the others so it makes for a lot of replay value.

At the same time i find it hard and unfair to group the game in with so many others because a lot of what it is actually doing is more original than the usual type of game in its genre. Dead Island is at its core an RPG styled survival horror game, the horror comes in the form of the many hordes of zombies who never fail in instilling a sense of dread and fear in the player, and the RPG comes from the ability to tailor your chosen characters skills and build in order to make a more efficient and deadlier survivor. What really makes the game special is the many moments gamers all over experience one time another in their quest for survival, for some it might be something like diving off a roof only to land on a truck below in a desperate attempt to escape their undead pursuers while for others it might be taking on a whole horde and narrowing escaping death while a thrown knife just misses your head. It’s these little moments that really get the blood flowing and there are an almost endless supply once you take your first step into the infected world of the undead.

Playing the game really is easy and even if you are not that familiar with RPGs you will soon get a hang of the skill tree, it’s a very simple formula and it goes as so: killing zombies earns you XP (experience points) once you have enough you earn a skill point which you can use to enhance your chosen abilities. Abilities help you stay strong and make you a more effective zombie slayer, some will enhance the damage you do while others can help you pick locks on crates/run for longer/and much more. Players familiar with the skills and levelling up in Borderlands will feel right at home here because it’s almost identical to the same system the game used. With my own character i used a lot of skill points to enhance my fighting abilities with edged melee weapons, without these skills and enhancements it really would not have been possible to finish the game because like most RPG styled games once you level up the enemy does too.

Zombies are no stranger to recent and past video games but no where have they been as deadly or utterly relentless as in Dead Island, when it comes to motivation they are on a whole new level. Its brutal how they are so well done, they don’t just look the part they really are the part. The zombies are a huge part of the gameplay and its immense immersive styling so you would expect them to be good.. just not this good. As you explore the island you will see zombies eating many of the fallen victims, banging at doors and windows to kill the remaining survivors hiding inside or just aimlessly roaming around in a world of their own. Like almost everything in the game they are not just there for looks they serve a purpose and the game will try its hardest to make you their next meal. The first time you encounter the infected wearing their beach clothes while their faces rot off they are easily dispatched with a few whacks of a blunt instrument, when the game really gets going they start to move faster and prove to be more ruthless.

Not only that, there are many different kinds of zombies from the early shambling walker zombies to the fast and agile infected whose shrill screams will make you jump even before they come at you with their red eyes glowing. Bigger zombies will make their presence known and when they do you really have to react fast because as you would imagine the bigger ones do most of the damage. The Ram were already insane before they got infected, so kitted out in straitjackets all they can do is charge and ram you ..but that alone is enough, Suiciders are as their name suggests bad news and they go about killing you by exploding once they get within range of the uninfected. Further on in the game other zombies such as The Floaters and the Butchers will make themselves known, the former being a grotesque bloated behemoth capable of inflicting large amounts of damage as it spits up corrosive slime and bile. The Butchers ..well as the name suggests they are good at slicing and tearing their prey, they share the speed and agility of the faster zombies and put serious fear in even the most experienced player.

Combat in the game is quite realistic and you soon discover that even with so many upgrades you are far from invincible, luckily for you Dead Island not only gives you tons of weapons it lets you upgrade and modify them making them the more deadlier. For example early into the game you might pick up a kitchen knife that takes about 6 hits to permanently put a zombie to rest but after upgrading it the strikes needed are halved.. modify the knife to give them an electric shock too and you have a more reliable weapons. Thankfully kitchen knives are only just the beginning, on offer are all manner of weapons including machetes/axes/sickles/samurai swords/hammers/handguns/assault rifles/shotguns, the list goes on. They all serve a purpose and it’s a good idea to use weapons that suit your characters fighting style because you will deal more damage and earn more XP to use in crafting weapons and items. Crafting weapons and explosives cannot be done unless you have the required items and materials that make it possible but the island is packed full of places and things to loot so you will always be stocked up on items – though at times the items might seem useless its worth looting everything you can because you never know when you might need it. Driving is something i never expected to appear in the game so i was surprised to see drivable trucks popping up on the map, they do come in useful on the island as some of the locations are so vast you will need some wheels to get around where fast travel teleports don’t go.

