Parallax CG

Into the Wild

2012-01-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

Given that Crytek is making games I find interesting, I decided to give Far Cry II a whirl, a game which uses some of the developer's code but was finally made by Ubisoft, in anticipation of the release of the third part the coming month. As the reader may recall, the original Far Cry was banned in Germany. Yet unlike say, the reality-starved CoD:MW series, here we find actual social commentary, as there are small hints of racial tension in the land, like a hanged black man, all of which could easily represent the outskirts of Johannesburg.

I'm happy to report that one gets to choose a character at the beginning, so this is not your regular FPS. Furthermore, FC2 hopes you will plan your moves strategically, hence there's nothing mindless about it; guerrilla warfare was never stupid. Add to this the free-roaming, which makes it feel like a first person GTA; the difference being FC2 was concocted by developers whose games aren't so overly derivative.

The Heart of Darkness aswell as The Day of the Jackal have been mentioned as inspiration for perhapsthe most expansive sandbox game of them all, as there are no levels, onlycheckpoints. Yet the experience reminds me loosely of the Splinter Cell series,as the game certainly makes you watch your step. Just use your monocular;simple, wasn't it? Gladly, there is quite an international cast of characters,in fact, the "Soviet enemy" scenario is somewhat subverted here, asyou can play as a mercenary from that land.

There is a randomized"buddy system" wherein one character becomes your main assistance inthe game and the other your secondary one. These are the nine playablecharacters plus three other ones. This is good, because there are gangs lookingfor trouble everywhere. The NPCs provide missions and establish the plot points.

Ultimately, Far Cry 2 isan evolution of the concepts from the first game; whereas the original tookplace in an island in Micronesia, the sequel brings the player to the perhapsharsher terrain of South Africa. Gone are the fantasy aspects, now the moralambiguity of life is reflected in a free-for-all world of mercenaries, in aland with good people, living in a torn country. Considering this trend, it'sentirely possible that the third entry will take place in India and you will play a government-sanctioned "Dalit" fighting human trafficking.

Videogames & The Arts

2012-01-10T08:59:00.000-08:00

My third video on the series.

Blast from the Past

2012-01-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

After playing what to me was one of the best games of the year 2011,Crysis 2, I felt compelled to play one of the original games, and got my handson Crysis: Warhead, the stand-alone expansion to the still graphically advancedCrysis.

Crysis Warhead is a "midquel" which occurs during theevents of the original Crysis, yet on the other side of the island in whichthat game takes place, after "Psycho" splits up with "Nomad"following their raid on the North Korean harbor. The intro may be very nice,but it's quite hard to make heads or tails of it, if you haven't played theoriginal. Psycho, on the other hand, sounds remarkably like actor JasonStatham, which is a welcome addition.

The real attraction may turn out to be just how much thenatural-flowing strategy of the game reminds you of Far Cry and Far Cry II(the first also by Crytek), something which has become a bit more stale in the sequel.There is a general need for the adoption of basic survival tactics; it's rathereasy to get killed if you don't move across the battlefield with caution, whichmust be said, also reminds me of a console game as is the excellent Black.

It is rather interesting, it must be said, to see everyone,enemies included, wearing nanosuits, in a "future war" scenario whichreminds of MGS but is very much its own thing. The Korean nanosuit army is aforce to be reckoned with. As well, the Cephalopods are here more organic, asopposed to the anthropomorphization found in the sequel.

I feel obliged to make a parenthesis and briefly discuss theportrayal of "bad guys" in games and movies. Hollywood filmmakershave a fetish for Arabs, Asians and, more specifically, ex Soviets. Gaming isno different. Yet, for a nation with so many enemies within, it all stinks offormulaic decisions; gaming by committee. Unless the game is about fightingrobotic aliens, you will be hard-pressed to find a developer that doesn't resort toinfuriatingly simplistic clichés. If I listed all the examples of "badRussians" this essay would go on forever. Let it go!

The wintry graphics do get a bit repetitive, despite excellentlevel design, but you do encounter new scenery rather quickly. Crysis:WH iscertainly worth it as a past-gen shooter which puts you to the test, but forthe most part you do not feel like a super-soldier in an advanced, ultraexpensive suit. Filed arbitrarily under action RPG due to lesser customizationelements.

Switching Platforms

2012-01-02T09:33:00.000-08:00

Much has been made of the "console wars" between Microsoft and Sony, and while it is clear that both companies have put out great products, there is a factor of importance which tips the scales to one side, at least from my standpoint; exclusives.

