The Legacy of Kain series featured time traveling vampires.

While there was never an official announcement that the Kain series was to be abandoned, its demise was heralded by three major events:

• Amy Henning mysteriously and inexplicably left Kain studio Crystal Dynamics to join Naughty Dog, where she immediately began work on Jak 3 from the Jak and Daxter series.
• Perhaps in explanation of the above event, Eidos Interactive took the flagging Tomb Raider franchise away from Core Design–the studio that created Tomb Raider–and gave it over to Crystal Dynamics. The company put all its efforts and resources into developing Tomb Raider: Legend, which used some very Kain-like storytelling to revamp the series. (The Kain-famous Soul Reaver also makes an appearance in Legend as a secret item.)
• Tony Jay, the actor who provided the voice of the Elder God, died in 2006 around the time Tome Raider: Legend was finished. His character would have proved pivotal in a final Kain game.

For all these reasons, the Kain series was abandoned just one game shy of completion. I say “just one game” because after the ending of Defiance, there wasn’t much left to explore. Still, the holes remaining were big enough for Raziel to glide through. These famous plot holes include:

• Vorador, the vampire executed in Blood Omen, mysteriously appears alive and well in Blood Omen 2. Yet he’s still absent from the future, when Nosgoth was on the verge of collapse. While the ending of Soul Reaver 2 triggered a time paradox that allowed the Hylden to re-enter and overtake Nosgoth, the part of the paradox that allowed Vorador to survive his own execution remains unexplained.
• After receiving the true Soul Reaver and learning that the Elder God has orchestrated much of his fate, Kain defeats but does not kill the Elder God at the end of Defiance. The Elder God retreats into the ground, claiming immortality and promising to return. Kain muses that he can finally see the puppet master and the strings he pulls. If that’s not an endorsement for a sequel, I don’t know what is.

So… not a lot left to cover, right? I’ve read some rather unfounded (cited without source) reports that the game was originally intended to be longer, but was cut due to production constraints. To my mind the only way Kain and his trusty Soul Reaver were going to set things right was by returning to the Oracle Caves and time-traveling back to the source of it all: the Elder God emerging to the Ancients, its demand that they start a war with the Hylden, and their subsequent cursing with vampirism as a result. As Kain and Raziel traveled further back in time the Elder God seemed to be smaller in size and more solid, more scaly, more animal-like. If Kain went far enough back in time with the Soul Reaver, which allowed him to see the Elder God’s true form, then it’s possible he could find the Elder God in its original form and kill it, thus averting Nosgoth’s entire history.

So yeah, there’s quite obviously a whole game missing from the Legacy of Kain series, one that would allow Kain and Raziel (as the spirit of the Soul Reaver) to finally sort the bad hand Kain had been dealt at birth. Plus there’s that whole Vorador surviving thing, which could be explained along the way. But Crystal Dynamics has left the series in limbo since late 2003, instead content to develop Tomb Raider games seemingly ad nauseum. Amy Henning moved on to direct the Uncharted series currently garnering so much acclaim on the PlayStation3, though it’s doubtful she retains any rights to continue the Kain series at any point.

No, Kain is just… over. And we fans who followed him ever since the series was called Blood Omen and the words “Legacy of Kain” were explanatory have been left hanging perpetually. Replaying the original game is still a fun trip down memory lane, but with a bitter under taste of all that should have been, but was denied.

Exploration takes place in a variety of modes. Players mainly control Jak, who can run in any direction, interact with the environment, and employ a wide range of weapons and melee attacks to defeat enemies. Jak gains new powers at certain points in the game, and you can improve his abilities by purchasing Eco Skills from longtime friend Keira, who’s now studying to become an Eco Sage.

Jak's exploration mode should be familiar to returning players.

At any hangar, Jak can jump into one of six aircraft and take off to engage in aerial combat and travel. All aircraft can be fitted with a wide variety of weapons and structural mods.