The locations and world the game offers spoils the player in a way unlike anything you would ever imagine. I was quite content to just explore the resort and miles of lush beautiful beaches, little did i know there was more varied locations to come. As the story progresses other areas open up such as cities and even jungles, each one really is a testament to the work that has been put into the game and each one has something new and exciting to offer. Though the story missions are the main focus of the game they are not all that is there, through the player’s journey many side quests are made available and all offer a perfect opportunity to interact with the game world and its characters. Some side quests will require you to search for specific materials or kill specific targets; they all have the fun factor in common and can be done at your own pace with no timers to be seen. What i liked about the missions was the realism, characters will ask you to find them gas for cars, food and supplies and even fuel to burn decaying corpses; they all seem to be things you would expect in a real life outbreak. The realism makes the game all the more enjoyable because you feel like you really accomplished something by helping the people around you and in a way it makes you more aware of what’s happening.

The graphics are not the best the gaming world has to offer but in some parts especially outdoors they are really well done and very vividly portray the island and its surroundings, the trees and vegetation are lush and crisp, the oceans and water are beautifully rendered to the point of calling you to jump in and you will even if it’s just to crush the head of a fallen zombie. One of the most savage examples of the games graphics is the brutally vivid way a zombies body can be taken apart only to leave a staggering pile of limbs. The physics are not perfect but they are no way near horrible, if you toss a propane tank a quickly placed bullet will cause it to explode destroying anything within its devastating range. Throwing a knife at a zombie will result in a walking pincushion, then you can pull the knife back out when they are dealt with. Kick a zombie into water and funnily enough they will start to lose some of their life bar, equally running past with a sword at neck level will cause the head to come right off like a hot knife through butter ..is this all sounding violent? It is.

Dead Island is a not a game for the kiddies it’s a veritable gore fest of mass proportion, heads will fly, arms and legs will fly and it all gets washed down in a river of blood. Similar to Borderlands and Left 4 Dead the story quickly takes a back seat when Co-Op is in session, with or without other players its one of the most addictive games you will ever play. If you are not familiar with Co-Op in games then Dead Island is the perfect place to start, whether it’s with long time friends or just random strangers playing online is very enjoyable and the added company comes in very useful when you are swamped with a zombie horde coming at you from all directions. For the trophy and achievement hunters out there a whole host of challenges and requirements await, some are easier than others but most seem to be picked up through story progression or just random exploration. Levelling up is fun and adds to the games lifespan, along with that the choice of four different characters to play with opens the replay value to a whole new world of possibilities, in short you will never be lacking for something to do or see. I started playing the game the morning it was released and after 70hrs of game time and levelling up all the way to level 50 i’m still finding lots to do, it really is the game that keeps on giving. There are many games on the market which offer the zombie survival horror experience but none have been this fun or rewarding, though it has its small problems (see below) the glitches reported in no way hamper or take away from the real Dead Island experience. I loved this game and everything it had to offer, i’m giving it a much deserved 10 out of 10 and though it’s not even October yet it is already a serious competitor for the coveted game of the year.

Glitches & Bugs

When the game was originally released it was plagued by an infection of its very own, glitches and bugs. People who played before the patch and then installed it reported a loss of progression and even corrupted save data. My own experience was nothing short of brilliant, initially i only played the game offline with the Co-Op disabled on the main menus options screen and i had no problems. I then tried with the Co-Op enabled and i not only lost save progression, my trophies would not activate. Strangely enough now when i play on Co-Op with friends my saves don’t malfunction and my trophies work. Other people have not been so lucky so unless you want to wait for an updated patch to fix the bugs and glitches i’d advise playing it offline to prevent any data getting lost or corrupted. Even with the glitches the game is nothing short of brilliant, and to completely avoid it because of some release day bugs would be a bad idea and a complete loss of possibly one of the greatest games ever made. Dead Island is on sale now and DLC has already been announced.

Keeping track: of my photography & photoshop books

Since I'm a photographer I read and buy pretty much every photography book I can find, after so many years I'm starting to amass quite a big collection so like anything I try to keep track of I thought I might as well add my list so far to my blog. call it insane or an obsession but I'm quite proud of my collection so far. 

