PS3

MAG - Review

Written by Chad Grischow Tuesday, 02 February 2010 03:04

User Rating: / 4
PoorBest 

As the saying goes, 'with great risk comes great reward'.  Things do not get much riskier than putting a massive online-only first-person shooter, relying heavily on team communication, on PlayStation 3, but that is exactly what Zipper Interactive did with the horribly named MAG.  Fortunately, the name is about all there is to gripe about.   

Review - Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Written by wages Tuesday, 27 October 2009 05:41

User Rating: / 2
PoorBest 

By now it's no surprise how good Uncharted 2 is.  Unless you've been living under a massive rock or you're simply in denial, Naughty dog has crafted a near perfect game.  Notice I said near, more on that later. By any gamers meter worth his or her salt, the game is polished to an extent that it's almost unheard of and I for one welcome it with open arms.

Our story begins with our hero, Nathan Drake.  If you haven't played the first game, Drakes Fortune, then you are in for a treat.  Think of him as the modern day Indiana Jones.  Throw in a dash of Han Solo and you'll get the picture.  Anyway as I was saying, Nathan is up to his usual adventurous ways.  This time his outings have him looking for a long lost powerful artifact that is believed (according to legend) to grant the possessor of said power god like abilities.  Immortality not withstanding.  If I said anything else it would be criminal.  Expect some old faces and some new ones and dash of, well, to be honest a bit of everything.  The single player campaign plays and looks better (or at the very least as good) as anything Hollywood has done as of late and in this humble gamers opinion puts the argument that games aren't art to rest for good.  Although most of as gamers could point to countless other examples this game in particular is worthy of the praise and recognition for it's accomplishments by all fascists of the entertainment industry.

Previously I mentioned how polished this game is.  In reality that's a bit of an understatement.  Everything that makes a great game great totally shines in this digital masterpiece.  The graphics, the sound, music, motion capture, voice acting damn,.. near perfection. At 32, I've been gaming for a long time and seen and played many games.  It's rare that you come across something this well honed and the people behind this game should be praised.  If you ever wanted to see what a PS3 could really do graphically then look no further.  Your not going to find a better looking game on any platform.  It even looks better than the graphically gorgeous Killzone2 which itself is a visual powerhouse.  I'm really curious to see what MS and the big N has to offer that will compete, and make no mistake about it, that day will come.  Right now though, the king of sheen belongs to Uncharted 2 and from me they get a standing ovation.  This really is an accomplishment for gaming, not just a particular console.

Gameplay is like the first just more polished. Think Gears of War with it's 3rd person camera style and sliding into and out of cover.  In other words, like the first just better.  That seems to be the overall point of Uncharted 2. It's not that it's innovating at every turn or anything like that.  It just took what was a solid base, listened to it's fans and built upon that.  I for one am totally fine with that.  I don't prescribe to the idea that you have to reinvent the wheel every time you make a game.  If you you have something good to start with, just keep making it better until it can't be anymore and then start turning the dial.  As good as it's predecessor was, it would be sad to not have built upon that and make a more complete experience.  Again, this is something done to near perfection and seeing as I loved the first game, I have no problem with more of the same but better.   Keep it coming I say, as long as the quality is there who cares how much "innovation" you add.  When you have real innovations that would enhance the series than by all means go for it.  But if you tell me your adding slow-mo or something to that affect, I'll pass.  

Now for the bad part.

Well, maybe "bad" isn't' the right word as it really is more of a preference issue.  This game is a shining example of a game not needing multiplayer.  I think something along the way of how the New Batman or even Demon Souls implements online would've been better.  In that I mean doing something truly inventive.  I don't care for the multiplayer at all.  I didn't find it fun and I stated just before, I didn't find it necessary either.   It doesn't feel tacked on at all but just unnecessary.  I guess more is better if the overall experience doesn't suffer, that's fine.  Options are great right?  For this gamer however, Uncharted 2 is and always will be about the single player experience.  If you like it great, different strokes for different folks, it just wasn't' for me.

Uncharted 2 is at least in my opinion, a system seller for the PS3 and I think Drake should be Sony's Masterchief if you will.  As good as this game is and as great as the reviews have been, it's a darn shame that Sony isn't pushing the crap out of this game.  I'm talking a Halo3 size push.  We've yet to see that from them, not for any of their titles.  I suppose it's up to us as gamers to get the word out.  That's the best way anyway, word of mouth.  Tell all your friends to go buy a PS3 and get this game.  It's worth it.  The PS3 has some great games to pick up (some for cheap) and finally has a price that's more appealing.  I'm a 360 man by choice but a gamer first.  Game recognizes game, and this game is the shit. 

Check out Uncharted 2: Among Thieves images in our gallery