Around a month back, I celebrated the return to my blog with a review of the Playstation 3 launch exclusive, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. Shortly after completing that game, I got my hands on a copy of its sequel, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. With the experience of Drake’s Fortune still in my head, I was expecting another enjoyable experience.
At the end though, I could only feel that Among Thieves was not as well done as the first game. While there have been some improvements, they were not where it really mattered. In fact some elements of the game (as I will detail as this review progresses) were worse than Drake’s Fortune.
Overview
It has been two years since the events of Drake’s Fortune, and once again Nathan “Nate” Drake, descendant of Sir Francis Drake and all round treasure hunter is up to his neck in trouble. This time, he is on the trail of 13th century explorer, Marco Polo.
According to the history books (which Nate has a habit of contradicting) Marco Polo set sail from the empire of Kublai Khan, he set out with 14 ships and only arrived in Persia 18 months later with 13 of the ships lost. As the game progresses, Nate finds out that Marco Polo found Shambhala and in it, a powerful secret that no villain could possibly ignore. As well as being accompanied by two familiar faces (Elena Fisher and Victor Sullivan) Nate is also accompanied by a new side kick, Chloe Fraser: an almost polar opposite to Elena.
Game Play
Gameplay wise, if you have played Drake’s Fortune, then technically you have played Among Thieves. The games play almost the same way. The player is constantly going from one gun fight to another, solving puzzles and doing a small sample of platforming between the said gunfights.
While I try to review games as their own, even if they are sequels, this new game has too many traits from its predecessor. One comment I made was that adversaries in gunfights were constantly ‘streamed’ and at times seemed like there was no end to them. That same problem is still present in Among Thieves but thankfully there is a way of stopping it. Before the start of a fight, it is now possible for the player to stealthily takeout the first wave of adversaries. If successful, all are take care of and the player does not have to endure the endless waves.
The platforming element is still very much the same as Drake’s Fortune. Nate still has all his same moves thus allowing him to run, vault and climb up ledges. One element that is missing now is the use of vines/robes. Personally, this is a welcome change as I found Nate’s swinging abilities below par in the previous game.
Finally, there is the puzzle solving. While attempts have been made to make them more elaborate, the improvements are only visual. The puzzles themselves are larger in scale, require the use colour matching, but overall they are no more challenging than those in Drake’s Fortune. Furthermore, Nate also carries a journal which is populated as the game progresses. While the contents of the journal are meant to be hints, the go too far and (frankly) give the outright solution to the puzzles.
Overall, the game play of Among Thieves is almost identical to Drake’s Fortune. On one had, this is wise as there are only slight changes in the control scheme between the games. However, it cannot be overlooked that the rest of the game is almost a wash-rince-and-repeat of the first game.
Story
When I reviewed Drake’s Fortune, I made the comment that the story of the game while minimal was complete. We had Nate and we saw his development as the game progresses. Despite him being a treasure hunter, one could clearly see his priorities were elsewhere: especially when Elena was concerned.
The story in Among Thieves was anything but complete. The best I can describe the story in this game was everyone was ‘just there’. The development that made the story in Drake’s Fortune complete was not there.
The most obvious problem with the story is the main antagonist, Zoran Lazarevic, was just there as not single element of his past was given. Even when the game is finished, why he did what he did is never explained.
In fact, it is not just the antagonist. This problem is apparent to Elena and Chole. So far, it is only implied that Nate had a falling out with Elena and (before her) Chloe, but the details are not there. Like the antagonist, they are also ‘just there’.
Overall, the story of Among Thieves is of the same grade as I saw with Mirror’s Edge and Avatar: The Game. It is mostly a string of events that self justify themselves and lack detail and much needed background.
Graphics and Sound
In Drake’s Fortune, I gave a lot of praise to the game for its visuals. Among the many points I made, I made the comment that the environments were believable and had a sense they could actually breathe. I also made the comment that the ruins and how I got the feeling that they could have actually existed and people once inhabited them.
Graphics wise, Among Thieves is yet another leap forward from Drake’s Fortune. While the environments are mostly ruined cities and ancient temples, they had both a sense of realism and the sheer size of the temples is breath taking.
For example, there is a stage of the game where Nate is going though the city of Paolo. The area is designed to be placed in the middle of a civil war and I believe it. Everything the air to the rubble on the ground is surprisingly realistic. This realism is further helped by subtle additions such as the overhead flags that flap realistically.
But where the improvements to the graphics really stands out is in the interactive cut scenes. For example, there are moments where Nate is being chased by a helicopter. At one point, Nate is in a hotel building and the player has to try and get out as the building collapses. As well as avoiding adversaries, Nate also has to avoid every other object in from tables to chairs as contact with them could result in failure. Overall, the graphics of Among Thieves is enough to give the people at CryTek a few ideas.
