BORDERLANDS 2 NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE GAME BORDERLANDS 2 FROM IGN

Borderlands 2 is the epic sequel to the ultimate four-player role-playing shooter loot fest. Combining invention and evolution, Borderlands 2 features mixed online/split-screen co-op, all-new characters, skills, environments, enemies, weapons and equipment, which come together in an ambitiously crafted story. Players will reveal secrets, and escalate mysteries of the Borderlands universe as they adventure across the unexplored new areas of Pandora.

HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE GAME BORDERLANDS 2 FROM IGN

When you’ve managed to create an unexpectedly great first entry for a franchise, it begs the question: What the hell do you do with the sequel? In the case of Borderlands 2 developer Gearbox has decided to largely stick with what worked the first time around, while implementing a host of tweaks that make it an overall superior game. A few relatively minor complaints aside,Borderlands 2 improves not only the narrative, but almost every major game system. If you’ve been itching for a reason to jump back into the world of Pandora, Borderlands 2provides a more than ample supply.

The hook of Borderlands 2, the very reason that I found myself thinking about it when I worked or tried to fall asleep, is the loot. Guns, ammo, character skins, grenade mods, class mods -- there’s always something just a bit better, something you so desperately didn’t even know you needed until you found it in Borderlands 2. Just like Diablo or a number of other action RPGs, the hunt for loot becomes intoxicating because of the tiny rush you get each time a rare colored item spills out of a chest or is dropped by a recently slain enemy. Every firefight and intense boss battle becomes all the more rewarding, because, though you might die a few times and want to crush something near you in real life, it suddenly feels like everything is going to be OK when you’re blasting away enemies with a newly looted gun.

Guns really do make up the bulk of the loot, and that’s great because you’re going to spend most of your time in Borderlands 2 staring down a gun sight. No matter the quest, at some point something or someone is getting pounded with lead. Thankfully, snappy shooting and lots of environmental hazards combine with each class’s unique ability to turn every skirmish into a playground. You simply have to decide the best -- or most entertaining -- way to kill everyone.

While many guns operate similarly to one another, the stats and augmentations are just complex enough to create a seemingly endless number of combinations, without being so diverse that they’re to reskin your character, but only with blanket skins that change the look of their body and their head). However, when it comes to class skill customization, Borderlands 2 is heading in the right direction. Like the first game, Borderlands 2’s four classes each have a unique ability. Unlike the original, though, a lot of options have been added to the skill trees to make it possible to create much more diverse builds...at least to a point. No matter what, every Commando will be about using turrets, every Gunzerker about raging out and blasting people with two weapons at once, every Siren about using a stun ability called Phase Lock, and every Assassin about temporarily cloaking and unleashing devastating surprise attacks. But how those abilities and characters function can be tailored to your playstyle (and can be changed over and over again for a negligible fee on a whim). For instance your Assassin might be focused on sniping and avoiding damage, while mine could be tailored to get in close and melee enemies while taking it on the chin. On the 

surface two people’s takes on a class might seem similar, but the new, more filled out skill trees allow you to create a version of a class that better suits your style.

Trying out skills and then reassigning skill points over and over is 

important in Borderlands 2, especially when you consider that you can play alone or with up to three other people. Grouping in Borderlands 2 makes the combat feel different; enemies get harder and you can use each class’s power to support your allies. The Commando could toss out a turret, drawing enemy fire while the Assassin closes in and pummels enemies to death, for instance. Since loot is shared you need to pick your partners carefully. Playing with strangers or super aggressive friends means you’ll likely find yourself in a race to see who can grab everything the fastest, and that’s really not all that fun. No matter how you feel about Diablo III, making it so each player only sees their own loot is brilliant design, and it’s a shame Borderlands 2 takes it in a route that means people are competing with one another.