Use six aircraft with a wide range of weapons and mods to engage aerial battles!

Daxter sometimes undergoes an abrupt change and transforms into the mysterious Dark Daxter. His segments of the game are all about smashing things, throwing enemies at objects, and going crazy.

Daxter occasionally transforms to unleash total mayhem.

The Official Strategy Guide published by BradyGames includes tons of information about this extremely fun and addictive game, including a full list of Eco Skills, complete descriptions of Eco Powers, hints and tips for using all Jak’s weapons, a complete chapter on aircraft and customization, and a full list of secrets you can unlock by collecting Precursor Orbs hidden throughout the game. There’s also a complete walkthrough that shows how to complete every stage, beat every boss, fly every airplane mission, and find every Precursor Orb. Anyone looking to play the game on PlayStation 2 or PlayStation Portable should be sure to pick up a copy of the guide!

Watching horror films on DVD or visiting a cheesy haunted house aren’t the only ways to celebrate our yearly honoring of the dead. You can also experience some interactive horror on your game consoles. While I would have loved to recommend ten good horror games, the market just isn’t what it used to be. Still, there are a few recent releases worth a rental this October 31st.

Dead Space Extraction

A prequel to the critically acclaimed Dead Space, Extraction follows the events that led up to a space colony going insane and transforming into nightmarish creatures. This Wii version is an “on-rails shooter,” meaning that the game moves you along automatically while you use the Wii Remote to point and shoot at stuff on-screen. By aiming at limbs or freezing enemies, you can practice “strategic dismemberment,” which is just as gnarly as it sounds. Ten missions take place within dark and atmospheric sci-fi environments. The graphics aren’t quite as stellar as the 360, PS3 or PC counterparts, but hold up quite well on Wii. If you want all the jump-out scares and tension of a horror movie or haunted house attraction, it’s certainly here.

Saw

Saw is a game version of the movie franchise Lionsgate has been beating us to death with every October for the last decade. While I stopped following the sequels some time ago, the game attempts to offer up familiar traps, environments, and situations from the series. You get to bear witness to (and sometimes, be the cause of,) several gruesome and gory deaths as you try to decipher a series of twisted traps and puzzles devised by series boogeyman Jigsaw. In an all new story, you’re a police detective who’s been trailing the serial killer only to have the tables turned. Now you’re trapped in an abandoned asylum and must get out. Game play mostly involves solving puzzles under duress with a timer. Also, decisions you make or puzzles you don’t solve in time may cause other characters to die. You’re also beset by random attackers occasionally, the presence of which is rarely explained. You can use melee weapons to beat them to death, but you still feel at a constant disadvantage due to the timing on some controls. There’s also some situations where if you just aren’t ready to push the right button at the right time, you’re dead. But the game does capture the themes, environments, and mood of the films quite well. So if you’re a fan of the movies you’ll certainly get a kick out of the game.

Ju-On: The Grudge

As if one movie tie-in game wasn’t bad enough, XSEED doubles the horror this season with a game based on the Ju-On movies of Japan, released in the US as The Grudge. A self-proclaimed “haunted house simulator,” the objective seems to be to use your Wii Remote as a flashlight to shine on unseen horrors in the dark. The game play doesn’t get much deeper than that. By all accounts the story is pretty non-existent and so is the replay factor. The scariest thing that happens is that the second player controller can be used to scare the other player, because according to the marketing rhetoric the player can “make the other player hate you more than anything.” As if that’s what we all want. This part of the article isn’t so much a recommendation as much as a warning about this game that the developer prevented from being critically reviewed before release.

