Unwinnable

For people who played videogames in the 1980s and 1990s, reading the manual of a newly-purchased game was just as important an experience as actually playing the game. Players would devour every piece of information the document offered, eating it up in anticipation of the actual gaming experience. This might be the only game they would play that year. They took all of it in.

Manuals barely exist now, having been shrunk down to the barest minimum over the years. There are other, similar gaming experiences that have faded away, but one has staged a curious comeback in the past few weeks. (more…)

Earlier this week, I reviewed Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. Unlike most other outlets, my feelings for the game ran only lukewarm.

The reason for this is easily summarized. The previous game, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, boasts an excellent storyline, deep character development and some of the most exotic and satisfying environments in any game of this generation. In retrospect, the controls did feel a bit outdated, but I never noticed the mechanical issues while I was playing because the narrative elements of the game were so thoroughly engrossing.

Drake’s Deception, meanwhile, botched the storyline, glossed over character development and waited until the final act to introduce any awe-inspiring settings. With nothing else to distract me, the gameplay somehow seemed even worse. In short, compared to its predecessor, Drake’s Deception is a hot mess. (more…)

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves begins with a bloody and bruised Nathan Drake escaping from a wrecked train dangling off a cliff somewhere in the high passes of the Himalayas.

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception begins with a bar fight in an English pub.

If that disparity in scale and ambition doesn’t bother you, you may want to stop reading now. (more…)