However, with high detailed graphics comes the need for equality in sound. This is also another area that Among Thieves improves upon. Basically, each location has its own tone of sound scheme and even one or two unique theme songs. I do not often say this, but the soundtrack alone is enough to warrant giving this game a try.
Overall
It is hard to give a clear judgement of Among Thieves. I will be frank, while there are some improvements, there are still weaknesses and the game takes too many elements from its predecessor. As a whole, if you have played Drake's Fortune, then technically you have played Among Thieves.
The game is to be praised for really pushing the limits of the Playstation 3 in both graphics and sound and for giving the player monumental action sequences. But it cannot be ignored that too little attention has been given to the puzzles, the platforming and the story itself is too minimalistic to be considered stand alone. Never the less, this game is still worth adding to one’s collection.
Showing posts with label Uncharted. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Uncharted. Show all posts
Friday, March 5, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
It has been almost a year since I last posted a review. Now that I have the time to do so, I am happy to be back and happy again to try my hand at game reviewing. The few people in the world who read this blog may have noticed that I tend to focus on adventure game and most of them have been on either the Nintendo DS or the Xbox 360.
At long last, this is going to change. This time, I am reviewing a game for the PlayStation 3. And I can think of no better way to start than by reviewing that widely praised gem, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune.
A mix of multiple game genres, I view Uncharted as I do Mirror’s Edge: both break the high definition rule of the graphics being in either grey- or brown-scale. While I had enjoyed playing Uncharted, the game still has its weakness and as I always do in my past reviews, I am going to give credit where it is due and give constructive comments on the game and on how it can be improved.
Overview
Uncharted puts the player in the shoes of treasure hunter Nathan “Nate” Drake. According to the history books, British explorer, Sir Francis Drake, died and was buried at sea in 1596 and left behind no descendants. However, Nate is convinced that he is a descendant of Sir Drake and is intent on finding out what really happened after Sir Drake supposed final voyage.
With funding from a television reporter, Elena Fisher, Nate and his mentor, Victor Sullivan, locate Sir Drake’s coffin and find it empty besides a old journal. From there it is a cinematic action journey from remote jungle to an ancient Spanish ruin: all the while learning what has become of Sir Drake.
Gameplay
In a nutshell, Uncharted is mix of action, adventure and platforming. While there is the promise for variety in this game, most of the effort has been placed on the action element. Most of the time, the player will be engaged in fights ranging from gun slinging to close range melee.
Given that most of the game is action/combat, gameplay may soon become boring for some players. I personally found the battles repetitive and the fact there were only around three or four different character models used did not help the experience either.
In terms of adventure, the use of the term feels stretched at best. Puzzles are few, far between and often only involved finding a way to open a door to progress to the next area. The only other adventure element present was the underling mini-game where players could find ancient relics which unlocked in game bonuses: such as being able to have infinite ammo or making of videos.
Finally, there is the platforming aspect of the game. The best way to describe Uncharted’s platforming is to say they took the Tomb Raider concept and made it work. I have had a try of Tomb Raider in the past but one element that always ruined the experience for me was how picky Lara was with her ledges. In Uncharted, if Nate sees a ledge, he used it and tries to save his life.
Story
Coming from a Myst and J-RPG background, I like a good story. In the case of Uncharted, the best I can say is that the story is complete. The characters are rounded, there relations to other characters are clear and Nate as a character develops over time. He starts out determined to find out what happens to Sir Drake’s final voyage but when Elena comes into the equation, Nate is quick to try and find a way out for both him and her.
But, like my assessment of Myst, the completeness of the Uncharted’s story does not cover the fact that it is very thin and has been excessively stretched out by the numerous gun fights that happen throughout the game.
Graphics and Sound
As I have said at the start of this review, Uncharted breaks the (undesired) trend of high definition gaming having only grey- or brown-scale graphics. The graphics of Uncharted are vibrant and full of colour. Besides colour there is also a lot of detail to the environments.
When in forest areas, the environments are full of dynamic shadows, multiple light sources and animated foliage. The presence of nature could really be felt in these places and I could not help but feel that the environment itself was breathing.
The level of detail is clearly seen in the various ruins. All the stone and brick work in Uncharted actually give the impression that there were once people who lived there. It gave the environments themselves their own feel and I almost started to pity the decayed state of the ruins.
But where Uncharted stands out in terms of graphics is in its characters, specifically the amount of detail put to their faces. Each character has numerous express and all of them well detailed from their jaw line to their eye brows. This attention to realism is welcoming and it makes it a lot easier to relate to the characters.
Finally, the sound. Soundtrack wise, Uncharted is not that promising. There are a few tracks and they are similar enough to make it sound like the music is repeated. This deficiency I am willing to turn a blind eye to as it is the ambient sounds that won me over.
When out in the forests, one can clearly hear the rustle of leaves, the gurgle of streams and the crashing of waves on distant beaches. In ruins, the wind gives that empty howl that goes well with the fact that those who were there are no long gone.