“There are always two people in every picture:  the photographer & the viewer”.  - Ansel Adams

Black & White

Black & white in photoshop cs3 & photoshop lightroom – leslie alsheimer
Black & white photography a basic manual – h. horenstein
Black & white photography a basic manual 3rd revised edition – henry horenstein
Creative black & white photography – bernhard j. suess
Mastering digital back & white – amadou diallo

Lighting

Better available light digital photography 2nd edition – joe farace
Big light from small flashes – joe mcnally
Digital photography in available light – mark galer
Light & lens photography in the digital age – robert hirsch
Lighting nude – a.k. nicholas
Lighting photo workshop – chris bucher
Lighting techniques for photographing model portfolios – billy pegram
Master lighting guide for portrait photographers – christopher grey
Night photography – lance keimig
Nikon creative lighting system digital field guide
Photographic lighting 4th edition – john child & mark galer
Photographic lighting simplified – susan mccartney
Portrait lighting for digital photographers – stephen dantzig
Practical artistry light & exposure – harold davis
Pro lighting studio portrait photography – johnaton hilton
Speedlights & speedlites creative flash photography – lou jones
Stoppees guide to photography & light – brian & janet stoppee
Studio & location lighting secrets – rick sammon

Study & Reference & Business

101 quick & easy secrets to create winning photographs – mathhew bamberg
Absolute beginners guide to digital photography – joseph ciaglia
Advertising graphics with impact – pie books
Advertising photography – lou lesko
Basic critical theory for photographers – ashel la grange
Becoming a graphic designer: a guide to careers in design - steven d. Heller
Colour confidence digital colour management – tim grey
Commercial photography handbook – kirk tuck
Encyclopedia oh 20th century photography volume 1 – lynne warren
Exhibiting photography – shirley read
Famous photographers – nigel tomm
Fashion illustrator – bethan morris
How to make crazy money in photography – jonathan souza
How to make money from your digital images – douglas freer
How to succeed in commercial photography – selina maitreya
Illustrated dictionary of photography – barbara a. Lynch
Langfords starting photography 4th edition – michael langford
Logo design workbook – adamsmorioka
No copy adverstising – lazar dzamic
On being a photographer – david hurn
On looking at photographs – david hurn
Photographers guide to making money – karen dorame
Photographic possibilities – robert hirsch
Photographic possibilities 3rd edition – robert hirsch
Photography foundations for art & design – mark galer
Photography your way carrer guide – chuck delaney
Profitable photography in the digital age – dan heller
Starting your career as a freelance photographer – tad crawford
Studio photography essential skills 4th edition – john child
The art & business of high school senior portrait photography – ellie vayo
The art of digital photography – john hedgecoe
The art of raw conversion – uwe steinmuller
The book of photography – john hedgecoe
The elements of photography – angela faris belt
The manual of photography – ralph e. Jacobson
The moment it clicks photography secrets – joe mcnally
The photographers eye composition & design – michael freeman
The photographic eye – michael f. o’brien

Wedding Photography

Do it yourself wedding photography – james booth
Master posing guide for wedding photographers – bill hurter
Professional techniques for the wedding photographer – george schaub
Professional wedding photography – damien lovegrove
The best of wedding photography – bill hurter
The best of wedding photography 3rd edition – bill hurter
Wedding photographer’s handbook – bill hurter

Poses & Model Guides

500 poses for photographing women – michelle perkins
Classic glamour photography revised edition – duncan evans
Digital boudoir photography – john g. Blair
Digital portrait photography studio – lou jacobs jr.
Female nudes – alina reyes
Garage glamour – rolando Gomez
Head & shoulders portrait photography – jeff smith
Hollywood portraits – roger hicks
Master guide for photographing high school seniors – dave wacker
Master posing guide for portrait photographers – j.d. wacker
Nude photography the art & the craft – pascal baetens
Photographing children & babies – michal henon
Portrait photography secrets of posing & lighting – mark cleghorn
The perfect portrait guide how to photography people – michael busselle
Undressed – philippe vaures santamaria

