Game Review: Deus Ex

Freedom is something that game developers are constantly promising gamers, very few games however offer the levels of freedom that is promised. In the last few years many games have promised massive levels of freedom, most notably Shenmue and Red Faction, but in actuality neither gave the player many choices. Deus Ex is the exception, a game that lives up to the hype and goes well beyond it.

The player is cast as anti-terrorist agent JC Denton. Denton has been nano-enhanced, he has certain skills that can be upgraded at various points in the game (night vision, silent running etc), but these opportunities are rare, and the player is not given the opportunity to upgrade everything. This forces the player to make choices about Denton's development; would you rather run faster or silently? In addition to these nano-augmentations the player can increase skills in certain categories on completion of level goals. These range from sniping ability to swimming speed. Increasing Denton's lock-picking skills make doors easier to breach but this may be at a cost to Denton's computer hacking skills, then what happens if there is no door, merely a PC to hack? Get into this line of thinking and the intricacies of Deus Ex will become clear.

The goals are clearly defined; how they are completed is left entirely up to the player. The player may be required to enter a terrorist compound - this could involve going in machine guns blazing and killing everyone in sight, or a more subtle attack with a sniper rifle might be favoured - but what about that air-vent over there? That way conflict would be avoided, but now a lock pick is needed.

Performing any action in the Deus Ex universe matters; it's all about making the player accountable for their actions. Early in the game the player is given the opportunity to explore the UNATCO Headquarters where Denton works. If the player should enter the women's toilets, Denton will later receive a dressing down from your boss, and the female employees will respond to you accordingly. This might seem small, but it is merely an example of the levels of AI the developers have implemented to make the game universe more tangible.

The only slight criticism would be the disintegration of the plot into sub X-Files Sci-Fi nonsense. However, while the plot becomes a tad confusing, it is not a flaw substantial enough to detract from the overall quality of the gaming experience. It's a glorious game - one of the best I've ever played.

Album Review: Liquid Swords

Seeing as the Wu Tang seem to be doing all that they can to tarnish their reputation, it's worth looking back at some of the albums that helped them forge their near-mythical stature. Liquid Swords is my favourite Wu Tang release - superceeding even, their debut The 36 Chambers.

Genius is often overlooked in favour of more visible members of The Wu such as Method Man and Ol Dirty Bastard - but when it comes to word play there are few better MCs around than the Genius. The LP begins with the title track, and to this day, there are few better examples of an MC at the top of his game. The track hops along to the sound of Willie Mitchell's soul classic Groovin, while Gza's rapping is so laid back and cool that the listener almost fails to acknowledge Gza's braggadocio ("I don't waste ink, nigger I think / I drop mega-ton bombs more faster than you blink.") It isn't the last time Gza is caught bragging; the album buzzes with bravado ("Check these non-visual niggers with tapes and a portrait / trying to orbit this corporate industry / but what them niggers can't see / must break through like the Wu unexpectedly." - Shadowboxin) but for once, this arrogance is not misplaced. On'Liquid Swords Gza is every bit as good as he thinks he is.

Another example of Gza's superior skill comes on the track Labels. Gza incorporates the name of almost every record label into his rhyme with absolute success. He tried a similar trick later in his career with the track Fame (from his most recent album Legend Of The Liquid Sword), it works better here however. Rza should also be congratulated on this track in particular for some innovative production.

Gza also proves he's a master storyteller on Killah Hills 10304, positioning himself as a rap Johnny Cash. Once again the subject is nothing new (a tale of organised crime), but Gza's delivery is superb, he spits, "The sharpshooters hit the prosecutors / Judges are sent photographs of their wives taking baths / along with briefcase filled with 1.5 / that's the bribe, take it or commit suicide."

The album is interspersed with snippets from samurai b-movie classic Shogun Assassin. Nowadays, the use of movie samples is nothing out of the ordinary - but it was revolutionary in 1995, and it helps to give the album a mythic quality. Credit should also go to Rza for his typically sparse production.