Zombie Apocalypse

Much like the name says, the objective of this download only game (available on PSN and Xbox Live for about $10) is to survive a worldwide siege by flesh-eating ghouls. The controls are pretty simple; use one stick to run and use another to shoot. You pick one of four zombie-movie stereotypes as your character, then start blasting away mindlessly. Thereafter the hordes never stop coming and you never stop shooting. It’s intense, old-school, arcade-style action that never gets old but will certainly wear you out. The game can be played solo or with up to four players, which really is the way to go. Like old-school arcade, the game gets really tough after a while and you’ll need to invite some friends in to help you finish. While not terribly scary, the game is explosive and bloody and disgusting and fun, especially with a group. So if friends are coming over on Halloween, be sure this game is downloaded and ready.

…And that’s pretty much all this season has to offer. With upcoming titles like Silent Hill Shattered Memories and Resident Evil Darkside Chronicles arriving late to the party in November and beyond, there isn’t much to recommend in time for October 31st. But there are of course a large back catalog of worthwhile horror games out there to check out, such as the Condemned games and Bioshock and of course, Left 4 Dead. I would have recommended Wolfenstein if the publisher hadn’t turned douche and immediately fired the entire creative team following the game’s release. For that, they get no Halloween love from me.

Big Boss returns to PSP, leading the Militaries Sans Frontiers.

Set in 1974, the game is a direct sequel to Portable Ops. The protagonist is again the man known only as “Jack,” a.k.a “Naked Snake.” Having crushed the insurgence of the renegade FOX Unit, prevented the creation of Army’s Heaven and secured one half of the Philosopher’s Legacy fortune, Snake now accepts the auspicious title granted him by President Lyndon Johnson after he killed his former lover, “mother” and mentor, The Boss. Now letting himself be called “Big Boss,” he uses the data and funding from Army’s Heaven to establish FOXHOUND. He’s spent the last few years in Colombia training the Militaires Sans Frontières (MSF) or “Soldiers Without Borders.” This is where Peace Walker apparently picks up the story.

Series creator Hideo Kojima's personal touch makes this a true Metal Gear sequel.

Snake and his “Soldiers Without Borders” are approached by visitors from Costa Rica, a “nation without a military.” The recent incursion of an unknown military force threatens the balance of world power in Costa Rica, the only nation to maintain neutrality in the wake of the Cuban Missile Crisis. The visitors, Ramón Gálvez Mena and his protégé, Paz Ortega Andrade, wish for Snake and the MSF to intervene.

The game features a host of new characters and baddies. The only recognizable returning character is Kazuhira “Master” Miller, who previously appeared in Metal Gear 2 and Metal Gear Solid (though in MGS Master turned out to be Liquid Snake, wearing a disguise). Master Miller is Snake’s main advisor in the field via radio. Other than that, little else is known about the plot.

The game features new conventions appearing for the first time in the series. While the series is well-known for it’s long-winded cutscenes, the dialog scenes in Peace Walker are handled with hand-drawn animations similar to the digital graphic novels previously released on PSP.

Cutscenes are handled graphic novel style with hand drawn stills and animations.

The main difference most series vets will notice is the controls. Camera control is similar to the 3D camera option in Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence. The left stick controls movement while the face buttons (square, triangle, circle, X) are used to move the camera. Pressing various directions on the d-pad executes a variety of actions. The d-pad is used to equip weapons and miscellaneous items (right and left, respectively), to make Snake crouch or lie flat (down) or to interact with the environment or hide behind cover (up). Pressing the L button causes Snake to aim, and pressing R makes him fire. The Select button toggles between guided, over-the-shoulder aiming and auto-aim. The Start button lets you view the map or call people on the radio. These controls can be changed later, but they must be used when starting the demo (and possibly the game). There doesn’t appear to be a way to pause except to put the PSP on standby.

Snake cannot drag and hide bodies as in previous games. However, there is an item called the Fulton Balloon which he can attach to a body, removing it from the battlefield. Deduction tells me these will be few in supply, meaning you must move through areas fast.

Player linking in co-op adds a new feature to Metal Gear.