Nature & Landscape & Macro & Other

Capturing ghosts on film – christopher balzano
Close up & macro photography – adrian davies
Digital food photography – lou manna & bill moss
Digital landscape photography – john & barbara gerlach
Digital nature photography the art & the science – john & barbara gerlach
Digital sports photography 2nd edition – g. Newman lowrance
Ebay photography the smart way – joseph t. sinclair
Flickr hacks – paul Bausch
Food styling for photographers – linda bellingham
Location photography – mark galer
Nature photography – chris Weston
Panoramic photography – arnaud frich
Pet photography 101 – andrew darlow
Professional architectural photography 3rd edition – michael harris
Professional interior photography 3rd edition – michael harris
Understanding close up photography – bryan peterson

Miscellaneous Digital

50 digital camera techniques – gregory georges
A to Z of digital photography – olympus
Complete digital photography, 4th edition – ben long
Complete guide to digital infrared photography – joe farace
Digital art photography for dummies – mathew bamberg
Digital photography acquisition and processing techniques – ron reznick
Digital photography and imaging – david d. Busch
Digital photography bible – dan simon
Digital photography expert techniques 2nd edition – ken milburn
Digital photography hacks – derrick story
Digital photography pocket guide – derrick story
Digital photography pocket guide 3rd edition – derrick story
Digital photography simplified – rob sheppard
Digital photography simplified 2nd edition – gregory georges
Digital photography the missing manual – barbara brundage
Digital photography workflow handbook – bettina steinmueller
Digital retouching & compositing photographers guide – david d. busch
Digital slr cameras & photography for dummies – david d. busch
Going digital the practice & vision of digital artists – joseph nalven
How to do everything with your digital camera 2nd edition – dave johnson
Mastering digital slr photography – david d. Busch
Nikon dslr digital workflow – tony sweet & jim white
Perfect digital photography 2nd edition – jay dickman
Quick snap guide to digital slr photography – david d. Busch
Shoot like a pro digital photography techniques – julie adair king
Shooting digital 2nd edition – mikkel aaland
The digital photography book step by step secrets – scott kelby
The digital photography book volume 3 – scott kelby

Paint Shop Pro & HDR

Top 10 mistakes in hdr processing & how to fix them – trey ratcliff
Hdr photography photo workshop – pete carr & robert correll
Hdr photography secrets for digital photographers – rick sammon
Paint shop pro 8 for dummies – david kay
Paint shop pro 9 photographers guide – diane koers
Paint shop pro photo x2 for photographers – ken mcmahon

Adobe & Photoshop

Adobe indesign cs2 how to 100 essential techniques – john cruise
Adobe photoshop 7.0 for photographers – martin evening
Adobe photoshop cs fast & easy – eric grebler
Adobe photoshop cs in 10 simple steps or less – mirach laaker
Adobe photoshop cs2 classroom in a book – adobe creative team
Adobe photoshop cs3 a to z – philip andrews
Adobe photoshop cs3 classroom in a book – adobe creative team
Adobe photoshop cs3 for photographers – martin evening
Adobe photoshop cs3 simplified tips & tricks – visual
Adobe photoshop cs4 for photographers – martin evening
Adobe photoshop elements 5.0 a to z – philip andrews
Adobe photoshop elements 6 – mark galer
Adobe photoshop elements 6 – philip Andrews
Adobe photoshop lightroom workflow – tim grey
Advanced photoshop elements 6 – philip Andrews
Art & design in photoshop – steve caplin
Commercial photoshop retouching in the studio – glenn honiball
Hacking photoshop cs2 – shangara singh
How to cheat in photoshop cs3 4th edition – steve caplin
How to cheat in photoshop elements 6 – david asch
How to wow photoshop for the web – jan kabill
Indesign cs3 for dummies – galen gruman
Mastering photoshop cs3 for print design & production – ted locascio
Photoshop cs2 before & after makeovers – taz tally
Photoshop cs3 all in one desk reference for dummies – barbara obermeier
Photoshop cs3 essential skills – mark galer
Photoshop cs3 for dummies – peter bauer
Photoshop cs3 for nature photographers – ellen anon
Photoshop cs3 for screen printers – joli ballew
Photoshop cs3 restoration & retouching bible – mark fitzgerald
Photoshop cs3 user guide – adobe creative team
Photoshop cs3 workflow – tim grey
Photoshop cs4 for nature photographers – ellen anon
Photoshop cs4 studio techniques – ben willmore
Photoshop effects for portrait photographers – christopher grey
Photoshop fine arts cookbook – john beardsworth
Photoshop finishing touches – dave cross
Photoshop lightroom 2 for digital photographers only – rob Sheppard
Photoshop restoration & retouching 3rd edition – katrin eismann
Real world adobe illustrator cs2 – mordy golding
Teach yourself adobe photoshop cs3 in 24 hours – Carla rose
The adobe photoshop layers book – richard lynch
The art of photoshop for digital photographers – daniel giordan
The focal easy guide to photoshop cs2 – brad hinkel
The photoshop anthology 101 web design tips – corrie haffly
The photoshop channels book – scott kelby
The photoshop cs2 book for digital photographers – scott kelby
The photoshop darkroom creative digital post processing – harold davis
The photoshop elements 4 book for digital photographers – scott kelby
Web designers guide to adobe photoshop – chris tull

