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There have been a lot of really great games to hit the shelves lately. Whether you play your games on PC, Xbox, or Playstation you are sure to find a bunch of great titles to fill your gaming needs.  We’ve decided to cover just a few of the games coming soon in this Fall Gaming Review.  Some are annual power houses,  a long awaited returning favorite, and even some new blood.

EA Sports – Madden, FIFA, NHL, NBA Live

First up is the annual EA Sports release of their flagship titles.  The release of Madden is coming first on 8/25, shortly followed by the others.  You are sure to see some improved features, updated graphics, and likely the best authenticity in the business.  If you are looking for originality however you are looking in the wrong place.  EA has found the magic potion of producing essentially the same game for the last 10 years and still making a killing every year.  The replay value is what you can bank on when you play one of these new titles.  There will be plenty of people slaving over these games for hours, no months, just to live out their dreams of bringing home a championship.  Available on Xbox, Playstation, and PC.

Gears of War Ultimate Edition

Gears has been remastered for the Xbox one! The landmark original Gears of War has been completely rebuilt from the ground up in full 1080P. Every aspect of the game including lighting, environments, characters, and cinematic scenes have been  recreated.   Includes all original 19 maps and six competitive modes including Team Death Match, King of the Hill and a new 2v2 mode.  Microsoft has taken a cue from 343 Industries approach by including all 4 Gears of Wars into one, similar to Halo Master Chief Edition.  Lets just hope it won’t be plagued with issues in the few days of the launch.  Available 8/25 on Xbox only.

LEGO Dimensions

Arguably one of the most anticipated games of the fall season.  LEGO Dimensions is a truly unique video game, for kids and adults (big kids).  For the first time ever, characters from all over the LEGO universe are joining forces to battle in worlds outside their own.  Here’s How It Works:  1. Build your mini figure heroes  2. Fire up the game
3. Assemble bricks into a LEGO gateway and play. It’s that easy!  Team up with accidental allies, journey to amazing worlds, and strive to defeat the evil.  You can expect your favorite characters and some new never before seen in the LEGO universe, Marty McFly (Back to the Future), The Doctor (Doctor Who), Homer Simpson, and Legolas (Lord of the Rings) just to name a few.  Check HERE for the complete list of expansions due at launch.  Available 9/27 on Xbox, Playstation, and Wii U.

BONUS GAME

Rockband 4

The triumphant return of the beloved Rockband is almost upon us.  It’s been 5 years since gamers have been able to put down their controllers and lay down some sick rifs to their favorite tunes.  The ultimate party game has returned with a brand new list of bands that are sure to keep you jamming.  The Fender inspired guitar bundle is $129 and the full bundle including guitar, drums, and microphone are gonna set you back $249.  Well worth the investment if it will be anything like its predecessors. Available 10/6 on Xbox and Playstation.

ROOM Movie Review, based off of the National Best-selling novel from Emma Donaghue, is a heart-wrenching new film about a young boy and his mother finally escaping from the hands of their captor, allowing the boy to discover the outside world for the first time. Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay as ‘Ma’ and ‘Jack’ respectively, each give performances of a lifetime (which is kind of saying a lot, given both of their incredibly young ages) in director Lenny Abrahamson’s first film after the independent smash, FRANK. Donaghue returns to pen the screenplay from her own novel, giving the film a very complete and fresh feel unlike many book adaptations we’ve become accustomed to. So, as you can see, Team Room is fairly stacked in regards to young talent.

The first thing I need to reiterate is how amazing Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay are in this film. Larson has already won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Leading Role and is a strong contender for the coveted Best Actress Oscar this year. Both of which are very well deserved. She managed to portray a vulnerable, yet strong mother just trying to take care of her son in the worst possible conditions. Jacob gave the best performance from someone under the age of fifteen since Sean Astin in THE GOONIES. Actually he was far better than Sean Astin has ever been (that was harsh, I’m sorry). It’s rare to find a young actor knock such a difficult role out of the park, but some amount of credit has to be given to both Abrahamson’s direction as well as Larson’s counter performance. Regardless, I’ve never seen such wonder and enthusiasm in a performance, especially from a nine year old playing a five year old.