If you want to take your character’s customization even further, Borderlands 2’s new Badass Ranking system gives you plenty of ways to work for it. A host of in-game challenges track things like headshots with a specific weapon class, or looting a large number of chests. As you finish each of these tasks for the first time, you’re given a token you can spend on a number of tiny boosts that affect stats like reload speed, recoil reduction and weapon damage. The bonuses per token are really small, but as you earn more than 100 of them, the benefits really start to add up. Best of all, these bonuses benefit every character you create, giving them a bit of a head start (you can turn it off if you don’t want the bonus). It’s another way Borderlands 2 makes you feel consistently rewarded, and it provides plenty of incentive to use weapons or play differently than you otherwise would.

Plot wise, Borderlands 2 is a direct sequel, with a story that picks up shortly after the first. You play one of four new Vault Hunters who’ve come to Pandora to hunt for – you guessed it – vaults. Unfortunately, since the opening of the last vault the planet’s been all but taken over by Hyperion Corporation and its insidious and somewhat charming leader, Handsome Jack. Through a number of events outside of your control, you end up getting wrapped up in a plot to stop Jack, save the world and help out some of the citizens and beloved characters from the first game.

The main story hits on notes you’ve probably encountered in hundreds of other games but, despite being clichéd and more than a little predictable, it’s still far more successful than in the original. Borderlands 2’s campaign narrative actually tells a coherent story, with endearing characters who manage to feel nuanced and real. At times the story can even be touching and heavy, though this is when it starts to feel a bit at odds with Borderlands 2’s overwhelmingly silly sense of humor. Ultimately, though, it’s a yarn worth hearing, one that ropes you in and makes you feel like what you’re doing has purpose – something the original game never really achieved.

The main story’s good, but the best writing in Borderlands 2 comes from the side quests. If you played and enjoyed things like the General Knoxx or Claptrap DLC from the first game, then you’ll be in for a real treat throughout Borderlands 2’s more than 30 hours of game time. Each time the main story starts to slow down, you’re almost always given a number of sidequests to jump into. Mechanically they don’t do anything all that different from typical RPG “kill this” or “collect that” fodder quests, but the writing, presentation, and acting turn them into some of the most memorable content the game has to offer. For instance one mission has you fighting off a “splinter group” of ninja-like bandits who just so happen to live in a sewer, eat pizza and talk like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Another side quest tasks you with collecting body parts for a robot who wants to become human, and his take on humanity, as well as the way he talks, turns into genuine comedy. Not many games manage to make me literally laugh out loud, but Borderlands 2’s mixture of gutter humor and sharp wit did so repeatedly. Even when I had far out-leveled the sidequest content I couldn’t help but return to it, lest I miss out on something awesome.

Similarly to how the sidequests build upon the writing Gearbox became known for with the first game’s DLC, Borderlands 2 also expands upon other parts of the game in smaller, but still significant ways. From more options to how you sort missions, to easy ways to mark and sell loot, to an always present mini-map, the entire interface is simply a lot more user friendly and intuitive.

Sadly, though, little has been done to improve the driving component of the series. Outside of a few quests that require you to use a car, the vehicles feel largely underutilized and not all that valuable outside of getting you to destinations a lot quicker. Borderlands 2 is a shooter first and foremost, but it’d be awesome to see smarter mission design that takes advantage of them in, say, the way Halo does with its vehicle levels. Even so, they offer a change of pace from the rest of the game’s shoot and loot cycle.

If thirty hours of what I’ve described doesn’t seem like enough, Borderlands 2 provides plenty of reasons to play it again and again. All four of the classes are a lot of fun to play, and even after you finish the campaign there’s always the option to try out Vault Hunter Mode, which is essentially a second playthrough where you get to keep your loot and levels. Even after you hit the cap of 50 you can fight the game’s first four-person raid boss. With the promise of DLC on the horizon, which Gearbox did a great job with the first time around, I know I’ll be coming back to Borderlands 2 again.