Sucker Punch Super Review –dvd/bluray/soundtrack/official art book

Straight from the brilliant visionary mind of director zack snyder comes Sucker Punch, i skipped it in the cinema and instead bought it on DVD ..after realizing the Bluray not only had 2hrs of extras but almost 20mins of unseen footage i bought that too! what quickly followed was a purchase of the official soundtrack and art book – what follows now is a run down of what to expect from all of the above.

When a young girl “Babydoll” is locked away in an insane asylum against her will she soon learns that though physical escape is impossible the ultimate escape that is within her grasp is that of the mind. By going deep into her mind she finds the skills she needs to come that one step closer to the freedom she seeks, though in reality she is the very essence of frailty and innocence, in her imagination she is a specially skilled warrior who is more than a match for the inner demons she faces. at the beginning of her journey she befriends a group of her fellow captives and over time convinces them to join her struggle. they too prove to be a pivotal part of baby's plan, Rocket, Sweet Pea, Amber and Blondie all add their own personal flair to the battle plan, but with everything to play for the lines soon blur and escape may not be as easy as they thought.

Lines blurring and a warped reality is where Sucker Punch really finds its home. they seem to be set up into three separate realities, when babydoll is locked up she escapes to a world where she is again held against her will, this time in the form of a brothel where the girls are at the whim of the paying high rollers who visit. babydoll uses the power of her imagination to escape again to a world of fantasy where she and her friends must vanquish all manner of monsters, from dragons to robots and even steampunk inspired zombie soldiers.

Though this might not be to everyone's tastes what Sucker Punch offers is a lot of over the top action and fun with dashes of raunchy female empowerment all dressed up in a moulin rouge-esque thrill ride. don’t expect the laws of physics to intervene, this is their world so matrix styled kicks and flips are ever present, the girls twirl and leap unrealistically opening fire left right and centre. its not all unbelievable though, the dialogue and need for freedom that is expressed from the narrative is carefully written and the characters too draw you into the story. the acting is for the most part top notch even when faced with the overwhelming number of bullets that fly across the screen quite regularly. there is much eye candy to be behold in the movie, snyder brought a whole boatload of visual perfection to his previous films Watchmen and 300, Sucker Punch is no exception.

Visually and even musically it works, the dark world of the asylum and the contrasting brothel blend together rather seamlessly. the characters too from the asylum leak into baby’s imagination and soon become key figures in her quest for freedom, all have a part to play and they play it exceptionally well. if you want to enjoy Sucker Punch be prepared to leave common sense at the door, having watching both versions of the movie i’d recommend the Bluray for the real Sucker Punch experience because the extra footage adds so much more to the story which at times can be hard but not impossible to follow.

Special Features

Maximum movie moment with the director: its very informative and covers all aspects of the film from pre to post production, think storyboards, comparative shots, film stills, interviews and much more its one of the best insider insights ever to grace Bluray.

Animated short comics: these looked and felt like an animated graphic novel, they served as an interesting and visually pleasing way of providing a more fleshed out back story to the worlds that feature in babydoll’s quest. they are quite short, running at about 4mins each but they move straight to the action and tell the story very well so they are a nice little extra.

Behind the soundtrack: though i really liked the idea of this its much too short, the film features many great renditions of popular songs reimagined for the picture but 3mins is nowhere half as near as what's needed to really delve into the creative process. in short its just a general overview of what's on the soundtrack and feels a lot more like an advert to buy it – buy it i did so on to the next part of my review.

