UNCHARTED 3: DRAKE'S DECEPTION REVIEW

Let's get this out the way first.  Uncharted 3 isn't perfect, in fact it's far from perfect.  But there is nothing in the history of mankind that has ever been or will ever be perfect.  I would have loved nothing more than to come onto this review and tell you Uncharted 3 has no negatives.  But it does, so let's get them out the way then.

The shooting in Uncharted 3 is slightly different to 2 and takes a little bit to get used to.  The aiming feels more heavy and the way bullets fly has changed since its predecessor.  But after a few hours play it becomes second nature.  One of the Uncharted series big flaws has been the slightly iffy controls when it comes to climbing.  Initially it's slightly awkward when trying to get Drake to jump in a specific direction, depending on where and what your hanging off.  But like the issues with the shooting, a few hours of gameplay remedies this and its not long before your flinging Drake from one death defying situation to the next.  And lastly, the pace of the game lulls just before the last few chapters but I can forgive it for knowing what came before.

That's the negatives out the way, time to wax lyrical.  Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is dangerously close to being the greatest game I've ever played.  The game follows our budding hero Nathan Drake on a voyage to beat token bad guy Kathrine Marlowe and her henchmen to discovering the Pillars of Ubar.  An ancient lost city in the heart of the Rub'Al Khali desert.  The story seems familiar for veterans of the first two games but it takes a completely different path.

Uncharted 2 was a great game, but at times I felt like I had done it in the first game.  The character that turned?  Saw it coming.  The supernatural end game, expected it.  But Uncharted 3 takes everything you know about the series, flips it upside down, puts it in a mixer and spews it all over the floor.  Throughout the whole game I was questioning the relationship between more than a few characters.  I was curious about new additions Cutter and Talbot, just what exactly was their end game in all of this?  The game takes a massive twist as I was left gob smacked when I realised just what was happening in Chapter 2.  Without spoiling it, I can say I was not disappointed in the story.

But Uncharted 3 isn't only great for its story telling, its also a technical marvel.  I've played the famous boat and plane scenes from all the trailers.  They play ten times better than they look, my jaw fell to the floor on more than one occasion as the tanker was swept from side to side as I struggled to help Nate escape the sinking ship.  But to be honest, I enjoyed some of the smaller scale set pieces the most.  The frustrating thing is that I can't tell you for fear of spoilers but rest assured you will not be disappointed.

It's not just the hollywood moments that appeal, something as simple as Drake brushing his hand past a wall looks fantastic and just adds to the realism.  The way Drake acts in cover as well is brilliant.  If there isn't any guards around Drake acts relaxed but as soon as he senses something you can just see Nate react accordingly by moving his hands or just tensing his body up.  Its this sort of attention to detail that really sets Naughty Dog apart from the crowd.

The main gameplay mechanic that has had a real overhaul from Uncharted 2 though is the melee combat.  Naughty Dog have given an obvious nod to the folks over at Rocksteady and the combat is now very similar to Batman: Arkham Asylum/City.  Drake can take on multiple opponents and in some ways it exceeds the Batman games but the countering system unfortunately isn't perfect but it does make for some good brawls throughout the game starting right at Chapter 1.

So is Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception the best game this generation?  Obviously everyones opinion is different but right now I would have to say yes it is.  This is the benchmark that is now set for everyone and I can't possibly see how Naughty Dog can top this.  But I'm sure there already well on their way to proving me wrong.

10/10

BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY REVIEW

After the surprise hit that was Arkham Asylum back in 2009 we knew that Arkham City wouldn't catch us off guard again.  I'm very happy to report that if you loved Arkham Asylum, Arkham City will not disappoint you.

Arkham City's story revolves mainly around the mad scientist Hugo Strange and the Joker.  Both are in Batman's face for most of the story and are without a doubt the main villains along with one other antagonist that I won't reveal for spoiler reasons.  I enjoyed the story but felt that way too many characters were shoe-horned in just for the sake of it.  A few like Mr Freeze really came out well in the overall arc but a few others were made to look like bit part players.  I would of preferred if some characters were merely referenced and not just made to look like they aren't even a real threat to Batman which is what happened here.

Rocksteady tread quite closely to Arkham Asylum's plot line, revisiting many parts of the original including the Scarecrow sequences.  While the Scarecrow doesn't make it in this game, Rocksteady tried to replicate the wonderful hallucination sequences but unfortunately missed the mark here.  While they are good in their own right nothing had me close to a 'wow' moment like the original did time and time again.

The combat system has been slightly refined and still remains the best hand to hand combat in gaming.  The counter and melee combo's still work well but thrown into the mix are different counter actions for knifes, riot shields and even different enemy types.  It really keeps you on guard at all times and makes getting a higher combo tougher than in the original.  But once you get the hang of things there really is nothing quite like the satisfaction of taking out ten guys with a 40 hit combo.

While we were told that Batman would have a sprawling world to cover it's not quite 100% true.  Yes it is free roam but it's the same type of free roam we had in the first game.  The world is open to you from the start but unless you have certain abilities you won't be able to explore very far.  I"m perfectly fine with this, the pacing in visiting new areas was good and it shouldn't upset unless you wanted GTA Batman.  Arkham City is bigger than Arkham Asylum but in some places it's more difficult to navigate and the map doesn't really help in some situations, especially when searching for Riddler trophies (of which there are 440).  Batman's main way of moving quickly is via his grappling gun and of course his cape.  Both work well and you can easily make your way from one end of the map to the other in about two minutes.  It doesn't sound long but it's really down to how quick your able to move.

I enjoyed Arkham City but I have to admit I didn't enjoy it as much as the first game.  When you make a game that comes from left field and is amazing it's even more difficult to follow it up.  I love the way Arkham City is a love letter to the Batman universe and I have learned so much more about it all by playing but it just didn't grab me all the way through like Arkham Asylum did.

The story was so-so and it didn't really give me the urgency I needed to want to carry on, the ending was slightly flat although it does finish with a controversial moment.  The side missions were well done and felt just as important as some of the main missions but there just weren't as many as I'd hoped for.

All in all Batman: Arkham City is a well polished game that is certainly one of my gaming highlights this year so far.  It should be on all of your playlists but just don't expect an Arkham Asylum beater, it came close, but not close enough.

8.5