the other press Culture PlayStation.c ublisher: Namco Developer: Monilith Soft enre: RPG umber of Players: 1 SRB Rating: T Ast ‘a ame Review lovie Review http://otherpress.douglas.bc.ca ‘Diick Hogg _ The Original Op Game Guy Calling this a cinematic epic is a little bit of an under- statement; it’s like calling the Great Wall of China a big fence. This epic sci-fi drama has it all, from the grandiose space battle, to cyborgs, along with androids, genetically modified super humans, creepy semi-invincible aliens, and my personal favorite—giant robots. And to top it all off, something that has become more prevalent in RPGs, a non-stereotypical female lead. This battle system is similar to the one in Xenogears, except the attack has been changed to a close range long- range system. This works on an AP (Action Points) based system where each type of action costs different amounts of AP and at the beginning of each character turn, you recover previously used AP. There is also a great deal of strategy involved with managing AP, because every turn must be well thought-out, if one is to survive battle. This new system also relies heavily on upgrading of characters. All stats can be further upgraded as well, and all of the tech attacks can be upgraded in various stats such as speed, power, and AP consumption. My favourite part of this battle system is the ability to call in your giant robots, called A.W.G.S. In any battle the human characters are able to call on a giant robot, but unlike Xenogears the robots play a much less significant role in this game. In most battles you don’t need your “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be Done.” Okay so chances are you have never heard of this movie. That's okay. Not many have. First off, I want to tell you it’s not foreign, so don’t go discount this review too quickly. You wont find any subtitles. Or French people. Boondock Saints was released in 1999, and it is one of the most suc- cessful cult movies to date. One night in 1996 Troy Duffy (the director and writer of the film) came home from work and found a dead women getting wheeled out of the heroine dealer’s apart- ment across the hall. The heroin guy came running out and said, “That bitch’s got my money...!” That was enough for Troy Duffy. He rented a computer and put all his anger onto the screen. He named the final outcome: Boondock Saints. \t was about two Irish brothers that were sick of the crime in the world and were damn-well going to do something about it. Something with guns. It even- tually found its way to Harvey Weinstein, head of Miramax studios, who was sold on it and immediately gave Duffy a reported $450,000 and directorial control, as well as the option of having his band The Brood do the soundtrack. Big name Hollywood players were named, guys like Brad Pitt and Mark Wahlberg. It was pretty good for a 26-year-old who had never even taken a film class. Let alone write a script. Somewhere along the way, however, things fell apart. Miramax and Duffy couldn't agree on the casting. Miramax dropped the film (some would say because of the March 12, 2003 robots, but then nothing is funnier than beating up a squad of U-TIC guards with a giant robot. I also want to note the sheer number of mini-games—one is a casino gambling intuition, another is a card game that plays like magic, and lastly there is an A.WG.S. Simulator that plays exactly like Virtual-On. As for the graphics, they look a tad dated because this game has been out for a year in Japan. If you're wondering why the long wait, it’s because of the massive amount of voice acting contained in the game. The score is filled with grandiose orchestrated pieces that convey the moods of the game. The cast of characters is very interesting: there is such a range of personalities, with no cookie-cutters used anywhere. And it’s not just the main characters either. The supporting cast seems to have a much larger role than youd usually see in a game. As for the story, if you are any kind of sci-fi fan you'll love it, 4000 years into the future, earth is non-existent and mankind is searching for these objects called Zohars, which have existed since the dawn of time. This sci-fi epic is only part one of six, with a chal- lenging battle system, and a ton of cut scenes. As for the edits in the English version, it doesn’t outright say you are destroying god, but with all the religious references made, youll figure it out. Columbine murders that happened two weeks before filming was to begin). It looked like Boondock Saints would never see the light of day. Duffy did not give up though, and he found an indie studio Franchise Films, to do the film and let him do the casting the way he wanted to. Three months later filming began in Toronto. The movie starred Sean Patrick Flannery, William Dafoe, and Norman Reedus. Troy Duffy went on to find a venue for his film through Trademark Pictures as a direct-to-video release. It was released in 1999 and the rest, as they say, is history. The ironic thing is that this film is gaining more and more popularity even though it’s already four years old. There are hundreds of fan sites about it on the web (the official one is if you are interested). There are whispers about it being realized on the big screen. And it has been confirmed that a sequel (Boondock IT: All Saints Day) is in the works. I try to avoid clichés but this movie is truly a diamond in the rough. The fact that this film exists is a testament to the creative power of people, even when they are working with a small budget. This film can fly with the big boys anytime. I implore you to take a look at it next time you rent a video. Those who have seen it know what I’m talking about. At the very least, it’s got Irish people in it. Everybody loves Irish people. & obabisibk page 15 ©