Sucker Punch the Official Soundtrack

Its been a long time since i bought a soundtrack and thought the songs all fit together in a way they could expertly enhance the experience of the film, and work together they do, its a fun rocking album that through banging beats and psychedelic splendour delivers hit after hit. opening with a stunningly haunting version of “where is my mind” its not altogether apparent that the cast themselves had a huge part in the recording of the soundtrack, but they did and Emily Browning herself sings beautifully. Tracks such as “sweet dreams” “asleep” “white rabbit” and even “love is the drug” all come across as deeply meaning to the theme and feel of the film. its a soundtrack you can enjoy without even seeing the film and that is very rare, you can love or hate the movie but the songs speak for themselves – though dark and gritty at times it is at its core hauntingly beautiful. 

Sucker Punch: the art of the movie (hardback)

When it comes to collecting movie memorabilia I'm very careful, but i do like art books so i was very curious to see just what the official art book had to offer. The cover and binding are very nicely put together, its even thicker than you would expect, at just under 300 pages its a whirlwind tour of everything that went into the movie. actors and actresses are all here, profiles and pictures of the various characters are aplenty. its a very vivid and highly detailed book featuring all kinds of stunning photography and artwork profiling the weapons and costumes of the film. the work in the book changes regularly but its very consistent with the flow and story of the Sucker Punch reality.

If the weapons were your thing you won’t be disappointed with all the work put into displaying the inner workings and designs of the various guns and blades at babydoll and her teams disposal. the same thing can be said for the costumes, set designs, promo art and so much more. the insight really is more visual than i’d like relying more on photos and artwork, there is in parts a lack of text but its not lacking enough to make you question why its not there. the castles and landscapes of babydolls imagination are all represented in brilliant clarity, the cover price may be high but its definitely worth it.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution – game review (ps3/360/pc)

The original Deus Ex was released back in the year 2000, with its ability to blend the world of cyberpunk, intense shooting and all around action packed RPG it quickly became a must have for gamers everywhere. What followed was a whole host of awards winning the game recognition, it was unlike anything of its time. Now over ten years later the series returns with a whole new bag of tricks that is sure to hook gamers everywhere, Deus Ex has again raised the bar for video gaming perfection leaving its competitors in a cloud of dust.

Set in the year 2027, the game follows Adam Jensen an ex-SWAT specialist who works for an american experimental biotechnology firm. Tasked with the job of keeping company secrets and watching over technical aspects of security his life is soon changed when trying to stop a team of attacking mercenaries leaves him half dead. Much like Alex Murphy in Robocop he is saved when the company he works for replaces and enhances his vitals and limbs with enhanced augmented robotics. Obsessed with the attack he soon uses his new found powers to track down and deal with those responsible for what happened to him and the team he was protecting, what follows is a highly adaptable action adventure tour de force that changes depending on how you choose to play.

To pursue his targets he has to face a whole host of bioenhanced super soldiers and mercenaries whose loyalty falls on the mysterious forces who are hell-bent on directing mankind's evolution. While a lot of the story looks and feels like a cross between Blade Runner and Robocop it easily stands up on its own with all the twists and intrigue you could ever want from a game of its kind. Many games claim to have open ended stories where outcomes change depending on your decisions , while most fail Deus Ex sticks to its guns leaving a whole wealth of alternative options and ideas for even the most hardcore gamer.

The gameplay experience is huge and from the very start a lot of questions need to be answered, how you go about getting those answers is entirely up to you. Fans of games like Metal Gear Solid and Splinter Cell will find a lot on offer here, but you don’t have to be a fan of stealth to progress through the game. If you chose to charge into a room guns blazing and grenades flying you will get the effect you would expect, enemies will be alerted to your presence and open fire on your position. While this works the stealth option can help you get an advantage over your targets, a carefully placed shot from an air vent will take a soldier down while not giving away your position, either way you get the job done.

For fans of hardware there is an impressive arsenal of high-tech weaponry on offer, fans of FPS games should not expect a ridiculous amount of handguns and assault rifles. Kit ranges between a pistol, revolver, combat rifle, sniper rifle, grenades and many more hidden weapons that are found either through story progression or purchased on the black market. Cyberpunk fans will find that the best weapon is Jensen himself, he is fully upgradable enhancing many aspects of combat, movement, vision, etc. Upgrading Jensen is done through a system of implants known as praxis, rewarded for missions, found hidden around the map and even purchased in clinics these upgrades are an integral part of the gaming experience.