The game can be played solo or co-op. Many new functions are built into the co-op mode, including linking two characters so that they move together while fighting. Also, video makes it look as if though one player will be able to perform CPR on a fallen comrade if they reach the body within a given amount of time. Cardboard boxes used for hiding can now fit two people. If someone is already in another box, it appears to be a simple matter to run over and join him.

Players may be able to perform CPR on each other to keep them in action.

Peace Walker trailers appeared at E3 2009 and Gamescom. During the 2009 Tokyo Game Show, attendees were able to download a three-level demo of the game. This demo is available for download at IGN, but be warned; the demo is entirely in Japanese. Peace Walker received awards at the show for Best of Show and Best PSP Game.

2009 Tokyo Game Show Trailer:

2009 Gamescom Trailer:

E3 2009 Trailer:

Peace Walker is shaping up to be a great game and a new Metal Gear experience. I didn’t pick up Metal Gear Solid 4 because I don’t own a PlayStation 3. Plus, I enjoy the mix of fantasy and history in Big Boss’s storyline more so than the futuristic story featuring Solid Snake, so I definitely look forward to this new entry in the series.

43% smaller than the PSP, the PSPGo is more portable.

The system has proven rather controversial since it’s announcement last spring, especially in regard to dropping the UMD disc system. This move basically disenfranchises retailers who typically make a larger profit from the sale of game systems by selling and reselling game software in-store and online. Several European retailers responded by refusing to sell the system. Rumors arose of PSPGo kiosks appearing at retailers to enable shoppers to connect to the PlayStation Network to buy games while in the store. However, no one seemed certain how retailers would make any money from the kiosks, and no one’s reported these stations materializing at any store.

The top face slides upward to reveal the controls.

The PSPGo does have advantages, however. Its smaller size allows for easier carrying, without keeping track of a bunch of little UMD discs and even tinier memory sticks. Like the regular system, the PSPGo can connect to your computer via USB for download and backup of games, saves, and movies. And the huge size of its flash drive allows the user to have more games and movies conveniently available at the same time, whereas a 16 GB Memory Stick Pro Duo is still rather costly on the technology market at this time. Plus it’s bluetooth enabled–meaning wireless headsets can be connected–whereas the regular PSP provides only a headphone cord jack.

The system viewed from five sides.

PSP A/V cables such as the all-valuable component cable are not compatible with the jack on the PSPGo. To connect to your TV you must purchase another Sony-manufactured component cable. Also the PSPGo uses Memory Stick Micro M2 and not Memory Stick Duo, but this means very little since users can save games to the flash drive. Only those who share game saves via memory cards may feel any pinch from this changeover. There are rumors and photos circulating about a PSP to PSPGo peripheral converter, but this item seems to still be in the prototype phases and is not available at launch–which means it may never see the light of day.

Then of course there’s the distasteful discussion of price. PSPGo debuts for $249.99, whereas the PSP-3000 still retails for $169.99, plays all your UMD discs, connects to the PSN Store and downloads new media just as easily, and uses slightly cheaper Memory Stick Duo and third-party PSP peripherals. With the economy currently so deep underwater it’s very difficult to recommend running out to buy a system which is already trumped by a cheaper, more versatile, and equally capable system sold by the exact same company.

Probably Sony’s biggest miss on the PSPGo is failure to include better networking. The name would seem to indicate that you can play “PSP on the Go,” but this is only true after first connecting to a Wi-Fi hotspot or downloading content through your PC. In other words, if you could connect to the 3G Internet to download games, then the PSPGo would truly be innovative. But just like the PSP-3000, you must still connect to the PlayStation Network through a friendly source. That means downloading all your content before leaving the house, whereas so many mobile devices feature download anywhere/anytime capabilities.