The emotional core of Room comes from Ma’s love and protection of Jack. It’s apparent from the first scene that he’s the only ray of light in her horrific life and that she’s willing to do anything to keep him happy. Unfortunately that means keeping him unaware of the reality beyond “Room”, leaving him unable to be hopeful for their futures. This idea is the main focus of the first act of the film. What is outside? Who can go there? What will happen when we leave Room? What does happen is that Jack learns about everything that was kept hidden from him for his first five years of existence. Some things are amazing and even magical, while others are cruel, scary, and make him miss his old home.

As you can expect, Room plays with your emotions a little bit. Or a lot. I’m not going to say that I left the theater with red, swollen eyes, but I definitely wasn’t too chipper about the experience. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a wonderful story that is beautifully directed and expertly acted, but it’s draining. Throughout the 2 hour run time, you’ll feel severe anxiety, crippling sadness, elated joy, and a smidge of anger. So basically it’s like watching INSIDE OUT!

All in all, Room deserves every award it has won or been nominated for. I’m still working my way through all of the Oscar nominated films this year, but I’ll honestly be surprised if Brie doesn’t snag the Best Actress statue. She and Tremblay had contagious chemistry together that I’ve been thinking about all weekend. Room may not be the best date movie, but if you get the chance to see it in a theater, I highly recommend the experience. After all, who doesn’t enjoy crying with a room full of strangers?

4 out of 5 Stars

ROOM – Dir. Lenny Abrahamson

Run Time: 118 minutes

Starring: Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Joan Allen, William H. Macy

DEADPOOL – Movie Review – Having already broken numerous opening weekend records, DEADPOOL is on its way to revolutionizing the way superheroes are presented on the big screen. The fact is, hard-edged, R-rated superhero movies generally don’t work. THE PUNISHER, DREDD, WATCHMEN; all of which are fun (sometimes excellent) movies, but they simply didn’t make the money necessary to change anything. Fans of these stories like going to the theater and seeing their favorite “heroes” the way they were meant to be seen. The problem is, not many people other than the die-hard fans were paying for their ticket. That is, until this weekend.

Deadpool is about as much fun from a superhero movie as you can get. It’s action packed, violent, hilarious, and even sexy. All of this is tightly bundled up in a nice R-rating. That means you actually get to see the violence, the jokes aren’t dumbed down for kids, and the sexy stuff is… what it is. If you’re not into blood and cursing, perhaps you can rent the new Fantastic Four movie from the Redbox.

That being said, it is an origin story. Sure, they’re always necessary, but usually they’re drawn out and boring because who doesn’t know that Peter was bitten by a radioactive spider?! However, Deadpool switches it up a little bit. We’re fed the back story of how he came to be this mutant anti-hero through clever fourth wall breaks and intermissions from the current narrative. It was really fun actually and kept the pacing tight and interesting. My only problem is that the origin out did the narrative. What I mean is, the movie as a whole was really interesting, but when looking back at it, I didn’t really care about the villain or Deadpool’s fight for revenge. I think it did its job in setting up subsequent movies and crossovers, but as a single story I thought it lacked the stakes I wanted to see.

Of course the entire movie pokes fun at itself and realizes that his plight is incredibly self-centered and ridiculous. These fourth wall breaks and self-conscious jokes are what made this movie so memorable and authentic. Deadpool knows he’s in a movie. He references characters from other movies, he talks about the studio, he even comments on Ryan Reynolds and his unfavorable past work. This is exactly in line with the comic book character so many people have grown to love. That’s exactly why Deadpool is breaking so many records. Finally, fans were given a movie that felt like the comic book it’s based on. It’s rated R because that’s what the source material called for. It’s edgy and over the top because Deadpool as a character is edgy and over the top.  And it acts as a sentient work of art because that’s how the comics became popular enough to make a movie in the first place!

So, if you enjoy action movies that aren’t watered down with quick cuts and mild swear words, check Deadpool out. You don’t need to be a fan of the character to enjoy the movie. It’s probably the most purely fun superhero movie that’s been released since GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY.

4 out of 5 Stars

DEADPOOL – Dir. Tim Miller

Run Time: 108 Minutes

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Ed Skrein, T.J. Miller, and Morena Boccarin