uncharted The Nathan Drake Collection Review

I am a huge fan of the Uncharted series. The original Uncharted game was the main reason I originally got a PS3 as opposed to replacing my xbox 360 After it broke down for the third time. It seemed like a modern day version of Indiana Jones(Which I love) in video game form! It also had pretty slick looking graphics, and at the time Uncharted 2 was to be released soon. So, I went for it, and I have never regretted it.

Since then I have bought and played every Uncharted game, bought and read the comic series, bought and watched the animated comic, and bought and read the book. So, it was kind of a no brainer that I was going to pick up Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection for the PS4 eventually, but the real question is: Is it worth it for YOU to pick it up? Well, since the release of Uncharted 4 is right around the corner, I will try my best to give you my opinion of the game.

It’s not an easy answer really! If you have already played and completed the original trilogy on the PS3 game console, then this doesn’t really have much to offer! Sure, the graphics and have been remastered, and they look absolutely gorgeous, but the enhancements are really only exceptionally noticeable on the first game in the series, the second one is slightly noticeable and the 3rd one doesn’t look very enhanced at all. Let me show you comparison photos!

How are they different?

As you can see, there is a huge difference! The PS4 graphics look crisper and more detailed. You can see that Drake has whiskers, as opposed to what might be dirt smudged on his face, the skin looks less like skin and more like plastic and the lighting is just better! In fact, the only thing I don’t like is Drakes eyes in the remake. On occasion they seem almost white from the light reflection. The eyes just don’t seem as natural as the original.

Like I said, Uncharted 2 has more subtle enhancements. It’s still noticeable. the PS4 version allows you to see the threads in his clothes and the leather of Drakes holster looks more worn instead of just being a solid tan color. Again, the lighting is more natural, but it is only a slight improvement over the PS3 version.

Now uncharted 3 doesn’t have much differences at all. Basically some improved lighting and that’s pretty much it. The reason being is that Uncharted 3 is the newest and latest PS3 Uncharted game, and each game got progressively better looking. What this remastered collection did was basically bring all the games up to the same quality is the third game in the series.

Should you get it?

You should get it if you are a hardcore fan of the Uncharted series and would like to play through them again before Uncharted 4 releases, so that you can refresh your memory on where the story is. You should also get it if you have not yet played the Uncharted games. The Uncharted series, is hands down one of the best game franchises out there, both in terms of game play and storytelling!

If you have recently played the whole series on the PS3 and are completely refreshed on the story line, you can prob skip over this collection. You can also skip the collection if you have it on PS3, and don’t really care about having them all in one program with enhanced graphics and on a newer system. You can also skip this set if your favorite part of Uncharted 3 was the online play. This collection is just the single player campaigns, so there are no online features built into the game.

Is it worth it?

Well, for me it def was, but I picked it up on sale during black friday for 15 bucks. Would it be worth the current asking price of $59.99? Hell no! I love the uncharted games, but would never plunk down 60 bucks for a remastering of a game series I already own on another console. The only way it would be worth it to me, is if you found the game on dirt cheap sale, bought a cheap used copy of the game or have absolutely never played the game before and don’t own them on the PS3.

Don’t get me wrong, the games are great, just not 60 dollars worth of great when they are games I have already experienced. Not to mention the lack of online play is a bit of a letdown. Granted, I never played it online but it was nice to know that it was there and was an option in case I got in the mood or something.

Overall Rating: 8/10

Grand Theft Auto 4 – PC Review

 

Well, I have finally gotten burned out on GTA5, and GTA Online, so decided to plunge into my Steam Library and play another GTA game. I decided to go with Grand Theft Auto 4, mainly because it and it’s DLC are the only games which take place in the same universe as GTA4. I know it’s older, but I have never played it on PC, so figured I would give it a shot!

Let me just say that Grand Theft Auto 4 is a excellent game, with an enjoyable storyline. Granted, The main character isn’t my favorite in the GTA universe, nor is this the best story. It however is a fun and enjoyable game with good graphics for its time, even if they are slightly dated nowadays.

