Avengers vs. X-Men #7 Review

After five issues of dull fighting and jumpy narratives, Avengers vs. X-Men #6 was the first chapter to realize the potential of this event. But the constantly rotating cast of writers means readers can never be sure that the quality will remain consistent, a fact that has been both a blessing and a curse for this book. AvX backslides a bit in issue #7. Luckily, Act 2 still remains markedly improved over Act 1.

Cyclops closed out issue #6 by promising "No more Avengers." We've seen that decree play out a bit in certain tie-in books, but here we see the full might of the Phoenix Five unleashed against Captain America's ragtag team. The tables certainly have changed since the Avengers stormed Utopia at the end of issue #1. While Cap keeps fighting a losing battle against the X-Men, Matt Fraction also follows Tony Stark and Black Panther's desperate battle to find a scientific solution and explores the twin mysteries of how Scarlet Witch and the Iron Fist factor into the conflict.

Characterization is one area this series has often faltered. The problems now are ones of consistency and focus. Both within this series and among the various tie-ins, there's very little consistency in how the Phoenix Five are portrayed. Are they retaining their normal personalities for now, or is the Phoenix Force speaking through them? It's really difficult to tell at times, but on the whole Fraction's dialogue for these five X-Men is much more casual than we saw from Jonathan Hickman in issue #6. In some ways this works better, as we see a bit of bickering and dissension among the group, but again, greater consistency would be nice.

This issue is also too narrow in its focus at times. For one thing, the various X-Men not currently empowered by the Phoenix are nothing more than window dressing -- extra bodies to toss into battle scenes. Unlike issue #6 and its Magneto/Xavier exchange, there's absolutely no sense of how the X-Men are reacting to their sudden rise in fortunes. How do characters like Psylocke and Storm feel about hunting down the Avengers in brutal, militaristic fashion? Uncanny X-Men #15 does a great job of mining that material, but that brings us back to one of the recurring complaints about this event -- too much vital story material is being left to the tie-ins. AvX is also beginning to feel a bit like Fear Itself in the sense that there's no wider context for the conflict. This issue is so concerned with specific Avengers and X-Men characters that it ignores how the rest of the world is responding to the conflict between heroes and the actions of the Phoenix Five. It's as if the Marvel Universe is an empty place beyond those few dozen creatures wearing spandex.

Still, this issue does a lot right, as well. Fraction does a fine job of capturing the growing tension on the Avengers side. The interaction between Black Panther and Tony Stark stands out particularly. These two have never had the warmest of relationships to start with, but here Tony's latent death wish becomes a major source of friction for them both. With Wolverine continuing to fade into the background in Act 2, it's really Panther of all characters that is stepping us as the neutral party and moderate voice of reason. Marvel has also been promising a major game-changer with this issue. While I'm not sure I would describe the final pages as "game-changing," Fraction does deliver an impressive escalation in the conflict that promises a very memorable issue #8.

Issue #6 also does a better job than most of providing fully realized, engaging battle scenes rather than the choppy, truncated ones of earlier issues. Fraction's script makes excellent use of Olivier Coipel's talent for epic scale and bold, dramatic figures. Coipel nails the tense emotions as the Avengers struggle to remain free, as well as the surreal action as characters like Magik and Scarlet Witch unleash their full power. There's an impressive amount of detail and energy at work in these pages, and it's a shame that Coipel only has one issue remaining before the next visual shake-up.

As with nearly every chapter of this event, Avengers vs. X-Men #7 is guilty of glossing over certain vital parts of the story in its charge forward. Even so, the series remains in better shape than it was during Act 1. I would be surprised if issue #8 were to kill that momentum given the groundwork Fraction has laid here.

Jesse is a writer for IGN Comics and various other IGN channels. Follow Jesse on Twitter, or find him on IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Making Every Breath Count in Metro: Last Light

Clean air is hard to come by in Metro: Last Light. Fighting through the blown-out streets of post-apocalyptic Moscow, you’re sure to encounter flying monsters, mutant spiders and falling trees, but it’s the air that will get you. With every step you take, a timer on your watch counts down the few seconds of breathable air left in a filter on your mask, reminding you to do what you need and to do it fast. Your life depends on it.

The world that THQ and developer 4A Games have created in Last Light isn’t the post-apocalyptic future you’re used to. The Moscow seen here is bleak and surrounded by collapsed buildings, but it’s not the type of setting you might find in Fallout 3 or Rage. Metro’s world is one of horror, where psychic visions drive the few people still alive completely insane. And air isn’t the only thing that’s scarce. In addition to looking for new air filters, you’ll always be searching for light, bullets, battery chargers and even other people as you explore what’s left of Moscow.

Exploration is Metro's greatest strength. Moving through the tunnels of Moscow’s underground subway system, you’ll use a lighter to see where you’re going (or a flashlight if you’re fortunate enough to find a charge). There’s a real sense of terror moving through the dark, never knowing what you’ll find around each corner. If you’re lucky, you’ll come across some supplies, maybe a shotgun. If you’re not, you’ll find mutant spiders bursting out of a corpse.

You won’t spend the entire game underground, though. When you emerge above ground, you’ll shield your eyes from the light of the sun, blinding after the darkness of the tunnels. Moving above ground brings alternate hazards, like flying mutants that will pick you up and drop you without a moment’s notice. Encounters with these enemies feel real, especially as you control subtle moments in response to each, like wiping debris from the visor on your mask.

Instead of non-stop shooting and action, Metro: Last Light aims for immersion, putting you back in the shoes of Artyom, the protagonist of Metro 2033. Once again, Artyom is fighting off the Dark Ones, former humans who have been mutated into monsters by Moscow’s radiation. But Artyom has a secret weapon: he isn’t affected by the Dark Ones’ psychic visions. He can experience them, but isn’t driven mad like the people around him. Considering the nature of those visions, this is no small feat.

In one portion of the demo we saw, Artyom and his partner come across wreckage from a place crash, using it as an opportunity to look for supplies. As they step into the cockpit, a brutally vivid flashback shows exactly how the plane went down, cracked windows, screaming and all. Frequent visions like that would drive anyone insane.

Scripted events aren’t uncommon in Last Light, and 4A sees them as an opportunity to further immerse the player. While the game contains quick time events throughout, there won’t be any button prompts. The developers are confident that players will know what they need to do, relying on what they’ve been taught from exploring Moscow to know how to react. 4A knows gamers are smart, and it's treating them like it.

THQ isn’t ready to talk about the rest of the game’s features, but we do know that 2033’s hardcore Ranger Mode is set to return and will be “more substantial” this time around. Metro 2033 created a harsh new take on the post-apocalyptic future, and Last Light seems poised to improve upon it in a big way. Moscow still has plenty of secrets, but hopefully some of them will be revealed at E3 next week.

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Source : http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/29/making-every-breath-count-in-metro-last-light