The one great benefit of the PSPGo launch–for all PSP owners–is the release of Sony’s recent titles on the PlayStation Store. Wednesday’s update added more than 100 new PSP games to the online service. There again, retailers are probably frowning at Sony cutting them out of selling UMD disc in-store. But as users we have great reason to rejoice for not having to leave the house or pay for shipping to get a new game. PSPGo users have to hope that the updates will continue until the PSN Store eventually includes the PSP’s entire back catalog. Because without the ability to play UMD discs, PSPGo users are missing out on some great titles from the early days of the system such as Silent Hill Origins, Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops, and plenty more.

Crashing is the easiest thing about the Crash Course expansion.

Though it appears at the bottom of the campaign list, Crash Course takes place between No Mercy and Death Toll. Apparently the helicopter that rescued the survivors from the hospital rooftop crashed in a warehouse district, and the players must now navigate through the buildings to the bridge.

Placement of more propane tanks and gas cans makes things more explosive.

The first level takes place in a series of virtually indistinguishable parking lots and warehouses. No kidding, sometimes you enter a new area and think “Whoops, we got turned around,” because it’s so similar to the previous area. Same thing with several of the warehouse interiors. Things get more interesting when you find a tanker truck smashed through a fence above a road running under the bridge and have to descend to the road below. Crossing under the bridge, you then have to navigate up to the top street and fire a howitzer to destroy the barricade preventing you from crossing the bridge. This signals the horde, and you must fight them off. Luckily a mounted machinegun is there to help. But the interest soon fades after you cross the bridge and descend into yet another warehouse area. Luckily the safehouse is just inside the nearest building.

Zoey agrees with me that this parking lot looks just like the last parking lot, which looked a lot like...

The second stage takes place in…another series of warehouses and parking lots. By this point I started to question whether Valve was trying to say something about the blandness of American industrial districts, or perhaps just trying to make navigation harder since the expansion is only two levels. Fortunately the second level does end in a rather desperate and difficult attempt to keep a generator going long enough to lower a monster truck to the ground. As the hordes swarm the area, the generator goes off a couple times and must be restarted, forcing all the players to the ground for easy pickings by the next wave.

The scenery gets a little more interesting as you approach and take the bridge.

Crash Course is a fun but short campaign sure to renew interest in Left 4 Dead before the sequel arrives this November, even though it really adds nothing new. But how much merit these two short levels really have on their own remains to be seen. As for Xbox owners, I really can’t recommend spending money on this download. The PC version is currently 50% off on Steam, so for just $14.99 you can get the full PC game (which plays some great community-made mods, by the way) and the Crash Course campaign instead of paying $30 plus $7 for the same deal on Xbox (minus the mods).

Click here to view a sample!

The story takes place during the 358 days between Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts 2. The protagonist is Roxas, who is Sora’s Nobody, created when Sora turned the Keyblade on himself to free Kairi’s heart in the first game. Joining the mysterious Organization XIII, Roxas must undertake a series of missions with fellow members Axel and mysterious newcomer Xion. Each mission brings Roxas closer to the truth of his own existence and the evil designs of the Organization. The game features a full-length Story Mode as well as a Mission Mode which can be played solo or with up to three friends via Wi-Fi.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days covers Roxas's time in the mysterious Organization XIII.

The official strategy guide contains combined coverage of all game modes. The maps indicate the locations of items found during Story Mode as well as Mission Points found during Mission Mode. The walkthrough covers Story Mode, but the strategies also apply to Mission Mode since the missions are essentially the same.

The “Characters” chapter includes a complete summary of all previous games and also covers every character appearing in the game. All playable characters include full weapon rosters including abilities gained by equipping panels and links in the character inventory.

The “Panels & Abilities” chapter contains complete lists of all panels available in the game, with statistics and detailed instructions on the panel system. The “Synthesis” chapter provides a table of panels the player can synthesize by combining two or more panels in the Moogle shop.

The guide also contains a complete bestiary including every enemy encountered in the game with their strengths and weaknesses, and a “Game Basics” chapter with complete instructions for mastering every aspect of the game. Be sure to add a copy of the guide to your order when purchasing Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days!