This game takes you back to a larger and grittier Liberty City than you might remember from previous games. The city feels like a living and breathing city, with so much to do. You can visit amusement parks, go bowling or any number of other activities. Then of course there’s the shadier activities.

Despite the game being very good, it is also pain in the ass when it comes to the installation. The game requires GFWL, which also in turn requires you to sign up for an xbox live account. I’m sorry, if I wanted to play GTA4 on Xbox, I would have played the damn thing on Xbox! On top of that, there’s also the achievements! See the game does technically have Achievements, but again: Those are only posted to your xbox live account, they aren’t displayed on your steam account or anywhere else but your Xbox Live account. It’s just stupid. This is the only game I own that requires GFWL, and the very fact that it forces me to sign up for 2 other services(Rockstar Social and Xbox Live) is insane. I’m fine with the rockstar social club, but the other is just overkill.

Another thing that irked me, was the controls just felt clunky. They didn’t seem as fluid as the console version. I assumed the xbox control would be flawless since the game SEEMS to want to be an xbox game(Even on Steam), however these controls left me disappointed.

Still, it’s an OK game, and fans of Openworld crime sagas should definitely check this game out, despite the hassles.

Pros

• Incredible storyline
• Online open world gameplay
• Plenty of side activites
• Large Open world to explore
• Side missions as entertaining as main story.
• Incredible sountrack

Cons

• Requires GFWL
• Dated Graphics
• Clunky Controls
• Resource hog

 

RATING: 7/10

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Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition – PC Game Review

 

This is the first Mortal Kombat game that I have played since the arkade version of the original Mortal Kombat. I sucked at it then, and I kinda still suck at it now! I guess fighting games have never really been my forte. I never kould figure out all those special moves, or how to do a fatality, and unfortunately I still haven’t figured it out in this version. For me, it’s pretty much just jumping, punching and kicking. Though occasionally I do manage to accidentally manage to throw a fire ball or shoot a harpoon from my wrist.
What I kan say about this though, is that it does feel like a very much improved version of MK. Graphics are obviously much nicer, and I really like the Tag-Team feature, which pits 2 fighters against each other, allowing you to switch between them, and I imagine if you were good with the special moves, you kould pull off some seriously devastating attacks!

The kontrols seem excellent, as I said though: I kan’t pull off any moves, but that has less to do with the the game, and more to do with my lack of Kombatting skills! However, the movement of kharacters on screen is simple, and basic attacks are easy to pull off.

Another thing that I really liked was that this game has a story mode. As I said, I haven’t played an MK game since the original, so I don’t know if this is a kommon feature. I don’t think so, since Johnny Kage(Who was in the original) seems kompletely unaware of the purpose of the tourney. So, either the story is a new feature, or they are rebooting for this release? I honestly don’t know!

Now, the story feature is kool! However the actual story it’s self is kind of bland. It seems very forced, and exists simply to tie the battles together into a reason for fighting. However, despite how lame the story is, it’s STILL more entertaining than the plots for the Mortal Kombat movies.

Pros

• Beautiful Graphics
• Story Mode feature
• Good Replay Value
• Flawless Gamepad Support
• Wide Variety of Arenas

Cons

• Couldn’t get Online play to work well at all
• Maybe a bit TOO hard for inexperienced Kombatants
• Mediocre Story
• Some Storymode Fights are insanely challenging.

 

RATING: 8.5/10

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Saints Row: The Third – PC Game Quickie Review

Let me start by saying that I was a huge fan of the Saints row games from the beginning! I first played the original game(Saints Row) on the xbox 360, and the second(Saints row 2) on the PS3. So when I saw that the third game(Saints Row the Third) was on sale at the Steam store, I had to have it!

The graphics in this one was so much better than the in the second game that it blew me away! The customization was vastly improved as well, at least in terms of character creation. True, the game lacked any good hairstyles, but other than that? Aces! In fact, I spent a good 40 mins just creating my character!

