Modern Warfare 2 changed the game and is still a classic today

Bullets fly by your head while you fight your way from a gas station to the local burger joint across the street. Here you mount your defense against the invading forces hell-bent on killing you. You then make your way from the burger joint to a relatively nice neighborhood and begin fighting house to house to take back the neighborhood. Before long you find yourself thinking about how much it reminds you of your own neighborhood. This really hammers home the idea of war and creates a human element that I have never really felt with any other game.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 is the fifth in the line of Call of Duty games and is by far the most well made to this point. The storyline of the game revolves around a war between the United States and Russia, which in the game is controlled by a Cold Waresque government. You follow along as a soldier with the United States Rangers as they fight to beat back the Soviet advance eventually culminating in a battle to end all battles in Washington D.C. This somewhat plausible storyline, combined with ridiculously realistic graphics make for unbelievable campaign game-play that the player must play at least twice to enjoy it fully.

The creators of Modern Warfare 2 also did an amazing job with the online game play. Whether you’re a fan of Team Deathmatch, Search and Destroy or any of the other game styles offered, you are in for a real treat. A multitude of maps give any type of gamer a chance to lead their team to victory and because anything can happen while playing, it keeps you coming back for more. This makes the replay value of MW2 a lot higher than many other similar games.

I have already discussed graphics and gameplay, both of which easily get a perfect rating. The concept of the game is one that has been used many times before, but because the creators of the game put a new spin on the classic war game it is still entertaining. The sounds of the battles you find yourself in make you feel like you’re actually taking part in them rather than just watching them on your television and combined with controls that make the game easy and fun to play.

The pacing of the game is also very well thought out. The campaign begins slow in order to teach the gamer the controls and how to interact with their environment. It gradually picks up eventually leaving the gamer to fend for themselves in an extremely hostile environment. Add in the high replay value and overall entertainment and you have yourself an outstanding game which can be played again and again without becoming bored with it. Modern Warfare 2 is a classic and will always be a classic.

Story – 8/10

Entertainment – 10/10

Concept – 8/10

Innovation – 10/10

Graphics – 10/10

Sound – 10/10

Replay Value – 10/10

Controls – 8/10

Difficulty – 7/10

Pacing – 9/10

Total: 90/100

"Man Equals Man" equals Success

“Tonight you will see a man reassembled like a car.” Lady Begbick did not lie. In the story of one Average Joes’ transformation from regular guy to hardcore killer, the audience witnessed everything required to make a show entertaining. Great acting mixed with the perfect amount of suspense, intrigue and humor make this the best live performance of any kind that I have seen in a very long time.

In a story jam-packed with underlying themes lead actor Eb Madson shines as the character Galy Gay. He begins the play as a regular guy, strikingly similar to Curly from the Three Stooges, but ends it with a more Rambo-like demeanor. This transformation is evident thanks to the way Madson changes Gay’s personality throughout the show highlighting the idea that any man can have his morals skewed by those surrounding him.

One of the main reasons for Gay’s change is Widow Begbick played by Heather Petersen. If you can envision Raggedy Ann meets sorority girl on Halloween night, then you have a pretty good idea of how Petersen’s character looked. Add in the personality of a playboy bunny and you have yourself Widow Begbick. Seduction was the name of the game for her character and she pulled it off flawlessly. Throughout the play Petersen’s character as well as the soldiers played by Drew O’Bryan, Eric Lynch and Justine Blocksom work to transform Gay into a person he is not. Eventually, they succeed. Then throw in the performances of Zach Kopciak (Jip), who physically captures the essence of Charlie Chaplin perfectly, and Dylan Combs (Soldier 1), who drops one-liners with almost perfect timing, and you have a comedic element that makes the show even more entertaining.

I had not been to a play since I was really young and wasn’t really sure what to expect going in. Like a typical guy I had a feeling I would go in, watch the play and come out still mad I had to miss the Reds game. Let’s just say that didn’t happen at all. Director Brian Evans did a fantastic job of choosing the cast as well as adding certain qualities such as the clown paint on all of the actors. I really liked this touch as it highlights the idea that even as individuals, once we are integrated into a group we start to accept personality traits of that group. For Gay it was his transformation from innocent pedestrian to violence seeking, blood-lusting super soldier. Costume Designer Shannon Smith and Make-up Designer Janell Clingenpeel also have a lot to do with the success of the play. Their mixture of clown face paint and interesting, to say the least, costume designs bring across an atmosphere of 1920’s brothel meets circus freak show. Not only this, but each costume does a great job of highlighting each characters personality traits. A great example is Widow Begbick’s see-through skirt.

“Man Equals Man” is a must see for any play enthusiast and would be a great choice for anyone looking for a night out, including those with children (unless they are still in the “scared of clowns” demographic). The only knock on the play are the oddly timed musical numbers, and even those are done well enough to be enjoyed. As if foreshadowed by the actors creeping up on the stage manager as he introduced the show, this was a gem that snuck up and gave me one of the best surprises I’ve experienced in a long time.

"Workaholics": Comedy Central does it again

“Would you like fries with that?” All of us at one time or another have held a job that required us to say phrases like this one. “Workaholics” is a show about 3 friends named Anders, Blake and Adam that work together at a dead end job and spend their free time doing what any college-aged kids do, party. In this episode the guys find themselves in a tight spot when there is a drug that they did not know about. Blake put it best when said, “I’m excited, what kind of drugs are we testing.” Realizing that there was no chance they would pass the test the friends start looking for ways to pass the test including taking way too much Niacin and attempting to buy clean urine. Eventually, after not being able to find any they decide to just take the drug test and deal with the results, but as the audience expected the guys find a ridiculous way to get out of it.

As a show intended for a college audience, it is on point. The 3 main characters are a lot like many of the friends I have met since I came to college, which made me connect with them almost immediately. None of them really have a care in the world, other than the drug test, and the fact that the show both begins with them drinking on the roof of their house and ends the exact same way shows that their crappy job is nothing but a break in their schedule of constant partying. The use of “poopie dollar” and the scenes of the guys attempting to freestyle are hilarious because they are both things my roommates and I have done. The show is fantastic in its use of college-level dialogue and storylines which really draw in an audience of my age group.

This show has the potential to be a major hit with an age group ranging from 18-30, but the show has some material unsuited for kids younger than that and the same material (drug use, language) would be frowned upon by viewers older than 30. What gives the show even more potential is the time slot in which it airs on Comedy Central which is Wednesdays at 10:30 p.m. when many people in the 18-30 range are getting ready to go to bed and want something to relax with. This show is perfect for that.

There aren’t many areas the show can improve on. Great acting from Anders Holmes, Blake Anderson and Adam Devine bring to life this story of post-college life and the struggle to get integrated into the real world by flipping it and having the characters make the real world conform to their standards. The fact that Holmes, Anderson and Devine also helped produce the show makes it successful in my opinion. They were able to take their vision, and without anyone else being able to dissect it, make it into a humorous show that hits close to home with the intended audience. I love this show and have recommended it to many people already and will continue to do so. If you like comedy and love to laugh then “Workaholics” is a show you will enjoy.