The PS3 has on offer Heavenly Sword, GT5, Heavy Rain, Infamous, Lair, MGS4, Siren: Blood Curse, SOCOM, The Last Guardian, The Last of Us, Uncharted, plus several re-issues of PS2 games.

While the 360 sports the strong Forza series, its "response" to Heavy Rain (for the real similarity was the release date) was the tepid Alan Wake, which is to this day the most derivative and over-hyped game I have ever played.

It's just a very exciting time for consoles, especially with an eye on Europe and Eurasia. With studios like Starbreeze (plus splintered MachineGames) and Crytek putting out above-average action games, which don't insult the player's intelligence, but reward with innovation. And I'm all for a console whose games cannot be so easily pirated.

Yet I will also try my hand at some bargain bins and open betas as a man can't spend all his cash on games!

Missing Insight

2011-12-29T12:00:00.000-08:00

Deus Ex:HR, The Missing Link is hardly worth your time unless youare a completist, and is a lukewarm enterprise compared to the main game. Itdoes deliver more action-wise, yet this hardly makes up for a story that, whileit ties in with the ending of the main adventure, feels a bit thin.

The DLC explores a three day period in the final chapters of themain game after Jensen emerges from a stasis pod. The cargo ship levels arewell designed and reminded me of the great Cold Fear, but somehow no game canmatch the former's watery atmosphere.

There is some backtracking near the end, which is not particularlyannoying yet feels a bit like a b-side. Gameplay-wise, there is also nothingnew under the sun. I wondered whether I should write this review or not, givenhow short the add-on is (as they all are). That is, unless you count Bioshock 2 as gaming's longest add-on, as no novelty whatsoever was put into that game.

Some have suggested TML should have been part of the main adventure, and I'm inclined to agree. In the end, there is some great voice acting to be found, although thedevelopers once again incur in the use of clichés. Note to Square Enix; acharacter should never be defined by nationality or regionalisms alone.

Crisis Point

2011-12-16T18:02:00.000-08:00

If Deus Ex:Human Revolution proved that the atmosphere of Blade Runner could be capturedin a videogame disc, Crysis 2 is the prime example that popcorn Hollywoodblockbusters officially reek of obsolescence. It's the ultimate statement underscoringthat gun-for-hire directors like Michael Bay are no longer a necessary variablein the entertainment equation.

A long-timeproducer of said director's films, Steven Spielberg, has been involved ingaming for years and has stated that "Someday we'll be playing directly onour TV sets, bypassing all of the platforms." The director is wary,however, of videogame cut-scenes. Yet that is partly what's eroding shallowHollywood fare. Even the opening credits of C2 seem like a reenactment of thelatest film remake of The Invasion. In addition, and possibly after witnessingit in the original Crysis, the nanosuit itself seems to have been lifted bythe GIJoe film.

Takingplace in 2023, in a New York city under martial law, due to the outbreak of the"manhattan" virus, and the threat of the Ceph alien race from the originalgame, C2 places the gamer in the shoes of a marine who inherits the "nanosuit2.0" in a near-chance event, and must reach a certain Dr. Nathan Gould tostop the alien invasion.

Crysis 2, released early in this year, may not be an action RPG, yet the upgrades to the nanosuit and the subsequentuse of differing strategies to carry out an assault on enemies certainly grantsit RPG elements. And you might as well welcome these options, as at times thereare dozens of enemies to confront. But it is in the little details that C2really wins you over; with the ability to kick cars several feet away, slideunder cover in the heat of the battle, and having the ability to customizeweapons and your HUD, in several modes.

Does itcompare, dare I ask, to Half-Life 2, to many the absolute benchmark in FPSgaming? Well, it's as beautifully constructed and just as addictive, that muchcan be said in its favor. One main difference is that, as it belongs to a newgeneration, C2's deserted yet lived-in New York is extremely busy visually,enough to induce a mild headache, and if you play in 3D, well; just don't.

Ultimately,it doesn't really matter what critics from a bygone era consider "art"or "entertainment." Games like Crysis 2 will continue to push theenvelope, awaiting only for the proper hardware to soon bring the long-promised realization of a truevirtual reality.

The Undead are All Around

2011-11-14T07:18:00.000-08:00

In the beginning, the film Night of the Living Dead inspired theResident Evil zombie game series. Afterwards, the film remake Dawn of the Dead,became the inspiration for the game Dead Rising. Then came out the game Left 4Dead, which in turn seemingly inspired the movie Zombieland. After Left 4 DeadII hit the shelves, it is that we encounter Dead Island, which is, in a way,the sum of all sources mentioned, and apparently many more.