Once you get in the game though, you see right away how different the it is. It just doesn’t FEEL like the past 2 chapters. It’s moved away from urban street gangs, and seems more like organised crime. As such, most of the clothes are flashy and suit like. In fact, your homies wear silk suits, and shaundi looks more like a model instead of the stoner she was in the second.

SR3 basically leaves the street gang behind, but keeps the slightly over the top feeling of the second and takes it to a whole new level! The game has absolutely NO shred of realism to it, in fact at one point you battle zombies! True, Zombies were present in the first and second game, but they weren’t major plot points, and unless you did certain things to bring dead people to life, you never even knew about it!

So, I am not exactly sure how to review this game. If I view the game as a sequel, it’s bad, REALLY bad! It veers too far away from past games and it loses what little realism existed in the game, and turns the whole franchise into a joke.

However, if I review it on its own merits, and force myself to forget that it’s part of the Saints Row franchise, then it’s actually quite good! The over the top tone is fun, and makes it difficult to know what’s going to happen next!

Basically, if you are expecting something similar to the previous games, then don’t bother with Saints Row: The Third. If you just want to have fun, doing some insane crazy stuff, then this is the game for you!

Interestingly enough, this is the first game that I would give an overall rating of both 1 Star(Poor) and 5 stars(Best) to.

Battlefront Open Beta Opinion

Recently I cancelled 2 preorders I had. The 2 games were for Battlefront and Rainbow Six: Siege, both cancellations might be surprising to anyone who REALLY knows me. Everyone knows I love starwars, and most people who know me personally also know that I enjoy Tom Clancy stuff! So, why would I cancel both a Tom Clancy title, and a Star Wars title? The answer is simple! I discovered that neither games contained a single player campaign.

See, for me gaming has always been about the story! The main reason I get a game, is going to be for the story. Sure, I’ll play online too, but the first thing I will always do is play and complete the single player campaign. Basically I look at games like a cake. The story, is like a cake. The main bulk. The online mode is frosting. Now, you can certainly eat that cake without frosting, and it would be enjoyable, but it tastes so much better with frosting! However, I sure as hell wouldn’t want to just eat the frosting without the cake.

Unfortunately, a lot of games are starting to do that. Skip the cake and force feed you frosting, while still charging you for a frosted cake. If a game doesn’t have a single player story, that’s just lazy. If that same game charges you the same amount as other games that have BOTH….then that’s highway robbery! Especially when you consider the DLC they will eventually be trying to sell you later on down the road.

So, while many of these games are going down this lazy road(Evolve and Titan off the top of my head), these games normally fail. Evolve and Titan both have a fairly poor user base these days, and yet they are still charging you full price for the game. Also, what happens when the server inevitably goes down? You don’t  even have a single player experience. You just got a game you can’t do anything with. You literally are buying a game that at some future point you KNOW will be absolutely useless!

So, naturally I cancelled my preorders. Mainly for the principle. Sure, both games look good, but I refused to pay 60 bucks for a partial game that will in a few years be unplayable. I’m no sucker!

Then the battlefront open Beta came out. I decided to try it out. It’s free after all! Couldn’t hurt! So I downloaded it to my computer, and after an insanely long installation I was in and playing, and I do admit that it was pretty cool! Sure, it’s your typical “Run around and shoot your enemy til you get killed then respawn and repeat” formula, but it feels so much better in the star wars universe!

In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I am half tempted to reinstate my preorder, but then I remember that Fallout 4, a game with an actual epic long lasting plot is being released around the same time, and for the same price. Just makes more sense to give the money to them to award them for their lack of laziness. A thing DICE seems to have an abundance of. In the end, despite it’s coolness I most likely will still pass on this game due to the reasons stated earlier in this post

Hey DICE & Ubisoft! Next time, add a single player campaign(Even a short one) and I’ll consider being a customer again.

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Injustice: Gods among us review

I have never enjoyed a fighter game in my life. When people were going crazy for street fighter, I was focusing on Final Fantasy or Dragon Warrior. So, Fighters have never had a spot in my gaming library. I picked this game up on a lark,. and didn’t expect to enjoy the game at all. I expected to just tool around with it a bit and go back to playing Battlefield 4, however I found myself quickly hooked on this game!

