Music and Game Review by Young Adults
RSS
Colbie Caillat's latest album features romantic sounds that are bound to keep her on the charts, plus listeners will find a little unexpected pep in a few tracks. Gamers, the choice is yours: Transformers and Autobots or wizards and spells? Whichever option you choose, our video game reviewers say that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 and Transformers: Dark of the Moon both offer kids plenty of fun and some welcome distractions to while away the summer hours. All of You, Colbie Caillat (Universal Republic) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (Electronic Arts) There's something to be said about being your heroes in the final battle against Voldemort and his loyal Death Eaters. Following the film almost exactly, the game focuses on Harry and his friends as they seek to destroy Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes-powerful objects in which the dark wizard has hidden a fragment of his soul. Players can select from a variety of characters, including Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Ginny, and there's even an opportunity to take part in a battle as Molly Weasley. Unfortunately, playing as different characters doesn't include different abilities; basically, players use spells like different types of guns. Expulso is a machine gun. Stupefy is a pistol. Expelliarmus is a blast that can break through an enemy's shield, while Petrificus Totalus is like a sniper rifle. It is also cool to incorporate various spells in an offensive attack. While this game is definitely a lot of fun, it uses a duck-and-cover approach in which players hide behind certain objects and blast their enemies. For HP fans, experiencing Gringotts, the Room of Requirements, and the Hogwarts battle are so worth it. Rating is T for Teen. Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation3, Wii.—Will P., grade 10, Floral Park (NY) Memorial High School Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Activision) There are three modes—car, battle, and robot mode—and each one builds and enables you to have more fighting power. Together, they let players truly feel the Transformer's power and take the action even further. You also have the option of working together as a multiplayer, which adds to the action and increases the level of destruction that players can wield. Overall, with good end battles and lots of enemies to fight, Transformers: Dark of the Moon is enjoyable to play. There's nothing over the top here, but the game is great for a few hours of battle-mode fun. Rating T for Teen. Platform: Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.—Brian G., grade 12, Floral Park (NY) Memorial High School This article originally appeared in School Library Journal's enewsletter SLJTeen. Subscribe here.
After the success of her previous albums, All of You proves that there's more to Caillat than meets the eye-or the ear. Her signature mellow style is still intact in tunes like the breezy "I Do" and "Before I Let You Go," but she also unleashes a more upbeat sound that's guaranteed to give her fans some carefree romantic moments. "What If" is a great casual, on-the beach composition that's reminiscent of the songs on her 2009 album, Breakthrough. All of You, which features 14 tracks, has a very youthful sound with a cool vibe that's perfect for the summer, especially songs like "Brighter than the Sun." The album offers Caillat's fans loads of variety, including an interesting guest appearance by Common and the song-writing power of Ryan Tedder, Jason Reeves, Toby Gad, and Rick Nowels.—Frecelyn D., grade 11, Floral Park (NY) Memorial High School
Whether or not you're a Transformers fan, this video game is pretty satisfying. The game focuses on the Autobots, who are protecting the Earth from being destroyed by the Decepticons. Each level is dedicated to a different transformer and the weapons and tactics used influence how a level is approached.