Overall
I’ll be frank, Uncharted is not perfect, but it is a solid and safe game. While most high definition games come with the risk of being a wasted investment, Uncharted is a very sound purchase. The characters are relatable, the environments are vibrant and alive and the story is small yet complete. If anyone is thinking of getting a PlayStation 3, this is a game I highly recommend buying at the same time. In terms of improvements, all I can say is Uncharted could do with a richer story and that ratio of action, adventure and platforming be adjusted so that the game play is more varied.
At long last, this is going to change. This time, I am reviewing a game for the PlayStation 3. And I can think of no better way to start than by reviewing that widely praised gem, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune.
A mix of multiple game genres, I view Uncharted as I do Mirror’s Edge: both break the high definition rule of the graphics being in either grey- or brown-scale. While I had enjoyed playing Uncharted, the game still has its weakness and as I always do in my past reviews, I am going to give credit where it is due and give constructive comments on the game and on how it can be improved.
Overview
Uncharted puts the player in the shoes of treasure hunter Nathan “Nate” Drake. According to the history books, British explorer, Sir Francis Drake, died and was buried at sea in 1596 and left behind no descendants. However, Nate is convinced that he is a descendant of Sir Drake and is intent on finding out what really happened after Sir Drake supposed final voyage.
With funding from a television reporter, Elena Fisher, Nate and his mentor, Victor Sullivan, locate Sir Drake’s coffin and find it empty besides a old journal. From there it is a cinematic action journey from remote jungle to an ancient Spanish ruin: all the while learning what has become of Sir Drake.
Gameplay
In a nutshell, Uncharted is mix of action, adventure and platforming. While there is the promise for variety in this game, most of the effort has been placed on the action element. Most of the time, the player will be engaged in fights ranging from gun slinging to close range melee.
Given that most of the game is action/combat, gameplay may soon become boring for some players. I personally found the battles repetitive and the fact there were only around three or four different character models used did not help the experience either.
In terms of adventure, the use of the term feels stretched at best. Puzzles are few, far between and often only involved finding a way to open a door to progress to the next area. The only other adventure element present was the underling mini-game where players could find ancient relics which unlocked in game bonuses: such as being able to have infinite ammo or making of videos.
Finally, there is the platforming aspect of the game. The best way to describe Uncharted’s platforming is to say they took the Tomb Raider concept and made it work. I have had a try of Tomb Raider in the past but one element that always ruined the experience for me was how picky Lara was with her ledges. In Uncharted, if Nate sees a ledge, he used it and tries to save his life.
Story
Coming from a Myst and J-RPG background, I like a good story. In the case of Uncharted, the best I can say is that the story is complete. The characters are rounded, there relations to other characters are clear and Nate as a character develops over time. He starts out determined to find out what happens to Sir Drake’s final voyage but when Elena comes into the equation, Nate is quick to try and find a way out for both him and her.
But, like my assessment of Myst, the completeness of the Uncharted’s story does not cover the fact that it is very thin and has been excessively stretched out by the numerous gun fights that happen throughout the game.
Graphics and Sound
As I have said at the start of this review, Uncharted breaks the (undesired) trend of high definition gaming having only grey- or brown-scale graphics. The graphics of Uncharted are vibrant and full of colour. Besides colour there is also a lot of detail to the environments.
When in forest areas, the environments are full of dynamic shadows, multiple light sources and animated foliage. The presence of nature could really be felt in these places and I could not help but feel that the environment itself was breathing.
The level of detail is clearly seen in the various ruins. All the stone and brick work in Uncharted actually give the impression that there were once people who lived there. It gave the environments themselves their own feel and I almost started to pity the decayed state of the ruins.
But where Uncharted stands out in terms of graphics is in its characters, specifically the amount of detail put to their faces. Each character has numerous express and all of them well detailed from their jaw line to their eye brows. This attention to realism is welcoming and it makes it a lot easier to relate to the characters.
Finally, the sound. Soundtrack wise, Uncharted is not that promising. There are a few tracks and they are similar enough to make it sound like the music is repeated. This deficiency I am willing to turn a blind eye to as it is the ambient sounds that won me over.
When out in the forests, one can clearly hear the rustle of leaves, the gurgle of streams and the crashing of waves on distant beaches. In ruins, the wind gives that empty howl that goes well with the fact that those who were there are no long gone.
Overall
I’ll be frank, Uncharted is not perfect, but it is a solid and safe game. While most high definition games come with the risk of being a wasted investment, Uncharted is a very sound purchase. The characters are relatable, the environments are vibrant and alive and the story is small yet complete. If anyone is thinking of getting a PlayStation 3, this is a game I highly recommend buying at the same time. In terms of improvements, all I can say is Uncharted could do with a richer story and that ratio of action, adventure and platforming be adjusted so that the game play is more varied.
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