It truly is a landmark album, and as good a hip hop album as you will ever hear. It's real shame that the follow up Beneath The Surface was so woefully subpar. His latest release Legend Of The Liquid Sword is a step back in the right direction, but Gza will have to go someway to topping this.

Album Review: Ghost Of David

The third album proper from Seattle resident Jurado, who has previously spellbound listeners with his albums Rehearsals For Departure and Waters Ave S is haunting, miserable and wholly wonderful.

The album starts as it means to go on with Medication. A plea to God to end the life of a brother. It is an example of Jurado at his most tortured. Jurado whispers over a frail guitar, "Lord, do me a favour / It's wrong but I ask you / take me brother's life." It might just be the best song Jurado will ever write. He'll certainly have to go someway to topping it.

Elsewhere, Jurado treats us to not-so-cheery subject matter. Tonight I Will Retire is the confession of someone on the verge of committing suicide. Meanwhile, December is the tale of a man found frozen to death in his car. Not since Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska has an artist written such affecting lyrics and music about such funereal subject matter.

Musically it's a more ambitious album that it's predecessor Rehearsals For Departure (itself one of my favourite albums of recent times). From the bizarre vibrating ruler effect at the beginning of Johnny Go Riding, to the muffled guitar of Great Today, it seems as though Jurado is trying to break free from the entirely acoustic affair that Rehearsals offered. Jurado even gives us his best Sonic Youth impression on Paxil.

It's certainly a contender for the most miserable album of recent years. That is no criticism, this is one of the most affecting albums I have ever heard. Everyone should be made aware of Jurado's awesome talents.

Album Review: Ironman

Ghostface Killah was the fifth member of the Wu to release a solo LP, Ironman arriving after Genius, Raekwon, Method Man and ODB had all cut their teeth on solo projects. The previous four albums had all been declared classics upon release by fans. Ironman had a lot to live up to. It did not disappoint one bit.

Like every other early Wu solo album, it is at times a group effort. In fact, Raekwon and Cappadonna are giving second billing on the album. This trio works to best effect on the club favourite Daytona 500. On it, Rza drags the listener into his chamber of innovation. The track grabs a heavy sample of Bob James' seminal funk track Nautilus and couples it with some outrageous scratching. Method Man delivers a typically nonchalant verse on Box In Hand. Meanwhile, Raekwon and Cappadonna reappear on Camay to play sweet-talking suitors along with Ghostface.

Certainly the LP is best known for containing Ghostface's most commercial track so far, All That I Got Is You. It's almost the perfect blueprint for a commercially successful hip hop track. Combining a guest spot from Mary J Blige with a heavy sample of Maybe Tomorrow by the Jackson 5, the track tells the story of Ghostface's deprived childhood. "Fifteen of us in a 3 bedroom apartment / Roaches everywhere, cousins, Aunts was there / Four in the bed, two at the foot, two at the head / I didn't like to sleep with John John he peed the bed." It's a heartbreaking track. Rappers seldom manage to get tearjerkers right, but Ghostface manages it without breaking a sweat.

Credit must go to Rza for some innovative production. Rza, in his trademark style, takes sparse percussion and bass thuds and marries them to lush orchestration, baroque riffs and 1960s soul samples. The result, which is somewhat par for the course when dealing with early Wu releases, is remarkable. On Assassination Day he chops the Pledge of Allegiance over some thumping beats. Fish is the one track not produced by Rza; Tru Master takes control of the desk for this one. He doesn't let the side down; the mounting piano is met with a fizzy melody making it one of the album's highlights.

The album contains a lot of movie samples, even for a Wu Tang album. The album's opener, Iron Maiden begins with dialogue from the movie, Fresh, Wildflower kicks off with a snippet of cult classic JD's Revenge; Assassination Day grabs a sample from The Usual Suspects and The Soul Controller begins its outro with a snippet from Carlito's Way and ends it with yet more from The Usual Suspects. One might think that so many samples would detract from the music and verse, they don't. In fact, because they are used so well, they manage to take good tracks and make them great.