Though not an action RPG per se, but rather an action game inwhich the characters level up and combine weapons, Dead Island offers visual thrills not witnessedsince Far Cry II, as well as an open ended, sandbox approach, which has alreadybecome commonplace in this gaming generation.

Here, the big primitive attraction is disposing of piles of bodies,or "pulling a GTA," which is something the author took a moment toenjoy even in Deus Ex: HR. While there is a linearity to the missions, somehowthe great character models, physics and locale make them far more compelling.

The art department really shines, with an intro movie that remindsof the video to The Prodigy's Smack My B*tch Up, and perhaps not incidentallyis backed by a hip-hop song entitled, Who Do You Voodoo, B*tch.

As in Dawn of the Dead, where the zombies cluster together at aquintessential american mall, the zombie horde remains, to this day, a very clevermirror of society. Zombies not only want to slow you down, they want to eatyour brain as well, so not only will you join them, but you will lose your ability to think (call it forced socialization).

The implications of consumerism are timid if we pay attention tothe greater picture; that deep inside us lies a dangerous mammalian primate, which hasbeen embellished by years of evolution, yet still operates in the deeprecesses of our mind, perhaps guiding our most important decisions.

Augmented Virtuality

2011-10-15T17:02:00.000-07:00

My exposure to the Deus Ex franchise consists of playing the demo of the highly-acclaimed original classic, and spending a fair amount of hours on the often criticized yet well-made Deus Ex: Invisible War*, on the original Xbox.

Encountering the much anticipated Deus Ex: Human Revolution is quite a thrill, a game boasting an intricate storyline and production values so high as to rival the similarly themed Mass Effect series. In a black and gold dystopian future, and set 25 years before the original, Adam Jensen, an ex SWAT agent turned security specialist, suffers an near-deadly attack, and he is reconstructed with nanotechnology, a staple of the series.

The game portrays the first days of nano-augmentation at Sarif Industries and its competition, via an intricate world and detailed writing, which are the best I've witnessed in a long time. In spite of all the polish, the great advancement in role playing the series strives to present is the ambiguity of existence; your best bet may be to "trust no one." In the Deus Ex universe, it comes down to people trying to survive in complex situations; the game conveys the feeling of one big, unscripted masterpiece, with city hubs that are outstanding, recalling the city maps of The Darkness, only more sophisticated.

The combat mechanics reminded me of Quantum of Solace, switching from first person to third, takedowns included; something which was most welcome, since I regarded QoS as brief but quite remarkable. But there are stealth elements thrown in as well, in a manner reminiscent of The Chronicles of Riddick. Add to this hacking mini-games and you get a title which outshines most similar offerings.

Games are no longer about graphics, but art direction; the Renaissance and Baroque periods DE:HR has taken as two of its themes, may coincide with another exciting new era of creation taking place in gaming, which may very well rival motion pictures. While retaining basic visual and literary landscapes of the original game, DE:HR manages to bring into the new generation a fascinating and sophisticated futuristic world. In truth, the game depicts a reality not dissimilar from our own, with ipads, gene therapy and prosthetics technology.

The idea of self-guided evolution, as presented in the game, is very much alive in reality; Bela H. Banathy's "Guided Evolution of Society" focuses on these concepts. We have entered the anthropocene, "man has become the most influential force shaping the long-term future of the planet. This endows us with a historical responsibility: for the very first time in seven million years of our evolutionary saga it is within our power, indeed it is our moral duty to become the designers of our future, the guides of our own evolution and the evolution of life on earth and possibly beyond."

Yes, there are weak points, such as the boss battles, and the clichéd "russian" enemies. Similarly to how the above-mentioned Mass Effect employed a new composer for their third entry, so have the developers of Eidos; in DE:HR, Alexander Brandon's electronica has been replaced by Michael McCann's more experienced, yet less ambient-like compositions, which nonetheless get the job done. *Being able to choose factions on the go, still impresses me to this day.