It’s made by the same folks who did the Mortal Kombat games(And in fact has 1 MK character in it..Scorpion), so you know the game is polished. The graphics are absolutely incredible and will make your eyes melt with pleasure!

So, what’s so great about this game? Too much to list, but I will try to list a few! Most characters have several different costume options/skins, so you can wear a classic superman outfit, or superman from the current movie costume. You can wear a classic batman outfit, or his outfit from Arkham city, You can be Classic Green Arrow, or “The Hood”/Arrow from the series. There are a lot of costumes.

Also, the arenas are interactive, and will become damaged as you have your superbrawl. you can also interact with items around the arena. There’s not TOO many arenas, but enough to give you a variety of choices. I hope more arenas get released as DLC.

The best thing though, is the story mode. Now, I am not a big fan of fighters, so I am not sure if it’s common or not, but this game has a full featured campaign mode, which is basically cutscenes connecting to a pre-determined arena battle. It’s an enjoyable story as well, and I couldn’t stop playing.

Once the campaign is done, the funs not over though, since there are STARS Missions, Multiplayer Arenas and Single player arena battles(Which should just basically be practice for multiplayer mode).

Vanishing Act

The Last of Us – Joel grappling (Photo credit: naughty_dog)

Good lord! I haven’t posted on here since March 26th? It doesn’t seem like it! The reason why is a crapload of new games ended up getting released, and by jove I had to play them! Some were insanely incredible, and others were giant disappointments. Still, they needed to be played.

After I had gotten caught up on the heat from the oncoming Summer blasted over the land, causing me to enter a lethargic state! All I wanted / want  to do is sleep! That’s what heat does to me! I am not sure if everyone gets tired when the temp begins to rise, but I certainly do!

So, when I haven’t been sweating, I have been snoozing. Either way, it’s not a good time to blog! I would say that I plan on blogging more, and I will! However, just not for a few days, because tomorrow is the release date of “The Last of Us“!

Best MMORPGs of 2013 (So far)

We are well into a new year! So, I decided to bring to you my list of best free to play MMORPGs! It wasn’t so long ago, that a list like this would be pointless. MMORPGs that were free to play were few and far apart, and the ones that were out looked only slightly better than ASCII. Now, not only are there multitudes to choose from, but the majority of them don’t just look good, but look outstanding.

However, nice graphics does not always make a fun MMORPG. For me, a good MMORPG offers a compelling story or brings something new to the table. Something to make it stand out from the rest!

It’s not surprising that most of the games on this list were once subscription based. Games originally intended to be subscription only, tend to have a higher production value, and because of that, more time and effort put into the game.

I also want to say, that if you really enjoy any of these games, and find yourself playing one a lot, then I highly recommend subscribing to the game. You usually receive special perks, and you get full enjoyment out of the game, without having to spend time and extra money purchasing the needed content to continue your adventure.

Lastly, I will say right from the go: World of Warcraft is not on this list. Some may argue that it is sort of free to play, however they would be wrong. Sure, you can buy pets from a cash store, and yea, you can play for free. However you can only play up to level 20, and then no further unless you buy the game and subscribe. Although, even if it were free to play, I am not sure it would make it to this list, since at the time of this writing, it doesn’t really offer anything new to the MMORPG community.

Without further ado, the 10 best free to play MMORPGs!

10) Tera – This free to play MMORPG only went free to play last month, and it looks gorgeous! To fully appreciate the beauty of this game you need to have a fairly decent computer, however you can lower the settings, and play it on lower performance systems, but it doesn’t look anywhere near as nice. The game has a ton of races and classes to choose from, and features a detailed character creator.

The only thing keeping this game from being higher on the list is the controls. They are clumsy and awkward, though I am sure some will love them. I am used to traditional MMORPG controls, and this style, just fries my dome.

