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ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT ififttts _ “Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII" Playstation 2 Often considered one of the most popular and influential games of all time. Final Fantasy VII has garnered a tremendous following in the already massive Final Fantasy fanbase. Following an interesting group of characters through their epic battle against the diabolical Sephiroth, in many eyes Final Fantasy VII captured the absolute essence of what was required to create a truly amazing game. Some years later, the Final Fantasy VII legacy lives on through merchandising and various cash-ins. Things such as character cameos in other video games like Kingdom Hearts, a completely CG full length film titled "Advent Children”, products and toys and most recently another video game continue to add on to the already saturated universe of Final Fantasy VII. Pit Stop BBQ Review By Larry Peel News Editor larry@ioncinema.com The problem with being in a college town is that it is a college town. The University of Georgia, Geotgia State, and even Mercer have the benefit of larger towns surrounding them. Here at the University of West Georgia we have Carrollton. Carrollton is a small town with big dreams and as such is somewhat limited in the options we have for dining off campus. During the semester break, I took leave of the city limits and headed west into the neighboring town of Bowdon. Right outside the Main Street district of the town, about 9 miles west of campus you will find some fair barbeque, and some good ole southern cooking. Just don’t look to be treated like family unless you are. Pit Stop BBQ is located at 409 W. College Street in Bowdon, but don’t be fooled. The college the road is named after is long gone. Just past the main traffic light in the business district; Pit Stop is a small, and sort of out of the way place, where food is obviously the prime reason for being. SPRING BREAK INFORMATION 800-488-8828 www.sandpiperbeacon.com Free Spring Break Model Search Calendar* 'Vamp fo fust 1 OOP ntHYTiow. The game in question is titled Ditge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, and the very first thing hardcore fans of the series will realize is that they will not be playing as their beloved hero and icon of the original Final Fantasy VII and Advent Children film. Cloud Strife. This time around, players will assume the identity of the enigmatic and troubled Vincent Valentine. But fear not fans; he has more than enough angst to share with the biggest of Cloud Strife fans. The story takes place three years after the events of the original Final Fantasy VII (one year after the events of Advent Children) and is essentially both an origin story of how Vincent became the way he is and how he faces the new danger that threatens the world. After gamers absorb that bit of information while playing, they will stxin discover that none of the rest of the story is interesting enough to follow or care about. One of the biggest strikes against the game is the lousy attempt at a remotely solid story that should keep players interested about what is happening. However, the game becomes so completely bogged down by continually Their selections include a variety of sandwiches (all recommended by someone named “Steve” according to their menu), traditional BBQ fare, steaks and catfish. Excluding the steaks, the prices are comparable with other dine-in establishments in the area, averaging around $8 per person, with lunch specials daily for about half that price. On our visit, we tried the chicken strips, pulled pork and club sandwiches, just to insure a full variety of the fare. The meat was a bit dry on the pulled pork dish, and the sauce needed more kick. The club sandwich, however, was piled high and served with fresh hot fries. Sadly though, the chicken strips were far too coated in breading to be edible. The Brunswick stew, while far from the best to be had in the area, was flavorful and served in ample portions. The restaurant, located in the heart of Coca-Cola country, is defiantly a Pepsi outlet -a fact they were plenty ready to remind us each time we used the traditional Georgia name for ANY soda, and asked for a Coke. The service at the Pit Stop BBQ is absolutely introducing dull characters and tedious plot events that gamers will be repeatedly tapping their buttons to skip the next overly long cutscene in a game that is about forty percent story cutscenes. The next bombshell that may be in store for fans of the series is the change in gameplay. Despite the title "Final Fantasy” being synonymous with the role w ,• -Hf -Jr*'*-I Photo C our tew Gamespy.com Asa departure from the typical Final Fantasy RPG setup. “Dirge of Cerberus”, is surprisingly a first-person shooter. playing genre. Dirge of Cerberus switches it up and has players running and gunning as Vincent in a third person shtxxer similar to SOCOM: Navy Seals. This concept is most certainly not a bad idea in theory, especially for a guy that carries a massive handgun, but the way that the game controls is the next biggest strike against the game. For a character that is supposed to be as agile as a fox, moving Vincent from location to location just feels incredible - if they know who you are, or you are related to someone who works there. On our visit one post holiday Saturday evening, we appeared to be the only ones in the place who weren’t relatives or regulars. We were treated politely, but the constant air of “y’all ain’t from ‘round here, are ya?” hung in the air. The ambiance of the restaurant, as well as its decor shows a definite hometown feel. When you enter the door (or are preparing to pay and leave), you are struck with an entire mirrored wall of business cards and local advertising for neighboring shops and services. Mirrored walls surround the interior dining area in an apparent attempt to make this little shack feel like a big folky place. The “salad bar” consists of a cold rack with pans of appropriate greenery and condiments beneath a sheet of Plexiglas hanging from the ceiling to act as a “sneeze guard”. If you are looking for some decent home-style food, BBQ or otherwise, Pit Stop can serve you well. Just use the handy drive thru. Fantastic House For Rent!!! Close to College. Located on 166. 86 Southern Trail Carrollton Secluded 3 bedroom, 2 bath, loft overlooking family room. Jacuzzi room with extended sunroom. Contact Kormath @ 404-735-4695 sluggish and uncomfortable. If moving wasn’t troubling enough, aiming to actually shtxx enemies is annoyingly awkward, even when zoomed in and using crosshairs. Playing around with the aiming sensitivities in the options menu may help a bit, but overall aiming and shtxiting feels broken. Other gameplay killers include laughable enemy Al, horrendous level design, and overall just a recurring sense of “been there, done that" around hour three of a more than ten hour game. With this in mind. Dirge of Cerberus isn’t a complete waste of video store shelf space. Believe it or not, the game manages to have some redeeming elements throughout the monotony. Some levels have their See Game page 5 The Higher, 'On Tire' By Grant Wallace Staff Writer grannntß7@yahoo.com Las Vegas; most notably known for their fancy casinos and on-the spot marriages, this isn’t exactly the type of location I would expect pop rockers The Higher to reside in. Four years since their “Star is Dead” EP (2003) was released. The Higher should be someone you already know about. I’ll give you all the benefit of the doubt though, since LA might seem like a stretch given that Carrollton isn’t exactly as flashy and glamorous as you may think. And even in a broader sense, Georgia isn’t exactly a hotbed for today’s latest rock outfits, which is exactly why I’m writing this review. Like Justin Timberlake? Well I don’t. But The Higher does. ‘”on Fire”, The Higher’s newest release, will debut early March, to fans from Justin to Fall Out Boy. The band’s previous record, “Histrionics”, was a great moment in history for fans of Saves the Day or Cartel (pun intended). TOP RINGTONES Weeks 1 117 Koji Kondo-Super Mario Brothers Theme 2 25 Ne-Yo - Sexy Love 3 115 Henry Mancini - Pink Panther Theme 4 16 Buckcherry - Crazy B***h 5 12 Nickelhack - Kockstar 6 60 I)4L - LafTy Taffy 7 44 Buhha Sparxxx F/Ying Yang Twins & Mr. ColliPark - Ms New Booty 8 41 Rascal Flatts - What Hurts The Most 9 4 Beyonce - Irreplaceable 10 4 Chris Brown Featuring Jay Biz - Poppin’ Courtesy Billboard TOP BOX OFFICE 1 Stomp the Yard $22.0 million 2 Night at the Museum - $ 1 7. 1 million 3 Pursuit of Happyness - $9.1 million 4 Dreamgirls - $B.l million 5 Freedom Writers - $7.1 million 6 Children of Men - $6.4 million 7 Alpha Dog - $6.1 million 8 Primeval - $6.0 million 9 Arthur and the Invisibles - $4.3 million 10 The Good Shepard - $3.9 million Courtesy Hollywood Reporter MONEY FOR COLLEGE The Georgia Army National Guard ■ can provide you with the skills, f training, and experiences that Ilßr%fc college can't. Plus, you will recieve part-time pay, money tor college, * ■£ and other excellent military benefits. - ' '5*53 And with over 100 lob specialties to choose from, there's no better way T to prepare for your future. Call SfC Robinson at 678-350-5328. 8b j-j'l Tuition Assistance - Montgomery Gl Bill 81 til I 1 I I I fif Enlistment Bonus up to S 20,000 Photo courtesy Msspace com On Fire is practically “Histrionics” part 2, if it wasn't for the other half (not complaining). Dancey upbeat stuff sells, just ask Panic At the Disco. But where PATD fails horribly. The Higher doesn’t. You can still keep a beat without having your kid sister dress you up for your big debut at your who-can-wear-the-most eyeliner themed middle school dance. Oh, and you’re going with your mom as your date. Sorry, enough cheap shots at Panic for one review. The Higher has it all. “Insurance” is what Brandtson couldn’t do on their latest effort, keeping Itt the dance feel fresh without overdoing it. “Rock My Body” is precisely that and “Can Anyone Really Love Young” is The Higher’s attempts to bring Nsync back from the dead. And despite the horrid name drop, the track actually sounds good. They even brought back their classic track “Histrionics” from the last record, handclaps and all. And don’t think I’m the only one who is noticing these guys, Patrick Stump (Fall Out Boy), lended some loops on his remix of Pace Yourself (not however to my enjoyment). My final thoughts on the album? The Higher is on fire! (It had to be said.)