New game lets you act out Hollywood hits

Are you ready for your close up? Because a new game wants to put you in the movies.To be fair, Yoostar 2 isn't just a game, it's a form of cinematic karaoke. But instead of feeding you lyrics, Yoostar 2 dishes out drama. We saw it in action at the recent E3 convention in Los Angeles and came away impressed with its quirky potential.

Using either the Kinect or the Playstation Move, Yoostar 2 can transform any room into a green screen set. Let's say, for instance, that you want to impress your friends with a rendition of the "I'll be back" scene from Terminator. You hit action, the clip begins to play, and Yoostar 2 feeds you lines. When you're finished, you hit "Replay" and the scene rolls, starring you (it's called "yoostar," get it?)

It's a much more streamlined approach than the original Yoostar, which shipped last year for the PC along with a real green screen. The idea was cool, but the technology was too clunky for mainstream audiences. Cue the upcoming generation of camera controllers, and suddenly Yoostar makes a lot more sense. You just need a living room and some friends to give any soiree a dramatic turn.
We acted our way through three scenes with hilarious results. In Terminator, we tried out our thickest Austrian accents. Then we switched to The Blues Brothers, where we inventoried gas, cigarettes and sunglasses. Finally, we butchered Rutger Hauer's classic last lines in Blade Runner.
Regardless of the flick, we did notice one persistent issue: a lack of direction. When you're recording a scene, it's just you and the lines. There's a meter that vaguely tells you when to speak your part, but the experience calls for something more, like body language prompts. If Yoostar 2 told you when to smile, when to sag, and when to look surprised, it would feel more interactive.
But while the performance leaves something to be desired, the replays deliver. Inserting a person who flubs their lines and looks vaguely confused into a highly tense scene is always funny. The worse you do in Yoostar 2, the more your friends are likely to enjoy it.
According to Project Director Steve Stopps, we only caught a glimpse of what should be an epic cinematic experience. Yoostar 2 will ship with scenes from 60 licensed films such as Team America: World Police, The Hangover, and The Matrix. Plus, an additional 400 scenes will be sold at an online Yoostore.
Yoostar 2 will also be connected to social networks like Twitter and Facebook. Did one of your friends record a performance they'd rather forget? You can ensure its immortality. Did your grandmother nail a German accent? You'll be able to post it for the whole family to enjoy.
When, exactly? That's a good question, as there's currently no release date for Yoostar 2 on either the Playstation 3 or the Xbox 360. Sony and Microsoft will only approve so many launch titles for their new motion control devices, and there's no guarantee that Yoostar 2 will be one of them. For now, just consider it another coming attraction.