The Last Of Us

I do not get the chance to do many game reviews because of lack of financial backing from both myself and others. So It is a special day when I can get a game at launch.
I am admitadly a big fan of the uncharted series. I have platnumed 2 of them and am close to the third. So when Naughty Dog announced The Last of us I was locked in. I have been waiting and drooling for a good year. Now I can stop drinking so much water from dehydrating myself.

The Last of Us is a journey very unlike any that Naughty dog has sent you on in the past. It is a step in a different direction from the lighthearted games they are use to making. But Naughty dog has taken all that they have learned from making Uncharted and turned out a new series that not only bennefits from previous games from the company but expands on them.
Your main protaganist is Joel. He has been hardened from all the difficulties of years in a post modern world. He is synical and angry and has done many things that many of us would hope we would never do. But all this has made him the perfect man for the job.
Elle is our other main character and is a character at that. She can be a brat and a sweetheart. She is always helpful and will do anything to help Joel.
There are many other characters in this that you will love and hate. Some are more helpful than others. Some you might hate at first but love and miss once they part ways. Others you will always hate as they are not likeable characters. But that is how Naughty dog meant them to be.
When you finish The Last of Us you will have felt you were on this journey with them. Naughty Dog has done a supreme job at this story. You might cry with them you might feel cold and unfealing like joel tries to be at all times. But you will have a large range of emotions throughout this game.

The gameplay mechanics are clean and work well. Although there were some points where I was trying to hit someone or something and completly missed even though I was close. The situations in this game make you need to show control of when you will show force or when you will sneak around. On top of that it is sometimes just better to run to fighanother day. But those options are always there.
The AI is very smart and depending on the enemy will hunt you down in different ways. I died many times because I did not take into account that the infected did not fight like the humans and vice versa. And when you die by the hands of the infected it is not a pretty sight. The infected pay no attention to your flashlight. This is good since they are no alway is the brightest spots. The humans will talk and coordinate with eachother to surround and capture you. This is where I found running helpful.
The graphics for this game are what we all have come to expect from Naughty Dog. The sets and vibrant and detailed. The cities are grey and dreary feeling with hints of life. The outdoors are bright and green. But they both give you the feeling of being alone and scared of whats next.

The Last of Us is Naughty Dogs grand goodbye to the PS3 and boy did they do it right. Not much was missed in this game from the great mood setting music and wonderfully written story line. To the great graphics and gameplay that keeps you in the story. As Naughty dog is not creating a game but more an interactive experience. This game is a must play. But be aware of the language and gore that come with it.

Uncharted 2 Among Thieves Review.

Ok. All the reviews I have seen on Uncharted 2 have been fantastic. I would have to agree with them. Uncharted 2 is one of the best games of this generation. The controls are great with only a few issues. The graphics are top notch and the story just gets better and better as you play threw the game.

First we will go into the story. I am not going to give away any spoilers. But the game goes in between game play and cut scene so well. that if your not the one playing. You might not know that there has been a change. The game starts off with allot of flashbacks. So be prepared. But without the flashbacks you would have no idea what your doing. They play between characters is fun and interesting.I really like how Nathan and Chloe banter back and forth with each other during the entire game. You know that there is a history behind the two of them right from the start. But to see how they react to each other through out the game tells you allot about the two of them. Then when you Add Elana from the first Uncharted into the mix. You get to see a good amount of confrontation that adds to the fun of the basic story. You cannot complain too much about the story and defiantly not about the acting.

Graphics were amazing. Everything was wonderfully detailed. The backgrounds were gorgeous. The up close and personal details are emasculate. Everything Is well done. There are parts where you get to look over a whole valley, and you see how much work Naughty dog put into this game. There is not another current console game out there that can match Uncharted 2 Graphically.

Gameplay. This is the only area that I had issues. The controls were great. My complaints was sometimes Drake would not post up against a wall until I had rolled into it a few times or he would completely roll past the wall into harms way when I was in a hurry to avoid getting shot. I also did have the game freeze up on me once. Then another time I was shot threw a wall. So I was not dead yet. But I had no way out. Then another time. I got caught in an obviously scripted part of the game. and got stuck behind some rubble that was more meant to keep me on the side that I was not on. I did also have a complaint about the hand to hand combat for this game. Although I liked it at first. I did start to find it tiresome at times when I would constantly get counter attacked. So although it was an improvement. I also felt at times it took away from the feeling I got from the first game of just running up and beating the crap out of someone. That would be more of my personal preference so I would not expect naughty dog to fix that.

Online. This is just a great addition to the over all game. Sometimes the match process can get unfair. Or the wait can tend to be long depending on how many people are playing in your area. But once you start playing. its so fun to run around and just find people to shoot, climbing walls and buildings and ladders. Your almost always going to get shot and killed because everyone comes from anywhere on the map. But the whole process is so much fun that it keeps you wanting to play.

Naughty Dog has brought out one of the best action packed experiences that you can have on a console. That includes watching a movie or playing another game. With Uncharted 2 you get both. With only a very few flaws. This game deserves the high praise that everyone else has been giving it.

Garphics = 10

Gameplay = 9.5

Story = 10

Presentation =10

Overall score = 9.9

Uncharted 2 Demo

OK. I know the game it's self is out today. But I do not have it yet. I was also really upset that the demo expired yesterday. But here is my review.

Now I normally do not like online games. But this is one of the funnest multi-player games I have ever played. The ability to climb quickly, the variety of weapons, the perks that you can use, and the variety of game types and characters make this worth it. This demo just by its self is worth a small fee just for it's self. But to have it as part of the game makes it a wonderful package deal.

The graphics are top notch, although you don't have much time to look at them as you are running around trying not to get killed.

The game play is wonderful although I do find myself posting up against a wall when I am trying to dive out of the way. The ability to grab people and pull them over a ledge, or counter by kicking them off the ledge is quite fun and found myself doing that once in a while when the opportunity presented it's self. throwing grenades is much faster now too and something completely welcomed. I never minded the sixaxis control for aiming although I know how it could bother some. So them moving away from it does not bother me.

The Co-op was also fun. But I never played it with people I know which would have made it even better for me. And the Co-op treasure hunter mode was also fun with 3 people. But the need for communication between the 3 players would be very helpful once you get into the harder stages.

For a demo this is perfect and above what I ever expected. If the demo was just a game as it is. It would still deserve a high ranking.

Graphics = 10

Game play = 9.5

Story = n/a

Presentation = 9.5

Overall score = 9.67