When it comes to what platform you should play on…well, it doesn’t really matter all that much. Get Borderlands 2 on PS3, 360 or PC and you’ll experience the exact same content. All of them have the same story, the same skill trees and the same minor issues with texture pop-in. During my playthrough bugs would also occasionally pop up. Typically this involved enemies or objects getting stuck in the world, and in one case this resulted in the need to completely restart a boss fight. Since they happen so randomly, though, it’s hard to say whether or not these will occur during your playthrough, or whether they’ll even occur on all platforms. Still, they were more than a little annoying, and really broke me out of the experience sometimes.

The one thing worth pointing out between the various platforms is how cool Borderlands 2 can look if you have an awesome PC. The PC version allows plenty of tweaks to draw distance, frame rate and more. It also allows Nvidia card users to turn on Physx options, which results in a hell of a lot more particles flying around, realistic liquid physics, and a greater sense of destructible environments. Ultimately I don’t feel this is something console gamers will miss, but for those of you with great hardware it’s an additional thing to enjoy. Just be warned: it’s very, very resource intensive.

Borderlands 2 preserves the best parts of the franchise while also making numerous, much needed improvements to areas like narrative and class skill design. Additional visual customization options would make it better, and the occasional technical issue takes away from the experience, but overall this is an excellent shooter no one even remotely curious should overlook. Prepare to level. Prepare to loot. Prepare to get lost in the hilarious, bizarre and wonderful world of Pandora.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR THE GAME BORDERLANDS 2.

NBA 2K13 NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS A SUMMARY FOR THE GAME NBA 2K13 FROM IGN

For its 2K13 edition, the NBA 2K franchise is back and bigger than ever.

HERE IS THE REVIEW FOR THE GAME NBA 2K13 FROM IGN

Competition, according to free market economic principles, makes the dueling products better as each pushes to outdo the other. And thus, we consumers are the ultimate winners. But what if your chief – and really, only – rival kept finding new and astounding ways to spin out, leaving you as the only car on the road? Would you kick back, ease off the gas a bit, and set the cruise control? Would you keep the pedal to the metal anyway? Or would you drop the top, start turning down new streets, and see where the open road takes you?

NBA 2K13 unquestionably takes the latter path, lacing the latest version of its annual basketball simulation with wild features that, rest assured, take nothing away from the already stellar pro-hoops gameplay. Some of the new additions are great, while others you can live without, but, in the end, 2K13 is the pinnacle of basketball gaming on this generation of consoles.

A Court Fit for a King

2K13 has the cajones to mess with its tried-and-true simulation gameplay a bit. The pacing, flow, and feel all remain impeccable. The post-up game is not only playable but enjoyable. The big change is the right thumbstick-based Dribble Stick, which marries the Freestyle controls of last generation’s NBA Live titles with the existing NBA 2K Isomotion control scheme. Shooting is now accomplished by pulling in LT/L2 in combination with a right stick directional press. It certainly takes getting used to given the years of shooting without an additional trigger pull, and odds are you will, like me, occasionally forget and fail to take a wide open shot you meant to attempt. But you’ll eventually get used to it and grow to like the added dribble controls, as they’re not nearly as arcade-y as they were in NBA Live’s heyday, but still add an extra layer of player control to the gameplay.

2K13’s biggest problem – particularly with the Dribble Stick – is that none of its new features are explained well, if they’re explained at all. You’re never given a proper tutorial on the critical new dribble moves. Rather, the first time you start up the game, you’re treated to a screen that essentially says, “You can control your dribble with the right stick now. Wiggle it and see what happens!” So too are Signature Skills practically kept shrouded in secrecy unless you study the list of them in the main menu.

Signature Skills assign star players up to several of a couple dozen “plus” traits, be it Corner Specialist (added accuracy when shooting threes from the corners), Finisher (better chance of making shots with defender contact), etc. Because they’re passive and mostly invisible, you probably won’t notice them unless you play MyCareer, where you’ll spend your VC points – credits earned for anything you do in the game – to add them to your budding pro baller.

Speaking of which, the series’ interface continues to be an archaic, convoluted mess. Some menus can’t be backed out of, while save screens stupidly leave you at the save menu even after you’re done saving – rather than taking you back to a menu where you can actually do something. Better to enjoy 2K13’s commendable gameplay and suffer through a poorly designed interface than vice versa, but still, how many years has it been like this now?