Half Life as a Gamer

2011-05-11T06:53:00.000-07:00

Completed Games: Full Throttle, Doom, Super Mario World, Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II, Fifa 98, Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties, Unreal Tournament, Shogo, Half-Life, HL: Opposing Force, Half-Life 2, HL2: Episode II, MDK, Silent Hill 2, Enter the Matrix, Resident Evil: Code Veronica, Soul Calibur, Dead or Alive 2, Shenmue, True Crime: LA, Enclave, Area 51, Crucis Fatal Fake, Quantum of Solace, The Darkness, 007: Blood Stone, Splinter Cell: Conviction, Mass Effect 2, Deus Ex: Human Revolution (+The Missing Link), Crysis 2, Crysis:WH, The Witcher 2.

Or maybe I should stick to those cool indie platformers like Machinarium, Limbo, Braid or NightSky.

The Real Next Gen

2011-03-09T15:02:00.000-08:00

After the cause célèbre that was the marketing campaign for Heavy Rain, developers and gamers alike may wonder just what defines the next gen, or where it is headed. Superb graphics? Novel game-mechanics? Plain innovation?

A game which has been compared to the afore-mentioned title, Alan Wake, is everything the former is not; rather Max Payne with a coat of paint. Many companies, such as the Raven Software/id Software pairing, are particularly guilty of rehashing games whose sole purpose is to shoot everything that moves.

Titles such as Portal and Mirror's Edge, both non-violent FPSs, have shown that the genre is capable of much more without being boring in the least.

Granted, LAN games such as the Unreal Tournament series or similar are a lot of fun, yet the problem arises when a series such as CoD: Modern Warfare, while no doubt immersive, is depicted as "realistic," whereas one like Operation Flashpoint gets little to no credit.

It has been pointed out in the past that gamers from the east have a differing taste from those of the west. Their culture is collectivist while ours is individualistic. Maybe absorbing part of their tradition does not hurt; certainly not in gaming.

Take the following older games, and consider how easily they would fit in the current generation; Cold Fear, Doom III, Riddick: EFBB, Half Life 2; the list goes on.

"Western games have expanded in the true sense of action games," whereas Japanese consumers "prefer more storytelling, more detailed settings within the game, a more narrative kind of style often with anime mixed into it." - Hideo Kojima

Rise of the White Wolf

2011-03-08T09:03:00.000-08:00

I was preparing to purchase a certain heavily-promoted, medieval fantasy RPG sequel, when I decided to play the demo beforehand; I was completely underwhelmed with the trim-bearded man's adventures. Then I recalled another demo I had played some time ago, of a game which is about to release its very own sequel; it was that of The Witcher.

The now classic PC game grabs you right from the start, with excellent presentation and gameplay that matches it. This is by no means an undiscovered gem, though not as much of a bestseller as better marketed RPGs. The Witcher clearly owes its well-deserved success to word of mouth. Is there anything in gaming quite like a rainfall over the outskirts of Vizima?

The Witcher employs a modified version of Bioware's Aurora Engine, so in a sense, CD Projekt's creation is closely related to Dragon Age: Origins, though that game runs on Eclipse. However, the former behaves more like the latter's big brother. Scanning the forums, it is quite remarkable how even non-gamers have been attracted to this title. The Witcher is riddled with glitches, yet its fanbase is resolute in their support.

Partially based on the book series of the same title by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, the amnesiac Geralt of Rivia and the other Witchers are genetically mutated hunters, in a quest to fight their foe, the Salamandra. Gone is the morality system employed by many games, as the lines are less clear cut. Considering that The Witcher preceedes DA:O, then the treatment of racism, here less thinly veiled, reinforces the excellent execution. Minorities were blamed for everything then as they are now; the human animal has changed little.

The game can be played in two isometric views or over the shoulder, all of which function marvelously. There are different fighting styles suited for differing enemies, as well as alchemy, or potions, and levelling up, while Geralt goes to meditate by a fireplace. The Witcher can be upgraded to an Enhanced Edition, with graphical updates and side-missions. At this juncture, european-based developers CD Projekt and Starbreeze have clearly become forces to be reckoned with. Here's hoping the sequel makes it to consoles.

Choose Your Medieval Adventure

2011-02-26T11:16:00.000-08:00

Bioware's titles have had a profound effect on me; given their quality, they have effectively ruined many or most offerings from other studios. Clearly, the Canadian developer has steadily crafted a list of RPGs which have made a mark on the industry. The fact that EA joined forces with the developer further exemplifies that said publisher is extremely savvy in acquiring studios.

From the initial race and class selection, Dragon Age: Origins shines. Tolkien myth may have produced wonderful novels and films, but the open-endedness of a next-gen game stands on its own. Do you want to play as an elf who has been enslaved by ruthless humans? Fine, as the developer wisely presents the notion that humans are far scarier than any Darkspawn.