9) Star Trek Online – This MMORPG has been out for 3 years, and has only gotten better. If you are a fan of star trek, or Sci-fi in general, then this is definitely worth checking out. The game features voice talents of many Star Trek actors and actresses and some stunning graphics. After a short tutorial mission, you become a captain, and get your own ship! This ship also serves as your player housing, and as your mount. Piloting your ship takes a little getting used to, but afterwards, it becomes second nature. This unique blending of space missions and ground missions helps the game to stand out from other titles, but what really sets it apart is the Foundry. The foundry allows you to create your own quests and missions and share them with the community. Which means that there is a never-ending flow of new quests and missions being added daily, and since Star Trek fans are known for their passion and creativity, the majority of these missions are of higher quality than the official missions.

8) Age of Conan – An MMO that captures the savagery of Hyboria and the tales of Conan! The game has unique combat controls, which requires you to watch your enemies and attack where they are weakest. Sure, you can just button mash, but you won’t last very long doing that! It’s also important to note, that this game is based on the novels, not the movies, so don’t be surprised that people don’t speak in an Austrian accent. The only thing keeping this game from being MUCH higher, is the fact that after the starting area, the game seems less polished. Tortage is fantastic and gorgeous, and if the rest of the game was anywhere near as fleshed out as that area? This game would be number one with a bullet!

7) Lord of the Rings Online – This MMORPG is based on the novels by Tolkien, not the movies! Meaning, you will see and interact with characters not in the movie. The game takes place during the same time as the events in the books, and you play a character living in the world. Sometimes, you may find yourself bumping into the fellowship, or following in their footsteps, in your own unique story worthy of the title Lord of the Rings.

6) Fallen Earth – An MMORPG set not just in the future, but in a post apocalyptic future! A wasteland reminiscent of the Fallout universe, or Mad Max. The world is huge, the setting unique and the story? Well, the story is alright, but it’s there, and better than most MMOs.

5) Dungeons & Dragons Online – One of the earliest subscription based MMORPGs to go free to play, and still one of the best. The game is challenging to master, but easy to learn. If you are a D&D pen and paper player, then you should be playing this, if you aren’t already. The game is set in the Eberron Campaign, which admittedly is not my favorite setting, but the game is fantastic never the less. The controls can be remapped to any button(Or controller if you use an Xbox 360 controller for windows), which means the controls can and do fit everyones needs.

4) Champions Online – An action based MMORPG where you get to play a super hero! The game features graphics that are top notch, and resemble comics with their slightly cell shaded appearance. Not a fan of the look? Don’t fret! That graphic filter can be switched off, for more of a traditional gaming look. The game has deep character customization tools, so you can literally create the super hero of your dreams. Worried that your hero name will be taken? Not a problem either, since the can be multiple Super Heroes with the same name(whispers and mail is determined by your login name).

3) APB Reloaded – While it’s not your traditional MMORPG, it does have enough in common with other MMORPGs to appeal to the same userbase. The game takes place in a modern setting, and is similar in many ways to the grand theft auto games. Will you be a cop or a thug? Bring peace to the streets or anarchy? The choices are yours! The game is heavily group dependent however, so if you are a soloist, this might not be the best game for you. The controls also take a while to get used to, and since the game has recently gotten rid of its tutorial level, you are pretty much just forced to figure it out on your own. Which means, you will end up dying a lot at first.

2) Star Wars: The Old Republic – This game is made by Bioware, the same guys who made the Mass Effect, Dragons Age and Knights of the Old Republic games. So, you know it’s going to be kick-ass! The graphics are amazing, and the stories(the are different for each class) are unbelievable! Your actions shape the entire outcome of the game. How you play it is entirely up to you!

1) The Secret World – While not free to play in the same sense as the others on this list, it is still free to play. Sure, you have to buy the game, but that’s it! You can buy more items from the cash store, but not required for full enjoyment of the game. The game reminds me of the Story Telling games by White wolf, called World of Darkness. To be even more precise it reminds me of the Mage games. The game takes place in a modern world, wrapped in dark secrets on conspiracies. A world where hidden things do go bump in the night, where shadowy organizations pull the strings. This game borrows heavily from Lovecraft as well as numberous other writers, and is an insanely enjoyable experience.

