DICE's Star Wars: Battlefront: A mistake made?

Good day, internet! First off, what I'd like to stress is the face that I am a huge Star Wars fan. Seriously. I would say a good half of my life has been dedicated to Star Wars content: the movies (yes, even the prequels), the books, the LEGO®, the video games - I've done it all. Let me tell you, folks, the 2000s was a good time to be a kid and a Star Wars fan, because it was ubiquitous. Around that time, the original Star Wars: Battlefront games were some awesome experiences. The shooting of stormtroopers, the riding of the walkers, the conquest of the galaxy, all of it was a blast. It felt like I was in the Star Wars universe. As amazing an experience that was, I was absolutely thrilled to hear that the property was being picked up by one of the kings of shooting games in the modern day, DICE. Not only that, but it was launching on what was then a next-generation system lineup. How could you not get excited?

Honestly, the answer for me was as soon as I read all of the news that came out from Star Wars: Celebration in Anaheim about it. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of positives coming with this game. I love the graphics, and knowing the dedication that the team put in to making it look like the planets we all know and love from the movies is amazing. If you didn't know, DICE sent people out to all the locations where the original Star Wars movies were filmed, to reference the features of each location. That means that for making Endor, the team actually went to California's Redwood groves. That's amazing! Not only that, but it just shows the graphical capabilities these consoles have nowadays - if people are able to go to a location and practically transport that place into your game, who knows what the limits are?

But beyond that, I'm also excited just to be placed in those environments and those situations again. Star Wars generally has a good track record when it comes to modern gaming. Add onto that, say what you will about DICE, but they really have a great understanding of the shooter mechanics. A game like this should be right in their wheelhouse, as we all assumed.

However, after Celebration, all the excitement I had for this game left me as soon as I found out there was no Galactic Conquest. Being a staple of the series, I was a bit disappointed not to have that turn-based gameplay that Battlefront II did so well. Not only that, but there is no official campaign for the game. It is a multiplayer-only experience, which essentially means that one way or another, you have to pay two fees: one to buy the game, and one to actually play it. Not only that, but there's no doubt that EA will likely attempt to sign you up onto a program of their own.

Additionally, the game is said to only feature four worlds: Hoth, The forest moon of Endor, Tatooine, and Sullust (the last has never been featured in a Star Wars film, so it could be interesting). Now, the news around this is that although there are only four packaged-in worlds, each world may have four or five maps within it. That sounds like it could be a good balance, in fairness; there will probably be more planets and maps up for grabs in the form of DLC. Most might not like that, especially under the guise of a Star Wars game. I don't blame DICE for it, however. DLC is just a natural part of gaming nowadays, something to give the game a little more life down the road from the release date. Hell, even Nintendo franchises like Mariokart and Super Smash Bros. are starting to dabble in post game-release content.

But what's the main point I'm trying to make? I don't mean to overall hate on DICE on their choices; after all, they've made some outstanding games in the form of the Battlefield franchise, and that's why I initially praised them when I heard they were bringing back Battlefront to us. My personal feelings on it are just that I don't like it when I'm forced into such a competitive environment, especially on Xbox. I like to play the campaign, test out the features, and then take my skills online to see how I do. DICE isn't giving me that option - they're not letting me dip my toe in. I'm going to have to just cannonball-jump my way into the game.

The thing is, this is just my personal preference when it comes to gaming. Honestly, I'm not even that much of an online gamer to begin with. Half the time, I won't even utilize the online features of the newest game I bought. So when DICE announced to the world that this is a multiplayer-only experience, I was a little disappointed. This doesn't mean I've lost my excitement, though; a new age of Star Wars has begun, people. We've got new movies, new books, and new games releasing for all Star Wars fans. Lucasfilm wouldn't have given DICE this opportunity unless DICE was fully capable. So, while I may now not be going to pick up the game on release day, I'm still remaining optimistic that it fully embodies the fun and excitement that Star Wars has brought to so many people.

Jared Leto as The Joker picture reveal...FINALLY!