DA:O presents consequences to your actions; characters join and leave your party, they become angry or content with your opinions and have a very distinct personality. Morrigan, a female mage, is of particular interest here; the ultimate cynic, rejoicing in things like harassing a Cleric, while Leliana offers an interesting counterpoint, that of a self-righteous rogue beginning to doubt herself. The battle system is wonderfully addictive, and for an ex-FPS gamer, a very welcome breath of fresh air.

The inherent freedom the RPG genre presents results in the choice to deal with adversaries as you see fit. The Desire Demon controlling a Templar? Do your thing, fine by me. The Blood Mages at the Circle Tower? I didn't have the least desire to kill them either, I would have joined them given the chance; yet I did not play as a mage. The Tranquil are also of interest in how they deal with the darkness that lurks.

I managed to track down the Ultimate Edition, which comes packed with all the DLCs released. I have not yet moved to that part, but needless to say it's a wonderful addition any gamer would be happy to enjoy even after Dragon Age II is released.

Shepard Begins

2011-02-18T12:20:00.000-08:00

Given how remarkable an experience the action-RPG Mass Effect 2 was, the player who may want to delve deeper into Bioware's universe is likely to pick up a copy of the original Mass Effect, as expectation for the third chapter rises. ME1 may initially be unwelcoming due to the seemingly demanding combat. Yet, as it is customary in the RPG tradition, the character attributes need to be built up, and the game slowly but surely begins to unravel before the player soon thereafter.

ME1 chronicles Commander Shepard's first steps as a Spectre, the tension with the Citadel Council, and the fight against the robotic Geth, led by Saren, the turian, with some, well, rather strong allies. It is very much an origin story, hinting at parts of the backstory which are fleshed out in the sequel. The end result is reminiscent of Star Wars: A New Hope, in that a fresh character like Luke (or Solo, depending on how you play) learns the ropes and how to interact with the team.

Having read the Mass Effect: Redemption comic book beforehand, it was apparent how important a character was Liara, the asari. She's arguably the most interesting team member in ME1 and it is partly through her that we learn that humans are regarded as the bullies of the galaxy. As for the length, while the main adventure is contained in only one disc, it is indeed massive. One surprising aspect is just how much coherent backstory there is, which is exemplified by the game's Codex, as well as various spinoff novels.

It's interesting to note how well Bioware performs at the so-called Bechdel, or female presence, test. Not only can the main character be a female, the developer seems to depict a conservative and a liberal female character clashing against each other on both episodes so far. This speaks volumes on how detailed the series is.

I got the good fortune of getting the Platinum Hits edition of the game, which comes packed with documentaries and concept art, which go a long way into showing just how much effort it took to bring this world to life. The game's save file can be imported into ME2, which is likely to make me replay said game, and I don't mind it one bit. Bioware's releases, and this game series in particular, almost single-handedly brings hope to the emotionally arid and trigger-happy current generation of gaming.

The Effect of Mass Effect 2

2011-02-12T08:50:00.000-08:00

Good science fiction serves as an analogy of real life. It may contain plot holes, some sketchy characters, but, in the end, it presents a narrative that offers a glimpse into the human endeavor. That is why the highly praised Mass Effect 2 succeeds with such rotundity. Not since the release of the Half-Life series has gaming felt so legitimate. In this space opera, you assemble a team composed of different alien races for a suicide mission against an advanced civilization, The Collectors.

It is after the initial recruitment that your teammates ask you to do personal favors for them. What at first seems like filler, in fact serves to add depth of character and backstory. Throughout these missions, Commander Shepard, who can be played either as a male or female, will have to make moral decisions. The Shepard I chose is not the default (which could easily appear on the cover of a fashion magazine) but a world-weary, worn-out warrior. With a dialogue delivered to perfection, the deep story unfolds; I'd have to go back to Silent Hill 2 for such good overall voice acting.

The "Paragon" & "Renegade" choices the player makes have an added realism, considering that for each interaction you are awarded points on not one but both categories. My experience resulted in that doing the right thing made me feel good. Yes; I have in fact learned a moral lesson from a videogame, something which film is seldom effective at anymore. Mass Effect 2 feels more like Battlestar Galactica in that regard, a series known for tackling hefty themes. The fact that Shepard begins to show glowing scarring if he chooses the Renegade ways may be seen as an attempt at coaxing the player, yet I offer that developer Bioware attempts to show the true face of evil.