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NCIS: The Game Review – PS3

I will be upfront with this review. I am not a fan of the series, in fact I have never watched it. If I had, my views on the game might have been different.

What I expected was a game with similar play mechanics to the CSI titles. The premise isn’t much different, and it’s released through the same publisher.

Needless to say, it’s not what I got. The game was a mess! Sure the graphics were standard(For the time of its release), but the animation and voice acting were very sub-par, which is a shame since apparently the game uses the voice talents of the actual shows actors(Which leads me to question the shows entertainment value).

The game consists of you walking around the screen taking pictures of whatever one of the other characters tell you to take photos of. Basically, it’s a “Hidden picture” game. I say that in quotes, because the items aren’t really hidden. They usually are just right there. You may have to walk around a counter to see it, but it’s sitting in the blue.

Occasionally you might be asked move something, or help move something. During these scenes you are expected to press a combo of buttons. Kind of like a Quick Time Event, minus the Quick Time.

You also play as the medical examiner and perform autopsies, which sounds interesting at first, until you discover that an autopsy consists of you taking pictures of red glowing marks on a wire frame body.

You are probably wondering by this point, if the game has any puzzles! Yes, it does. If you have the same idea of puzzles as this game. Puzzles tend to be matching up a piece of evidence with another. Sometimes the puzzle is a memory game. Other times, its keeping your crosshairs on top of a moving target.

The only redeeming aspect of this game is the “deduction board” where you connect all of the gathered clues to reach a final conclusion. It reminds me of the Sherlock Holmes deduction boards, however, it too is fairly simple.

Overall, the game is nothing like what I expected, and was a huge disappointment from start to finish. perhaps if I was familiar more with the series, it might have left a better taste in my mouth, but from a purely gaming point of view, this is an abomination to video games! Sure, it’s not the WORST game I have ever played, but that’s not really a redeeming factor.

In the end, unless you a truly hardcore NCIS fan, I would stay FAR away from this title.

Games: New Vs. Used

When purchasing games, you have two options. Either buy the game new, or buy it used. Which is the way to go?

First, you have to ask yourself, How new is the game? Is it a recent release? If so, then you might want to consider buying the game new. Bottom line, a new release game is not going to be that much cheaper used. If you are lucky, you might save yourself 5 or 6 bucks. However, many newer games come with free bonus DLC codes. When you buy that game used, odds are the code has already been redeemed. If you want that DLC, it will cost you between 5 and 10 bucks.

Best case scenario, you broke even. Worst case scenario, you paid an extra 5 bucks or so. Actually, best case scenario you end up on the loosing end too, since used games generally don’t have as long a return policy as a new game. Meaning if after a few weeks, you find out the game had a scratch that made it unplayable…too bad for you.

To be fair, sometimes you don’t really have a choice. A game company will quit producing a game, or it’s a game on an older game console. Your only realistic option is buying the game used. Sure, you can buy new copies of older games, but expect to pay out the nose. In fact, most of the time, that game you want, costs more new than it would to buy a game console.

It’s times like this, that paying the hundred(s) less for a game might be the best way to go, but it’s not perfect. See, here’s the thing. Many times these games have some serious issues. The games are old, and as such may not work as well as will like. Hell, to be fair, they may not work at all! You might buy a game, get it home, pop it in, only to find the damn game won’t boot up. Worse yet, it may boot up, and may play perfectly all the way through the game, until it reaches the last mission, and then freezes up!

If the game doesn’t work from the get go, you can always return it. Assuming you tested it right away. If however it waits until the end, you are pretty much screwed, since odds are, it will be several weeks before you notice, which by then returns are no longer valid. Also, if you notice right away, and you bought it at Gamestop, great..return away. However say you got it at some online store? If you paid 50 bucks for a used game, then yea! Return it. What about 5? At this point, is it worth the hassle of packing the box, printing a label and waiting for it to get there, so your replacement can be shipped out? Not really right?

I have bought many used games, and to be fair the majority of them work great. Although a good many were non-functional. So, weigh your choices before buying a used game, and figure out, if it’s really the best move for you.