ARTS The Michigan I Daily - Wednesday, November 9, 2005 - 9 Indie Rogue tries on " a mainstream sound 'Conflict' shot down by gameplay By Anthony Baber Daily Arts Writer By Chris Gaerig Daily Arts Writer In a mainstream currently flood- ed by Death Cab for Cutie and Mod- est Mouse, it's a wonder that Rogue Wave hasn't broken through to larg- er audiences. As the mastermind and sole songwrit- er/performer of Rogue Wave Zach Rogue polishes his sound, and seems to move further away from his previous Rogue Wave Descended Like Vultures Sub Pop between the mainstream sound and the indie power-pop. Many of the tracks struggle balancing a New Pornographeresque intensity and optimism with an impersonal, shiny finish. The album isn't catchy enough for the former's notoriety or the latter's success. "10:1" - a track admittedly full of tight melody and frequent mood swings - employs the megaphone distortion used on countless lo-fi indie releases, but the soaring key- boards and guitar spasms negate the track's home-recorded feel. Unfor- tunately Rogue attempts to revert back to the under-produced sound as the track ends with the typical noise freak-out. Even more intimate, acoustic songs like "California" and "Sales- man At the Day Of the Parade" sound professionally finished. Sharp melodies interrupt the razor-blade sharp-acoustic guitar and provide smooth breaks. Rogue does manage to find a bal- ance on several tracks. The instru- mentation and vocals intertwine glossy, happy-go-lucky style. Rogue Wave's latest release, Descended Like Vultures, continues the group's trend of solid indie-pop tracks that seem to have gone slight- ly awry. Rogue, riding the Sub Pop machine, opts for highbrow produc- tion on Descended Like Vultures. The album's gilded sound creates a strange and unfortunate tension perfectly with the woozy bounce of "Bird On a Wire" before burst- ing into the powerfully restrained chorus. The watery distortion of the guitars on "Catform" lays the back- drop for the acoustic guitar and key- boards. Descended Like Vultures could be Rogue Wave's venture into the mainstream but is essentially a mis- guided mix of indie sensibilities and big-time dreams. While there are no especially shallow tracks, there are also few, if any, standouts. Rogue has proven that he can write with the likes of Death Cab and other crossover artists but is not quite up to par with the indie-rock frontrunners. If he can make up his mind which scene he wants to be a part of, Rogue Wave will probably have a place waiting for them. With images of the war in Iraq blaring across television screens each day, the gaming industry has been produc- ing an increasing number of war-based video games, from Vietnam, WWII and even the current war on terrorism. Some of these games are incredible - so realistic that they require real strategy and determination - but oth- Conflict: ers like "Conflict Global Storm" are Global Storm nothing more than a waste of time. Xbox, PS2 In "Conflict," players begin as indi- 2G vidual Sgt. John Bradley and end up 2K Games as Red Team, the world's finest rapid- response counter-terrorism unit. Play- ers go through training with a set of typical weapons: Guns, grenades, mines, etc. Following the basic session is advanced training, where more team members make their debut: a demolitions expert, a tank specialist and a sniper. In the team's first mission, the team parachutes to the ground and is ambushed. Players have to re-assemble the team and escape from the compound - alive. There's also vulnerability to jungle warfare, close-quarter combat and plain old run-and-gun-style fighting. With these scenarios in place, "Conflict" should be a good game, but it doesn't ever live up to its potential. The worst thing about the game is the difficulty in maintain- ing control of the visual field. It's close to impossible for the player to turn the camera to face oncoming soldiers. The camera also turns incredibly slowly. By the time COURTESY OF 2K GAMES "Yes, I am slightly constipated - and attacking you." players turn around to fight back, they are already dead. Although the rest of Red Team is there for back-up, its aim is so atrocious that it makes no difference, and death is still inevitable. Certain death is guaranteed in other scenarios as well. When riding in the Jeep - players are forced to drive because no one else knows how. Tragically, this means that in order to man the grenade launcher, players are left to sit openly in a nonmoving vehicle. If gamers do choose to take the wheel, the teammates have problems even hitting the enemy tank - yet the enemy tank has no difficulty hitting back and killing the entire team. When survival is against such bad odds, players are hard pressed to find a reason to continue on with the game at all. And that hits at the game's biggest problem: It's just not fun. :,..... :TT :. .x::::.r::a;c..; .::. ... .. .: r: .... ...... ... ......::::: :. :: :..::: rr::;s: ..ter:::.:..:.. ... i.. .< .. . ................... . . . . ... . . . ..:.:.:.:.::.:...:...:.:.: ...... .: : : ::: : . .:... . ... . . . ::.. s. . :.7:: : . .. ::. ::::. ::::::, ::::::::::::. .....,::.:::::::::. . ::. ::. ::.:::::. ............ ,.:: .........