This leads to the question; is the human race good or evil? Consider that Subject Zero explicitly states she survived hardship due to "instinct." From studies that show we have a fundamental tendency to be selfish (the over-claiming effect), cruel (the inherent nature of bullying), often clueless (brain economy and sparse coding) and oblivious (high latent inhibition), our perceptions of our own race leave much to be desired. The work of the accomplished scientist Robert M. Sapolsky, strengthens the notion that the pursuit of knowledge may in fact correlate with goodness. As a researcher within the scientific community, he is well aware that Ted Kaczynski was the exception in a field which he clearly sees as the driving force of human progress.

ME2 defines the capabilities of the current gen, and puts half the titles out there to shame. I, for one, am glad that, slowly but surely, gaming has shown not only that the medium can be art, but in contrast to exceedingly bottom-line driven mainstream filmmaking, it may one day surpass that industry, once it outgrows its very own limitations.

Searching for Shenmue

2011-02-11T20:58:00.000-08:00

As many gamers clamor for a full trilogy, and videos pop up on the internet regarding cancelled spinoffs or halted versions, I am recalled of when I first explored almost every corner of the marvelous work of art that is Shenmue.

And what a rich palette did Yu Suzuki paint with. Almost every person and element in Yokosuka can be interacted with and I dare say most players won't tire, as Ryo Hazuki's town is particularly charming. Ryo's own USAF bomber jacket, as well as various elements from the surroundings, comment on the fact that the 80s were a time of change, of globalization.

A game which consists, in its first disc, of talking to elaborate characters in a small town with a pleasing weather system, and in its second, of employing fighting techniques, so refined as to appear to be from a fighting videogame.

The project indeed began as a mix between an RPG and Virtua Fighter, yet it started to develop into something far greater. The game cost tens of millions to make, which it certainly did not recover in its time.

It was open-ended, cinematic, fully voice-acted and presented QTEs even when such elements in games were uncommon. The sequel had many things going for it, yet it had a "big city" theme which may have worked for some yet not for all. A gaming landmark, for certain.

Fringe Characters Relation Map

2010-10-24T12:29:00.000-07:00

To round up this series of relation charts, here's one of my favorite shows, Fringe, which not only has many characters, but doubles of the main cast. Go Blue team!

Radiohead Musical Influence Map

2010-10-21T11:54:00.000-07:00

Ok, so a band doesn't have characters (arguably), but here is my Radiohead musical influence chart. Why yes, I'm a big fan, why do you ask?

Caprica Characters Relation Map

2010-10-20T11:21:00.000-07:00

I love Characters Relation Maps. The first one that comes to mind is that of Silent Hill, and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World seems to have produced a kind of homage, as it is a film influenced by games. Here's my take on the series Caprica.

Videogames & Film Echoes

2010-09-02T22:09:00.000-07:00

Here's a little something I made for The House Next Door.

Animated characters who resemble actors - Pt5: More "Unintended"

2010-05-06T18:15:00.000-07:00

Unintended is just a way of putting it, as Konami has acknowledged these actors were the main inspiration for the game Silent Hill 3.

Animated characters who resemble actors - Pt4: More Intended

2010-01-08T16:27:00.000-08:00

Heavenly Sword (game), Beowulf, GeForce G80 Demo Andy Serkis; one MoCap actor to rule them all. Nvidia's G80 demo from 2006 was a sample of what game characters look like today.

Animated characters who resemble actors - Pt3: More "Unintended"

2010-01-03T15:19:00.000-08:00

Mortal Kombat series, Tekken series, God of War series (games) It should be noted that Bruce Lee-ish characters appear in various fighting games.
Surrogates (campaign) Honorable mention; so much Photoshop it looks like CG.

Videogames & the Tentpole Film

2009-12-31T13:45:00.000-08:00

Here's my own take on the interplay between blockbuster films and videogames.

Animated characters who resemble actors - Pt2: Intended

2009-12-29T08:50:00.000-08:00

Enchanted, Heavenly Sword (game) Worked out fairly well as they both show the animator's touch.
Beowulf, The Polar Express Why bother?

Animated characters who resemble actors - Pt1: "Unintended"

2009-12-29T07:29:00.000-08:00

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within Worst offender? These are, um, unintended. In Bridges' case, it seems they predicted his future, no?
The Tale of Despereaux I see what you did there. Up next, intended similarities.