Now, whether or not you're a comic book or superhero fan, you've probably heard of a character known as 'The Joker'. How could you not? As the archenemy to arguably the most popular comic book hero ever, the Joker has appeared on screen numerous times - from being portrayed by Cesar Romero opposite  the Adam West Batman, or the darker Jack Nicholson to Michael Keaton's Dark Knight. Even Mark Hamill, most popularly known for his role as Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, has knocked it out of the park numerous times; as he voices the character in the various animated formats, it's even more impressive how he fully embodies the character with just his voice. If you haven't already, check out Batman: The Animated Series; it's there where Mark's talents are best showcased.

However, you can't talk of the Joker today without referencing Heath Ledger's spectacular performance in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight. Not only was it a standout performance on his own, but what Heath did with the character is really re-invigorate what a madman the Joker could be. He does what he does simply because it fills him with joy to do so, which when you sit back and analyze it in a real-world context, is absolutely terrifying. With respect to all past incarnations, Heath Ledger's performance is still my favorite thus-far.

I say thus-far because if anyone were to capture the essence of the character - the insanity, the mercilessness, the complete wacky nature of who the Joker is - it could most definitely be Jared Leto. You know, I listen to this film talk show called AMC Movie News, and the Editor-in-Chief there, John Campea, always says that when it comes to signing actors on for a film, it is never a mistake to hire talent. How talented is Jared Leto? Well, given the fact that not only is he a successful musician, in the 2014 Academy Awards, he won the Best Supporting Actor award for his role in Dallas Buyers Club; if you want talent on your team, an Oscar winner isn't a bad way to go.

So, after all this news that the new incarnation of the Joker would be debuting in a Suicide Squad movie rather than a Batman movie, I have been wholly intrigued in the direction they would take with this new Joker character: and not just sixteen hours ago, the director of Suicide Squad David Ayer showed the world what our new Joker would look like...

Now, I have to admit, this Joker is not the one I saw in my mind. Granted, he has the makings of an average Joker - the pale skin, the green hair, the crazy eyes - but it seems to be a bit over-the-top from who the Joker is usually known for.

To start off with, I find that the tattoos are a bit excessive. The jester skull, the smiley face, the ha-has, they all seem a bit...what's the word? Obvious. Yeah, obvious. It seems to me like perhaps David Ayer really wants to shove his Joker down our throats, give us a reason to always talk about this Joker. That, tagged along with what looks to be some sort of 'Joker Gang' marking under his eye and the grill really seem to just move more away from the character, rather than toward it.

Now, if that's the case, than fair play, Mr. Ayer. I do see a reason for all these weird changes. I mean, we've been seeing the Joker for over a good fifty years now, and he's remained relatively the same-looking throughout. But I always found that to be the true beauty of it - I mean, what you have here is a villain who is almost as iconic as his hero counterpart. You don't need to make such radical changes to that kind of character. However, I do also respect a director's desire to shake things up, to put their own spin on things. While I might not have gone down the same route, I can definitely understand a filmmaker's wish to make something unique out of such a strong foundation.

The important thing to take away from all this is one simple thing: it's only a picture. I still have every ounce of faith that Jared Leto will deliver a stellar performance as the number one baddie of the comic book world. If anything else, this picture might be hinting at the universe Warner Bros. is preparing to give us all in this new DC Cinematic slate - something different, but nonetheless familiar.

A Formal Introduction

Hello, internet! As of April 25th, I have decided to start a blog! Wow, I'm amazed at how unique and free-thinking I am! I know this because I'm the first person who has decided to create a blog and put my opinions out online for millions of people to potentially see!

Okay, now that the sarcastic introduction is out of the way, I really started this blog to try and connect with fans of all things entertainment out there - comic books, movies, video games, whatever. I don't really have that where I live, but thank God for instant, worldwide communication. So, whenever there's a new news report of some film, or a new clip from a video game, I will be ready to share my opinions. Hopefully, many of you out there are willing to engage! Set your course for the NERD system!