Okay, I got my DS3 and this game today. I didn't know the DS3 had pressure sensitive buttons...again. I thought they abandoned that with the arrival of the Sixaxis but now it alongside rumble are both back. The controller is excellent and Uncharted's application of its rumble technology is superb.
Uncharted is fun, but again (as critics have mentioned), it's nothing spectacular. It's a fun 8.5-ish game. Including gameplay that I've experienced before and absolutely raped platforming (I'm one of those individuals who doesn't mind linearity in design of any sort, but the platforming bits are so straight forward and scripted, EDIT that they are mostly boring but can be a bit exciting (couple sequences I remember now were somewhat entertaining). This is especially so after playing nigh 30 hours of Assassin's Creed).
Good stuff though. It's a completely derivative and mostly fulfilling game thus far (how's that for consistant tone but oxymoronic message? derivative: negative connotation; fulfilling: positive connotation). It truly is "like a summer blockbuster" (1UP, IGN -- pretty much everyone).
The narrative is engrossing but nothing out of the ordinary. I expected a bit more from the new member of Naughty Dog's family, Amy Hennig (despite having not played the Soul Reaver games in their entirety), only because she's been the topic of many discussions in the industry. Regardless, the narrative, 60% of the way through, has kept me glued to my television screen, even if it isn't the result of a meticulously crafted plot. No -- the reason I'm funneling all my attention to the speakers during the cutscenes and tightening my grasp on the dangling hook that is Uncharted's narrative is one quality where the game is head-over-heels beyond the competition: characters.
The characters, especially Elena and Sully, are endearing and amiable companions. I take great enjoyment in having them by my side. Nathan, Elena, Sully -- these are truly some of the best characters I've seen in a video game this generation. So relatable, energetic, and consistent in holding their respectively fascinating personalities throughout the course of (half) the game that it makes me look back at Gears of War to dig past the revolutionary (I've already said "hi" to Killswitch) cover mechanic and realize the characters are absolute garbage.
I'm 57% of the way through (according to the start menu) and I've been playing for four hours and ten minutes. In response to that, I'm way disapointed. I just paid $64 for this game; let's hope my already substantial feeling of buyer's-remorse fades away with successive play-throughs and treasure-hunting quests. But on the subject of value, in another regard, I do feel like I received what I paid for in the visual department. There were literally moments when I realized my jaw was a good couple inches away from its resting place (which is a good couple inches above where it was :lol ) because the world and its characters are so beautiful. The environment your in is entirely believable and alive. Gorgeous is an understatement: this is the best looking next generation game out there.
Remaining minor gripes: I wish the enemies wouldn't dance around so much and the animation are not as polished and extraordinary as people claim them to be. The procedural animation is great, but often times in observing its execution, it seems unfinished. And some of the standard animations look a bit wonky to me as well.
Again, and this is not a minor drawback like those established above, I wish the platforming was designed with more thought. Aside from one or two instances, the platforming thus far has been nothing more than a means to stitch together the abundant shooting segments of the game. Easy, predictable, and obvious to maneuver through, the platforming sequences are a major let down, even in relation to Ratchet and Clank, a contemporary action game I thought offered the most sans-freedom/thought-intensive platforming on the market has been deposed for the award of "most uninspired platforming". Oh, and puzzles? Forget puzzles. The only puzzles I've encountered after living through 60% of this "blockbuster" were during the first thirty minutes; thereafter, they're nowhere to be found.
So, despite the complaints, the game has been fun. I'm glad I played it but I'm not yet sure if I'm glad I bought it. We'll see if my regret fades into...relief? Hopefully it does.