Dexter reveals his secret to his newborn son.

Dexter felt the urge to kill people from a young age. When his foster father, police detective Harry Morgan (James Remar), caught on to Dexter’s problem, he coached Dexter and instilled him with a set of principles designed to prevent him from killing innocent people and to avoid getting caught. Dexter came to call these principles “Harry’s Code,” and employed them throughout all his kills until the first season of the show. Harry died years earlier, but Dexter still lived by his foster father’s ghoulish set of ethics.

Each season puts Dexter and the officers of the Miami Metro Homicide Division on the trail of a serial killer. While not an officer himself, Dexter gets access to the crime scenes by being a CSI. Oftentimes his special insight gives him clues into how the serial killer operates, what his motives are, and he shares these tidbits with his foster-sister Debra (Jennifer Carpenter), giving her a leg-up on her career path to detective.

The first season centered around the “Ice Truck Killer,” a serial killer who created his own crime scenes by arranging bloodless body parts at various locations. As the first season progressed, Dexter helped the police determine that the killer was using a refrigerated truck to transport the bodies, hence the nickname. After the Ice Truck Killer began leaving Dexter cryptic clues that tied into his own forgotten past, Dexter began to remember the horrible event of his childhood that made him the way he is. And with those memories came the realization that he had a forgotten brother, who was now the Ice Truck Killer. His brother forced him to choose between living life in the open or remaining in the closet, all he had to do was kill Debra. But in the end Dexter chose Debra over his own brother, indicating that there might be some humanity to Dexter after all.

The serial killer featured in the second season was Dexter himself. When divers uncovered his dumping ground for body parts, he became dubbed the “Bay Harbor Butcher.” FBI agent Frank Lundy (Keith Carradine) joined Miami Metro Homicide in the manhunt, and he struck up a relationship with Debra. But it wasn’t Lundy who finally uncovered Dexter’s true identity, he was unmasked by Sergeant Doakes (Erik King). Though Dexter managed to capture Doakes, this put him into a quandary as to what to do. Being one of the good guys, Doakes didn’t fit Dexter’s code so he couldn’t murder him. Therefore, he decided to let Doakes bring him in. But Dexter also attracted the attention of a manipulative sociopath named Lila (Jaime Murray) who knew Dexter had a secret and was determined to reveal it. When she learned that Dexter had Doakes captive because he was the Bay Harbor Butcher, Lila murdered Doakes to cover it up. Though she escaped Dexter’s wrath, he caught up to her in Paris.

Season three started with Dexter in a fog about Harry and the code he’d always lived by. Learning that Harry committed suicide after realizing that he’d turned Dexter into a monster, Dexter begins to bend the rules a bit for convenience’ sake. This causes him to befriend Assistant District Attorney Miguel Prado (Jimmy Smits), who also bears a murderous streak. But when Dexter learns that Miguel is a very different kind of killer who refuses to adhere to any code, Dexter severed all ties as well as Miguel’s jugular veins. The season also saw Dexter grow closer to his long-time girlfriend Rita (Julie Benz), planning a wedding after learning that she was pregnant with his child.

Season 4 of Dexter features John Lithgow as "The Trinity Killer."

Season four begins with Dexter trying to balance his obligations as a husband, father, CSI, and serial killer. Unable to get a full night’s sleep, he seems to be bungling everything while trying to live the American dream. He brings the wrong notes to court and a killer goes free. Usually this is no problem for Dexter, who prefers for killers to suffer his own horrific justice anyway. But when he falls asleep while stalking his prey, he is discovered by a police officer and must adjust his timetable. When he eventually captures the one who got away and dispatches him in gruesome Dexter style, he again falls asleep at the wheel and crashes while his mini-van is full of dismembered body parts. Meanwhile, an aging serial killer (John Lithgow) returns to Miami and begins recreating his crimes of the past, prompting the return of now-retired Frank Lundy. Learning that this killer has been active for over 30 years, Dexter realizes that he’s the most successful serial killer in history, and wonders if he can learn how to re-balance his life from this “fellow traveler.”