On my first play through i opted for stealth using silenced weaponry, sticking to the shadows when i could, the upgrades i concentrated on modified my vision so i could see through walls, made my footsteps more muted, gave me an edge over the enemy making it easier to track their movements and monitor their field of vision. The more fantastical upgrades allow Jensen to punch through weak walls, land from great heights, take down multiple enemies at once, and many more.

The levels themselves are extremely well detailed and mapped out with so many alternative routes that exploring them all will make your head spin, many levels allow you to try multiple entry points to buildings and installations, exploration is highly advised as all manner of gear and equipment is hidden in out of the way places you could easily overlook. Many areas can be accessed by hacking doors or nearby consoles, computers, safes and even robots. Unlike most games hacking appears to be more realistic with the option to take down more important targets on the network rewarding you with cash or even hidden viruses you can then use, its easy to learn and can be greatly enhanced if you chose to award praxis points to the hacking skill. There is no shortage of targets, there are computers filled with hidden emails which will not only give you insight into the shadowy story but give you some chuckles too.

Like many games there is a big emphasise on defeating enemies from grunts to bosses and there is no shortage of both. Special forces patrol installations packing combat rifles and stun grenades, bio-enhanced super soldiers prove more of a challenge sometimes vanishing before your eyes using stealth to their advantage, bigger grunts carry heavy rifles and take many hits to bring them down, robots too patrol many areas and are activated when a security system identifies a threat. Dispatching the enemy can be done in different ways but as expected the bosses prove to be a much more serious task. Some will stomp around peppering Jensen in explosives while others will use stealth and surprise to get the job done, these battles are challenging but firepower seems to be the only way to defeat them, killing the illusion of open gameplay.

Graphically Deus Ex has not been getting the most impressive response from the critics but i really don’t see the distinction, visually the game looks a lot like Blade Runner and at times the cityscapes and environments can be awe inspiring. It’s a darker world indeed its a darker vision of a future that has altered the path of mankind, blinding buildings of neon loom above Jensen as he traverses across streets populated with armed police and enhanced citizens, some offering the chance of a side mission so its worth keeping a close eye on those around you. Though at times the character animations and voice acting can seem a little ropey or repetitive it in no way takes away from the fun, and there is plenty of fun to be had. Visually many of the key characters in the story benefit from a renaissance inspired look, the architecture too blends into the game very nicely.

The music comes as a great surprise, it perfectly fits the world that Jensen inhabits and really immerses the player in a cyberpunk futuristic environment. Voice acting in the game can at times be hit and miss, while Jensen comes across as sounding mostly genuine many other characters some pivotal don’t really suit the voice they have been given. It’s really a minor con and it doesn’t affect the flow too much but its a shame more work wasn’t put into establishing a more solid line of voice acting.

Lifetime and replayability is extremely high inspiring many people to play through the game multiple times for the extra endings, missions and equipment. It’s a little frustrating that on completing the story you don’t hold onto previously acquired upgrades, however it helps keep the player interested and more driven when replaying missions. Even with a lack of multiplayer there is a lot to be excited about and over 20 or 25 hours of play for even the most hardened gamer, on finishing the game the first time i later realized I'd missed many side missions. Alternative paths and events will quickly hook the player into seeking out and experiencing all the gaming there is to be had.

The only real downside about the game is that while most of the game lets you play how you want to, boss fights will be almost unwinnable unless you use firepower and lots of it. By working like this it removes the idea of an open ended battle and the choice is more or less taken. The pros easily overshadow the rather limited cons so really its a small price to pay for an otherwise perfect game. Variety is everywhere from upgrades to the tools at your disposal, the story is brilliant and immersive in very angle, the visuals are crafted to fit the world perfectly and its more open ended than any other game of its type. Though it does have its minor issues they are greatly over shadowed by the vast and highly detailed world of Deus Ex. I loved every minute of the game, pacing as well as major decisions and story progression are all guided by your decisions alone, I'm giving it a much deserved 10 out of 10.