Barkley. Bieber. ‘Bron. It’s the NBA on NBC!

Yes, I did in fact invoke Justin Bieber’s name in the context of a basketball video game review. And it’s not a joke. The teen pop star leads a 2K13 Celebrity team that includes JB Smoove, Bow Wow, and others. They’ve got a ridiculous 97 team rating, and so you can take the 1992 Dream Team – a glorious addition – head-on and give them a run for their money, as odd and completely impossible as that sounds.

Meanwhile, MyPlayer has taken on a slightly more personal, RPG-like role. It’s as engaging as last year, with your custom baller able to participate in a rookie game, get drafted (complete with a David Stern handshake at the podium), and develop your skills with experience. But now you can even request sit-downs with your general manager, in which you’re free to be good (i.e. compliment the organization) or evil (request that your coach be fired). Your choice of words can be hilarious, and depending on what you say, your standing amongst your teammates, the media, and the fans will be positively or negatively affected.

On the Xbox 360 side, there’s even Kinect voice support. It proves most useful for substitutions; just say, “Bring in Bryant” and you’ll see Kobe get up off the bench and head to the scorer’s table to check in at the next dead ball. I couldn’t, however, get a technical foul called on myself no matter how off-the-handle I flew after a questionable foul call.

Ah yes, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Jay Z – particularly since his name is in large font on both the front of the box and the main menu title screen. The Brooklyn Nets owner is credited as the game’s executive producer, and, like Bieber, his presence is also not a joke. The soundtrack is of Hova’s choosing, and while I won’t go so far as to say it actively makes the game better, it certainly fits. What does make 2K13 legitimately better is Jay’s pre-game intro packages, which mix music videos with slick gameplay footage to get you hyped up. It works – these impressively produced segments lend each on-court match an added importance and enthusiasm.

Game On

The NBA 2K series is also slowly evolving into a virtual hoops museum, too. Not only are NBA Legends teams like Jordan’s dynasty-era Bulls, Magic’s Lakers, Bird’s Celtics, and now Iverson’s 2000 76ers in the game, but so too are both the 2012 gold medal-winning Team USA basketball squad and the original 1992 Dream Team. Even Charles Barkley – who hasn’t licensed his likeness to a video game since the Sega Genesis days – signed up. It’s an appealing inclusion, though it begs for a full-blown Olympic tournament mode for both the 1992 and 2012 Summer Games.

Even if you ignore 2K13’s weird sideshows and look past its convoluted menus, its core beats with the heart of a champion. With such smooth, realistic gameplay held together by truly astounding presentation – meaning Jay Z’s intros, the series’ dead-on perfect animations, and note-perfect commentary – it’s hard not to love and appreciate NBA 2K13 if you have any affinity for pro basketball whatsoever.

It’s both scary and exciting to think how good a game we might get if NBA 2K actually had a serious competitor pushing it to new heights. But even when left with a clear, unobstructed path to the basket, 2K13 throws down a monster jam with this year’s edition – probably the last one developed solely for this generation of consoles. It’s obviously the best hoops game out there, and it might even be the best sports game of all, period.

CLICK HERE FOR THE DOWNLOAD LINK FOR THE GAME NBA 2K13.

RESIDENT EVIL 6 NOW AVAILABLE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE GAME RESIDENT EVIL 6 (IGN SUMMARY)

It has been ten years since the Raccoon City incident and the President of the United States has decided to reveal the truth behind what took place in the belief that it will curb the current resurgence in bioterrorist activity. Due to be by the President's side is his personal friend and Raccoon City survivor, Leon S. Kennedy, but when the venue suffers a bioterrorist attack, Leon is forced to face a President transformed beyond recognition and make his hardest ever decision. At the same time, Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance member Chris Redfield arrives in China, itself under threat of a bioterrorist attack. With no country safe from these attacks and the ensuing outbreaks, the entire world's population is united by a common fear that there is no hope left.