Ironman points to Ghostface's awesome talent. It comes as no real surprise that he is the only member of the Wu to release three good solo albums while his peers have struggled to release two decent efforts. For me, Supreme Clientele marginally edges out Ironman as the essential Ghostface album, but there's no reason why you shouldn't check out both.

Album Review: Time (The Revelator)

Time (The Revelator) was my first foray in Gillian Welch's work, it won't be my last. It's empty, it's desolate but it also happens to be one of the most touching albums of the last few years.

From the fragile opener Revelator ("I'm the pretender and not what I'm supposed to be / but who could know if I'm a traitor?") to the closing opus I Dream A Highway, I was enraptured with Welch's voice. Revelator is a gorgeous piece of music, but I Dream A Highway is simply one of the finest songs ever written. It's fifteen minutes worth of majesty, and possibly the finest closing track ever put to record.

In between the album's two highpoints the music is still of obscenely high quality. I Want To Sing That Rock And Roll marks a slight departure from the rest of the album, it borders on upbeat. It's an amazing song.

It won't appeal to everybody, which is a crying shame. Many will dismiss it as dreary or dull; neither could be further from the truth. A must buy for any fans of good, heartfelt music.

Album Review: Waters Ave S

Having fallen in love to Jurado's later album Rehearsals For Departure, I worked back to this, his debut release. Needless to say, I was not disappointed.

There are some signposts to the direction Jurado would take on his two preceeding LPs, Angel Of May could easily have been lifted from 2000's Ghost Of David LP. It's one of the highlights on the album. Elsewhere Independent, proves that Jurado was an incredibly mature songwriter on his debut release ("I don't need you anymore / I'm independent there's nothing to say / I don't need you anymore / I'm independent don't you walk away").

Don't expect many laughs on the album, Jurado is at his most melancholy on some of the tracks. For any long time fans, this will come as no surprise. Unrequited love is an underlying thread on the LP ("I'm standing on the top of the world looking at a girl / who doesn't notice me" - Halo Friendly).

Elsewhere on the album, Jurado proves himself to be (at times) every bit as good as songwriter as Bob Dylan. Yuma, AZ is as good a song as Jurado has yet to write, and is reminiscent of Blood On The Tracks-era Dylan.

If like me, you were slightly disappointed by Jurado's latest offering I Break Chairs due to its abandonment of his acoustic style, there will be a few tracks here that will dishearten you. The Joke Is Over plods along at a fair pace, but is not a fair reflection of Jurado's talent.

The album concludes with the title track which closes with the line, "You used to kiss me on the bus and now / I'll walk these streets alone / By myself." With music of this quality, he won't be alone for long.

Album Review: I Am Sam

Covering any record is a dangerous business, but covering some of the most popular records ever made is normally suicidal. However any remaining doubts I had washed away after one listen. There is not a bad track on this album.

There is a clear division within the album which becomes apparent. On one hand are the artists who play it straight, recording versions that are very similar to the originals (Rufus Wainwright, The Black Crowes and Ben Harper). On the other are the artists who have taken a few more liberties with classic Lennon & McCartney numbers; Nick Cave, Grandaddy and Eddie Vedder fall into this category. Each group work equally well. Beatles songs are so good that generally they don't need to be changed much, but equally it's good to hear a new spin on a old record (the version of Revolution by Grandaddy's sounds a 1000 years away from the original).

The album fulfills reminds us all how good the Beatles were, and how timeless many of their songs are. It also proves on many counts the range of artists who owe a debt of inspiration to them. It's not often you find Nick Cave on the same CD as the Stereophonics. Finally and perhaps most importantly it highlights the talents of many of the artists on the soundtrack. Nick Cave proves to his doubters that he is more than a funereal mumbler with a stellar rendition of Let It Be. Eddie Vedder sings a John Lennon song every bit as well as Lennon on You've Got To Hide Your Love Away. Even the normally mundane Stereophonics up their game with a terrific version of Don't Let Me Down.