Altogether, it looks to be another nail-biting season. Will the likable but demented Dexter be found out or caught? Will Rita finally find out his true nature? If so, will she leave him or turn him in, or will she accept his dark passenger as part of their new family life? Or will Debra’s improving detective skills finally give her a clue about her foster brother? Because we side with Dexter, we hope he doesn’t get caught in spite of the tangled webs the people around him weave.

Dexter airs at 9pm ET, PT Sunday nights on Showtime.

Mark (Joseph Fiennes) survives the catastrophe following a worldwide blackout.

The title and premise of the series are based on the 2000 novel by Robert J. Sawyer, with what appear to be severe changes.  The entire world falls unconscious for two minutes seventeen seconds, creating a world-wide catastrophe. During the blackout, everyone experiences a vision. By comparing these visions, the characters slowly come to realize that what they saw was the future–the events of April 29th, 2010 to be exact. Since FlashForward’s first season will probably end around that time, we the viewers have obviously gotten a sneak-peak at what will be going on in the finale.

Unlike the book, the series follows the exploits of an ex-alcoholic FBI agent Mark (Joseph Fiennes) as he recovers from the blackout and tries to piece together what he saw. During his flash forward he saw himself in his office, drinking heavily, and staring at a mosaic of clues and leads thumbtacked to his wall. Towards the end of his vision, what appear to be two tactical officers with laser-guided assault rifles start moving in on his office, ready to fire. The men are wearing costume masks, and one has a tattoo with three stars on it. Thus, Mark immediately doesn’t want the future to happen because he doesn’t want to fall off the wagon.

The series also follows the struggles of Mark’s friends and loved ones. Mark’s wife, Olivia (LOST alumnus Sonya Walger), as she copes with her own flash forward, which showed her having an affair with another man. Mark’s partner Dimitri (John Cho) deals with the fact that he had no vision at all, which he interprets to mean that he will be dead before April.

Launching an investigation into what caused the flash forward and whether it will happen again, Mark and the FBI come across some footage late in the episode that shows a mystery man awake and walking around a baseball stadium while everyone else is comatose. Previews of the season show another LOST alum, Dominic Monaghan, teasing the FBI with bits and pieces of info.

Overall, FlashForward has a lot of potential as a series, if only for one season. Since the flash forward took place in April, we should experience all the twists that lead us to the events the characters’ saw in their visions by the finale. That is, of course, unless the show follows LOST time, in which the events of a mere 108 days were spread out over four seasons. If FlashForward is to survive beyond this first season, then we’ll certainly need to experience another flash forward,  and we’ll need the mystery to deepen far beyond the plodding police procedural style utilized in the pilot.  The network can also dispense with the LOST references as far as I’m concerned, such as the Oceanic Airlines billboard appearing in the background of one shot just before the flash forward. The sooner ABC tries to give this series legs of its own to stand on, the better.

For those of you enjoying Silent Hill for the first time, here’s a map-based walkthrough designed to help you find all the items and complete the game. Descriptions are not in-depth, it’s merely a line-by-line “grocery list” of items to find and actions to perform at certain locations. Any item followed by [NEXT FEAR] is only found in a replay game under specific circumstances.

I nearly finished another one of these for Silent Hill Origins, but I’ll be damned if I can find the file. (Grr!)

Begin the Walkthrough >>

Stages:
Residential Area (To School)
Midwich Elementary School
Residential Area (To Church)
Shopping District
Alchemilla Hospital
Shopping District (Post Hospital)
Sewer System (To Resort Area)
Resort Area
Sewer System (To Amusement Park) – Amusement Park
Nowhere

Appendices:
Secrets
Enemies
Plot Synopsis