Resident Evil 6 promises yet another dramatic, frightening experience blending action and survival horror. In a first for the franchise, RE 6 sees series favorites Leon and Chris come together to face this unprecedented threat. They are joined by new characters, each with their own unique perspective and involvement, in this relentless outbreak enacted on a global scale.


HERE IS THE REVIEW FOR THE GAME RESIDENT EVIL 6 FROM IGN

Undone by its ambitious attempt to pack four game experiences into one, resident evil 6 suffers from a bit of an identity crisis. At times it very much embraces its old school heritage, pitting its heroes against horrific creatures in the darkest, filthiest locales imaginable. Tension is palpable thanks to production values that reach new heights for the franchise. Yet it simultaneously attempts to be the largest, most action-packed entry in its history, betraying the aforementioned strengths. Lengthy firefights, driving sequences and other ill-conceived ideas grind the game's incredible moments to a halt. The result is something erratic and never sure of itself, delivering brilliance one moment and something far less interesting the next.

At the heart of Resident Evil 6 are the game’s four campaigns and seven lead characters. Rather than weaving these characters and stories along a singular campaign, Capcom diffuses them across four individual threads, each with its own beginning and end. This singular choice defines everything about this game, highlighting both its greatest accomplishments and remarkable shortcomings.

Resident Evil6’s over-the-top world is built piece-by-piece through itsfour storylines, which cleverly integrate with each other. Questions aren’t necessarily answered until the entire plot emerges through different perspectives, and the realization that the game’s designers deliberately held something back to unleash it during a later campaign makes the effort of pushing through four individual campaigns worth it. It’s remarkable to enter a scene, realize its place in the larger timeline, and get a payoff for something that was merely hinted at during an entirely different character arc. There’s a cumulative narrative effect that occurs here, one that wouldn’t be possible if Capcom chose a different path.

Yet the layered narrative sometimes works against the gameplay. As the campaigns cross paths, the game forces players to replay sequences - including some lengthy encounters that really ought to be played once and only once. There is nothing gained from this repetition, as the only story revelations come from cutscenes and dialogue - not in-game action. A game that thrives on the stacked benefit of multiple perspectives manages to forget how that negatively impacts the actual experience of playing through encounters repeatedly.Every storyline in this game, through a combination of great environments, great enemies and a carefully cultivated sense of wide-eyed, B-movie horror, has situations so memorable that they’ll be seared into your brain. It’s hard to forget the first time you’re crushed by the relentless, beastly Ustanak, or watch a creature spew out C-virus gas in a crowded area, turning dozens of trapped human survivors into flesh-eating zombies. These moments come frequently, often serving as vivid, gory reminders of the game’s tense storytelling prowess.

That notion of repetition shines light on the most basic element of Resident Evil 6’s biggest shortcomings – it’s actually too big. Each campaign in this game contains moments of sheer excellence, but these are dragged down by the poor design of others. Chris’s spectacular confrontation with a massive snake in a shabby Chinese apartment is preceded and interrupted by lengthy, monotonous gunfights on rooftops and a rather uninteresting fight against a helicopter. Jake and Sherry escape and engage threats by riding motorcycles and snow mobiles, making their thrilling, futile attempts to stop the Nemesis-like Ustanak significantly less rewarding. This mix of highs and lows is not only confusing, it’s downright frustrating.

“

Each campaign in this game contains moments of sheer excellence, but these are dragged down by the poor design of others.

Early on, different types of gameplay and tones of horror are established for each campaign. When the game’s design works within these core competencies, it is absolutely a great experience. The elimination of Chris’s team by an overwhelming, reptilian threat. Jake and Sherry repeatedly fleeing from the Ustanak. Leon and Helena surviving the ravaged Tall Oaks or uncovering the twisted secrets of an underground laboratory. Ada attempting to solve elaborate, convoluted puzzles in the belly of a submarine. These experiences stand apart from each other while remaining true to the beating heart of the Resident Evil franchise in their own unique way.

