Over the Edge + January 27, 2010

Arts and Culture 5

Dragon Age: Swords, bows,

HAAKON SULLIVAN

PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
Remember those days
back in the 90's? We had
fantastic games such as
Super Mario Brothers 3,
Goldeneye, and one little

gem called Baldur’s Gate.

This game was a perfect
blend of strategy and roleplay and it trig-
gered a golden age for the RPG genre.
After Icewind Dale 2 the gaming indus-
try could never get this style of game
back in. Sure, we had Knights of the Old
Republic and Mass Effect but these just
didn't have the perfect blend of strat-
egy and RPG like the old days. In 2009,
Bioware brought back that style of game
with Dragon Age and everything is back
the way it should be.

Dragon Age starts off as your typical
RPG. You start off choosing your char-
acter'’s name, class, and race. There aren't
many options here, but Bioware's reason-
ing behind this is well founded; the be-
ginning of the game is radically different
depending on your class, race, and back-
ground selection. That is, if you play as a
human noble you start off in your family
keep, if you're a dwarf you start out in
the dwarven city, and so on.

When you get into the game you will
be introduced to a deep and compelling
story (in a stereotypical sense) with in-
teresting and dynamic characters just
like any other Bioware classic. Your char-
acter will find him/herself in dangerous

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situations and be forced to make difficult
moral and ethical decisions to get the job
done. The companions that you travel
with are also very interesting, Your ac-
tions and choices can effect how much
they like you and can open more quests
and abilities revolving around these peo-
ple. For example, showing mercy to an
enemy combatant will anger the barbar-
ian in the party and helping the Church
of the Maker with a task will gain bonus
points with the religious person in the
party. Make them too disappointed and
they will leave. Make them love you, and
you will get some nifty benefits... some of
them very interesting,

The combat in the game is well de-
signed. You can manoeuvre your party
around from a top-down view like an
RTS or from a third person viewpoint

dragons, and magic

of the person you're controlling. You will
be forced to pause the game periodically
to issue orders to your party relevant
to your situation, or try your luck with
the preset AI commands for each chat-
acter. This “pause and command” can
slow down combat, but it still manages
to preserve the excitement. Gigantic fire-
balls knock people off their feet, rogues
step out of the shadows for a backstab,
and warriors suddenly begin to pummel
enemies with their shield. The combat
is not only challenging but it is also very
entertaining to figure out how to exploit
the weaknesses of your enemies.

Those explosions, dragons, and forests
all look stunning. Bioware spent many
years creating this game and it really
looks like it paid off. The sound is also
a great addition to the game as the mu-
sic always reflects the situation perfectly
and the voice actors managed to bring
the characters to life.

Overall, Dragon Age really brings me
back to the Baldur's Gate days. It is an
awesome blend of strategy and roleplay
and will hopefully create a revival of the
golden age of RPGs. If you like either
genre, check this game out. You'll have a
hard time putting it down.

Story 16/20
Gameplay 34/40
Presentation 17/20
Replay Value 18/20

Overall 85/100

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Foreign Film Review
Sin Nombre (Without Name)

SHELBY PETERSEN
NEWS EDITOR

Slated as one of 2009's
best foreign language
films, Sin Nombre is a
tour de force of fresh
young talent. Produced
by Hollywood favour-
ites Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna, the
film chronicles the intersection of several char-
acters on their journey from Honduras to the
American border.

Both a political and mental thriller, Sin
Nombre follows a young gang member named
El Casper who is looking for a way out. After
an unfortunate turn of events Casper is forced
to flee Mexico and his life of crime to head for
the American border, While on his journey, El
Casper meets a young Honduran girl named
Sayra who is traveling with her father in search
of a better life in America. Using trains as their
primary form of transportation, El Casper and
Sayra travel through the Mexican country side
while hiding on the tops of trains, This form
of transportation leaves little time for Casper
and Sayra to eat and much less, sleep. It is also
avery dangerous way to travel with both Mex-
ican police looking for the refugees and gangs
looking to rob the trainloads of vulnerable
refugees.

The sweeping cinematic shots of the Mex-
ican countryside reveal the adverse poverty
and desperation that litters the Mexican
countryside. After Sayra is separated from her
family, she and El Casper must find their own
way to border while trying to circumnavigate
the violence that penetrates every aspect of
their young lives,

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The film succeeds in so many aspects, but

particularly in its portrayal of the arduous
journey one must go through to immigrate (il-
legally or otherwise) to the United States. The
actor's natural ability to convey human emo-
tion so wonderfully grips the audience and
allows it to truly empathize with the struggle
impoverished youth face in Mexico and other
South American countries,

Sin Nombre is the directorial debut for Cary
Joji Fukunaga, and he is clearly a director to
follow in the coming decade. Fukunaga has
the ability to make a film that not only tells a
great story, but has substance as well. Sin Nom-
bre won over seven awards in 2009, including
one at Sundance. Now available on DVD, Sin
Nombre is highly recommended for not only
those who love to watch international films,
but those who like films that deal with an im-
portant issue while upholding the standards of
a truly cinematic masterpiece,

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