"Who wants to find some treasure...?"
The Uncharted series is undoubtedly one of the gems in the Playstation's crown, the combination of puzzle solving, exploration and wild gun battles makes you want to grab your fedora and leather jacket and sign up for a crash course in archaeology. The latest instalment in Naughty Dog's hugely successful series then, has a lot to live up to, especially after seeing Drake sell out in the form of advertising Subway on national TV.
As with all Uncharted games the story feels much more like a Hollywood movie than a computer game. There exists the usual compliment of stunning set locations, beautiful but deadly female co stars and a fair amount of explosions, but that's not all. As we explore Drake's past in order to uncover the secret truth about his ancestor Sir Francis Drake you cannot help but be drawn in by the mystery; like a good book or film the plot will keep you glued to your controller and all thoughts of time, schedules or work go out the window. But be warned, whilst the plot is intriguing enough to keep you guessing right up to the end, the big reveal is a bit of an anti-climax and doesn't really provide the closure that is needed, considering all the time and emotion you have invested in the characters.
Much like Tin Tin or Indiana Jones, Drake has survived some truly remarkable events, from multiple plane crashes to going one on one with a Hind, and Uncharted 3 does not disappoint in terms of its action. The story keeps Drake hanging on the edge of disaster, sometimes literally by his fingertips, and keeps the player on the edge of their seat. There is no moment to relax in Uncharted as once you think you're safe and you can stop to catch your breath a new, and often deadly, challenge turns up. This keeps the game flowing, and even the slow areas are still very intense.
It's not just the story that helps the game feel and act like a movie, the game-play itself is also an integral part. As those of you who have played the previous Uncharted games know they are a mix of freestyle exploration and puzzle solving with intense 3rd person gun battles. Uncharted 3's predecessors managed to link these two different game styles well and Drakes new adventure is no exception, each level feels expertly designed to give the player that smug little buzz that comes from solving a particular puzzle or clearing an area silently. The flow of the game has also been designed skilfully, with each section subtly hinting the right direction whilst making it feel as if it is the players own desire to follow that path, this continues to make the game feel more like a movie, but one in which you are the star. The interactive cut scene style events, where the player still maintains control further elevates the game into being more like blockbuster, giving real satisfaction when you not only survive the burning building, but you made it look good also. The addition of player interactive cut scenes have also been used in some of the slower parts of the game, such as trudging through the desert, making then much more compelling.
The new additions to the fighting controls further add to the game's movie-like flow with Drake now being able to dodge and counter enemy attacks much like the fight system used in the recent Batman games. Drake can also interact with his environment during fights creating some hilariously cool and unique moments that look almost as if they have been choreographed into the story (my personal favourite being using a giant fish to beat down one of the goons). Whilst the addition of the advanced fighting controls has added a new element to the game there are some changes that are not so welcome.
Firstly, the free running controls have been tweaked so now you sprint automatically by just using the control stick, whilst X is now jump or climb. Whilst not a big change from the previous version which had X as sprint, jump and climb it has created a noticeable drop in the feel and therefore the flow of the game. Previously, holding X down would make Drake run, jump or climb when reaching an area where you could do those actions. This gave a feel of continuous movement that echoed that of a live action film, which is one of the unique characteristics of the game that make it so appealing. Whilst it is still possible to achieve this with Uncharted 3, Naughty Dog seem to have made the process much more difficult and frustrating. As now you need to time when you press X in order to achieve that film-like flow, otherwise you'll have Drake bounding forward in a pointless leap or off the edge of cliff making you restart what should have been a simple section from the beginning.
The second failing in the gameplay is the shooting; whilst I understand that Drake is not a military standard marksman, he does have some proficiency with weapons but in this version cannot seem to hit the broad side of a barn door, requiring you to take extra time and care in aiming just to hit your target. This in conjunction with the fact that the AI appears to be a supremely intelligent sniper who, no matter the situation, will get headshots and continue to attack even during sandstorms and tidal waves, makes for some rather one sided gun fights, that will often leave you frustrated and confused as to where you went wrong.
In terms of the continued playability of Uncharted 3 once you have completed the main quest and found all those nice and cunningly well hidden treasures (and if like me you're a bit of a trophy nut) got all those special kill rewards then there isn't much more you can do offline. Online however Naughty Dog have expanded the multiplayer first used in Uncharted 2 adding new weapons and game types, however much like Uncharted 2's failing, the multiplayer can never recreate that movie like flow that you get from the main game that is Uncharted's secret charm.
Overall Rating 7.5
The graphics of Battlefield 3 are very detailed and compliment the intended game style very well. However this realistic approach can occasionally have a detrimental effect on game play as sections can sometimes become too dark to see the enemy. Despite this the game looks stunning and you may find yourself staring off into the distance.
For the most part Arkham City is the same as Arkham Asylum
in terms of visuals, audio and fighting mechanics. This is by no means a bad
thing as Arkham Asylum was met to critical acclaim in these fields. The main
change between Arkham City and its predecessor is the shift from linear game play
with room for exploration to a more sandbox setting. The feeling of openness in
Arkham Asylum is true testament to how well designed the game was as it was
extremely linear with a few hidden baubles for you to go off the beaten track
to find. Yes, as Batman you had to go from A to B with nothing much to do in-between
but you had the choice of how to get there. This does not ring true for Arkham
City.
The addition of a playable Catwoman was a masterstroke by the
folks at Rocksteady. She controls the same as Batman but plays in a much
different way. Catwoman is inferior to Batman in terms of physical strength and
technology, requiring the player to become more adept at hand-to-hand combat
and rely heavily on stealth, but as she is more agile than Batman she seems to
move much quicker than our hero. She also has the ability to cling to certain
ceilings and crawl cat-like through much smaller gaps than Batman can, opening
more potential routes and hidden areas available only to Catwoman. The fact
that she also uses her trademark sex appeal during fights, kissing enemies to
distract them, adds to the feeling that Rocksteady know and understand the
character, her motivations and, more importantly, her mannerisms.