Capcom would have done itself a world of good by simply understanding these individual storylines do not exist in a vacuum and don’t need to be the same in terms of volume or length. Rather than trying to force diversity into each campaign through blatantly protracted action sequences, the development teams should have understood the campaigns feel freshest if they maintain a sense of purpose. This is not the first title in the franchise to attempt “non-traditional experiences,” like taking the helm of a vehicle, but by virtue of its scope, it becomes the most excessive offender.

Over the past 15 years, Resident Evil has created its fear through one central tenant - you have guns and possibly allies, but the creatures you face are so powerful that none of these odd-eveners matter. The mutant and militant J’avo creatures more or less throw that out the window. Suddenly you’re engaging in firefights with soldiers that have machine guns, sniper rifles and rocket launchers - plus helicopters and tanks. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen some of these in a Resident Evil game, but it’s never been so pervasive. The implementation of a cover system and move-and-shoot controls add to this overall shift for the franchise, making it less about its core principles and more about trying to be something it’s not.

“

This time, your ally will actually be useful, assisting you when necessary and not taking your resources.

The game does offer vast improvements in terms of cooperative experience - online or off. Resident Evil 5 was notorious for its vacuous AI partner system. This time, your ally will actually be useful, assisting you when necessary and not taking your resources. That’s not to say the system is perfect. It’s not uncommon for you to issue an order only to have it ignored, or to stand waiting at a door for what feels like an eternity while your partner is seemingly missing in action. Playing with a friend, who can now drop in and out of your game at any time, will solve some of this, but once again exposes the weaknesses of Capcom’s buddy-focused direction for the Resident Evil franchise. Tense or terrifying moments give way to a feeling of safety with the added company. It’s hard to worry about a threat when your buddy is just around the corner to save you.

Other online additions feel superficial, particularly compared to the vast scope of the core campaign. Mercenaries Mode returns, allowing ‘skill points’ earned in its time- and score-based gameplay to be applied to its own unique upgrades, or to the core campaign’s. Tying the two experiences together will certainly provide some incentive to some. Agent Hunt Mode, meanwhile, allows you to take on the role of an enemy in a random online player’s game, but the implementation of enemy combat and camera control is so haphazard there’s little point in indulging.

Some of Capcom’s greatest successes are more immediately noticeable thanks to some incredibly strong world, lighting, and creature design. Outside of the return of the franchise’s iconic zombies, which are a bit faster and more capable than in past iterations, Resident Evil 6 features an all-new roster of monsters. This was a bold move, one that adds a much-needed element of unpredictability to the campaigns. In fact, some of these creations - like the zombie-spawning Lepotitsa, or relentless Rasklapanje - rank among some of the best designs and concepts in the history of the franchise - no small feat for a series famous for the quality of its enemies.

Atmosphere is the essence of the Resident Evil series. A powerful environment, full of detail and depth, pulls you in, creating a sense of history and life while also amplifying the emotional reaction. There’s a reason settings like the Spencer Mansion from the first Resident Evil or Rapture from Bioshock prove so memorable. Those games wouldn’t be nearly as powerful without those locales. In fact much of their experience relies upon them. Resident Evil 6 has no shortage of these types of great set pieces, ranging from cities under siege to dark, vast catacombs to cramped, cluttered high-rises.

These aesthetics mostly succeed thanks to an emphasis on strong lighting effects. Serving as a stark contrast to Resident Evil 5’s sun-soaked locales, this sequel often opts for much darker scenery, pushing the overall visual fidelity through an increased emphasis on shadows and moody illumination. The result is an experience that has an immediate impact on the player, but the increased lighting design does have some unfortunate consequences. Background objects, textures and NPCs often take a noticeable dip in quality, sometimes to the point of distraction. Yet as a whole, Resident Evil has rarely felt so alive.

Evolution and ambition are only natural for a franchise as old as Resident Evil, as is the need to respect a long-lasting legacy and the fans that have come to appreciate it. But in trying to serve all masters, Resident Evil 6 loses focus and fails to accurately assess which of its elements are truly worthy of being included. When this game is at its height, it sets new standards for the series in every way. Unfortunately, there are no shortage of lows either, taking what could have been an excellent experience and making it something considerably lesser.

