Filed under: Adventure, Gaming, Reviews | Tags: cover system, drake's fortune, treasure hunting, uncharted
Almost every single day I have to marvel at just how far the gaming industry has come. Aside from the stubborn Neanderthals who insist that video games are not a form of art and have no redeeming qualities whatsoever, it’s pretty safe to say almost everybody has a game they can almost wax poetic about. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune is that game for me.
Graphically, this game is amazing. The colors are bright and vibrant, the characters actually look like they have personalities, and the water mechanics are, in a word, phenomenal. You almost swear you could touch your TV screen and your hand would come away wet. I’ve seen cut scenes that were much more graphically complicated, but I enjoyed the fact that in Uncharted they still looked like the gameplay. 
It gave the game a smooth feeling. I’ve always felt that games with cut scenes that look much better than the actual gameplay feel somewhat disjointed. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good cut scene, it’s just fun to see more of a natural flow.
The storyline is a fun one, dragging you into a semi-historical romp through Latin America. Along the way you deal with pirates, other treasure hunters that have no problem killing you, and weird beasts that seem like a cross between zombies and Tarzan. 
And you even get to spend some time on a rusty old WWII U-boat in the middle of a jungle. Can you say awesomeness?
Basically, you’re hunting for the lost treasure of El Dorado and you’ve got quite a large group of people on your tail that really don’t like you very much. You also have a sidekick for a great deal of the time during the game who actually hits some of the things she shoots at. I’m not kidding. I swear this is a first for me, since in every other game I’ve played it seems like I’m doing all the killing and my NPC teammates are just there to look pretty and throw out random comments about my shooting ability.
Speaking of NPCs, the characters in this game are funny. Their facial reactions are great and the jokes, combined with the voice acting, really give this game personality. Your character Nathan especially has that sense of humor than totally tells you he’s a jerk but drives girls wild anyway.
I really liked the controls for this game. They are simple, straightforward, and include one particular feature that I don’t think any game like this should be without: a cover system. It works like a charm and I really hope that this signals a general shift in all games requiring shooting, even if they aren’t specifically a shooter. 
I love being able to duck behind things like I would if I were actually in a situation where bullets were flying past my head. After playing games with a cover system like this I find it incredibly hard to go back to playing without one. It feels so natural to just be able to poke your head and arm out from behind something as opposed to going colonial British style and making your whole body a target. After all, if the way we’ve waged war has evolved why can’t the way we play war-type games or games that involve gunfire?
This game is in third person view, which some people like and others hate. I personally love third person so that is one particular thing they did with this game that I’m thankful for. It was really the icing on the cake since, even if this had been done from a first person view, I would have bought it anyway. It really is an awesome game.
Verdict: A. It’s hard to really put into words how much I love this game. It all came together for me and I dare say it’s one of the very few video games I’ve played through twice and still wouldn’t mind playing through again. And it’s one of only two PS3 games I have so far that are driving me absolutely out of my mind for a sequel.
Platform: PS3
Rating: T
Filed under: Adventure, Gaming, Reviews, Vintage games | Tags: simon the sorcerer
Recently I’ve been playing a game that, for some reason, never really left my mind. The first time I played it was on a x286 (I couldn’t even tell you the specs on that baby anymore) using two 3.5″ floppy discs and rockin’ out to the coolness that was the midi soundtrack. I’m talking about Simon the Sorcerer. At the time it came out in 1993, the graphics were the best thing since sliced bread and the dialogue was witty and suitably dry. In playing through it again I can honestly say it is still one of the Best. Games. Ever.
Click on thumbnails for larger view.
Yes, this game is incredibly old. No, it is not 3D and the graphics don’t hold a candle to the new generation of games (or even the one before). But I defy you to find an old game that brings me this much joy after after 15 years.
The thing that strikes me the most about this game is that, while the graphics are definitely nowhere near what you find now, they are still really good. The colors are vibrant and there is a lot of detail you simply didn’t find in most games back in the day. The backgrounds may not move, but they look pretty.
The wit displayed in the game is decidedly dry (notice in the picture that if you are away from your computer while the game is running Simon will take out his tape deck and listen to it). But you can hardly expect it not to be when the developer is a British-based company called Adventuresoft. Video games like this totally reflect the mannerisms and humor of the culture they are developed in and this game is no different. I love that I can get that dry humor fix while playing a game.
The sound is all midi. We’re talking old school, here. Music that loops for a little while, then stops for a bit if you’ve been in the same scene too long, then starts right back up again. And yet I never tire of it. It’s mind-boggling I tell you. This is exactly the type of thing that would make me want to hurl my computer out the window if it was any other game. And yet I’m at peace playing this one. Who knew?
The gameplay is simple: point and click. It’s a game exclusively concerned with solving puzzles. I think the lightness of it is what makes it so timeless for me. I can totally see myself 10 years from now tooling around on whatever ridiculously fast new computer I have, running across this on my hard drive and loading the latest emulator to play it.
Verdict: A. You didn’t expect any less did you? I’ve played this game exactly twice (lost the discs) in 15 years and it’s still stuck in my mind and a blast to play. So I’m flat-out ordering that you find this game and play it. Do it now!