CLICK HERE IF YOU WANT TO DOWNLOAD RESIDENT EVIL 6 (NEWZBIN FILE).

SCREAM 4 NOW AVAILABLE (NZB FILE)

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE SCREAM 4 FROM IMDB. 

Ten years have passed, and Sidney Prescott, who has put herself back together thanks in part to her writing, is visited by the Ghostface Killer.

HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE MOVIE SCREAM 4 FROM DVDTALK.

 Fifteen years ago, Scream was the antidote to the teen slashers of the 1980s. Sure, it certainly wasn't the first film to combine audience savvy with meta commentary, but Scream's influence permanently affected the horror genre. Now, in 2011, Scream 4 arrives promising new rules for a new decade, suggesting innovation and inspiration provided by the Asian remake craze, torture porn, and reboots. Instead, the best thing about the new film is its insistence on preserving the formula that made it popular in the first place. As they say, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Once again, the film reunites survivors Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), Gale Weathers-Riley (Courteney Cox), and Dewey Riley (David Arquette) in the town of Woodsboro. It's the last stop on a nationwide tour promoting Sidney's book about her experiences, but before she can sign a single copy, dead bodies start turning up and all-too-familiar feelings start flooding back. Among the targets: Sidney's cousin Jill (Emma Roberts), her friends Kirby (Hayden Panettiere) and Olivia (Marielle Jaffe), and local film nerds Robbie (Erik Knudsen) and Charlie (Rory Culkin).

With reboots and revivals in vogue, it seems like a given that Scream 4 finally got the greenlight with the idea that Craven and his original cast could revitalize the brand, allowing Dimension to bring the Scream to a new generation. Instead, it's a relief to discover that the screenplay by original writer Kevin Williamson is pointedly focused on Sidney, Gail, and Dewey, and remains refreshingly faithful to the tone and style of the original films. There's one swipe at torture porn and an even better jab at remakes, but Williamson doesn't seem that interested in what's been going on in the genre since Ghostface last graced the silver screen. The script is careful to tread the line between heightened and over-the-top: any horror that has changed as a reaction to older trends is inherently meta, and it'd be easy for looping back even further to become obnoxious. Instead, Williamson saves his poison pen for a wicked, inspired ending; viewers may guess the "who", but it's the "why" that makes it work.

In terms of direction, Craven brings his A-game. The original Scream made waves for its violence, which holds up even today as excruciatingly brutal. Scream is bloody, no doubt about it, but it's less the splatter and more the almost sadistic glee with which Craven pummels some of its victims that keeps the original shocking. This new sequel never climbs to the same level of ferociousness, but Craven isn't pulling his punches, either, splattering bedroom walls with a ridiculous amount of blood. Whether the entrails and grue are a comment on today's movies or just an attempt to keep pace with them isn't clear, but a bit of vagueness can be forgiven thanks to a gleefully inventive pre-title sequence that's worth the price of admission alone, several clever nods to the original Scream, and at least one good-natured pot-shot at one of his Dimension contemporaries in the credits of the original Stab (although, I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss "Red Right Hand.").
Had Scream 4 been Scream 3, well, that'd be about as good as one can expect a horror trilogy to get. Despite a long gestation period, all of the nonsense with Miramax and the Weinstein Company, screenwriter scuffles (Williamson was apparently irked by Weinstein requests and jumped ship mid-production), Scream 4 is not only the second-best in the series, but also the best slasher movie in at least a decade. On one hand, the quality of the slashers of late -- Prom Night, anyone? -- makes that a low standard, but it's also telling: they really don't make slashers anymore. And in that sense, Craven and Williamson have accomplished something even more than a thoroughly satisfying series of films: they've brought the whole genre full circle.

CLICK HERE FOR A NEW LINK TO DOWNLOAD SCREAM 4