The Moral Ambiguity of Nathan Drake (Uncharted 2)

Before I get into this, just a quick word of warning; although I have purposely avoided any story specific spoilers, I will be touching upon some of the key themes and settings featured in Uncharted 2. So, if you are currently in spoiler evasion mode, please vacate this page and start playing Uncharted 2 immediately! Otherwise, please read on.

“How many men have you killed today?”

Those words come courtesy of war criminal and general bad apple Zoran Lazarevic, directed at everyone’s favourite video game adventurer, and the protagonist of the Uncharted series, Nathan Drake. Lazarevic is rightfully questioning Drake’s right to pass judgement upon his own abhorrent actions. For all his good deeds, wise cracking and rugged good looks, Nathan Drake is a thief and a killer, and a bloody good one too.

He may put his neck on the line for those he cares about, and he manages to stumble across a noble cause and see it through until the end, but everywhere he ventures he leaves a pile of corpses in his wake. He carries no badge, no license to kill and most of his actions (at least in the first half of the game) are fuelled by greed and/or revenge. I’m sure Interpol would be fascinated to learn of his whereabouts! He doesn’t give a second thought to breaking into a museum to appropriate an artefact, and although he avoids taking lethal action against the guards, he does stoop to throwing a museum security guard off a roof into a craggy bay, far, far below. I can’t see him surviving that fall, and it made me question aloud, “Did he just kill a museum employee?” I guess he was in the way of his harmless plundering. He displays little remorse for his actions, and in most instances he openly revels in his neck snapping escapades.

How did a healthy interest in history and dead languages, and I’m guessing a childhood fixation on all things Indiana Jones, create such a cold blooded and ruthless killer? I have loved ancient history ever since I was a child, but I’ve never shot anyone in the face and then made a joke about punching their ticket. Not recently, at least. Maybe he played a lot of violent video games as a child? That must be it.

Nathan Drake is a lovable rogue, but he’s a murderous one nonetheless. Still, I’d buy him a pint.

I’m not really sure what I’m trying to say here. Am I touching upon the strength of the character created by Naughty Dog, one so sympathetic that we will entirely overlook his dark side to fully embrace him, or am I commenting on what we will accept, or even look for in our heroes? Probably neither, as to be honest I just wanted to write about a game that has blown away my already sky high expectations, without resorting to writing a straight forward review.

If you haven’t already played Uncharted 2, then you really should. It’s good.



ODDS & ENDS


Whilst cooking the other night, I managed to burn the top of my left index finger on the frying pan. It really hurt, but more than that, it put an end to a planned night of Uncharted 2 goodness. I couldn’t use the bloody left trigger, which meant no targeting. Next time I’m getting take-out!


I picked up .detuned on PSN over the weekend. For those not in the know, it’s a demoscene where you control the rhythmically induced movements of a deranged man in a chair, accompanied by either the in-game or custom soundtrack. I knew it was meant to be weird, but four men with elephant heads dancing around a chair in slow motion to a track distorted beyond recognition, whilst being cheered on by Domo kun look-alike aliens really takes the biscuit. If the above description appeals to you, then I would highly recommend picking up this dirt cheap title from PSN.

But Where is the Box? - PlayStation Store and Downloadable Games

When I bought my PS3 around a year and a half ago, the PlayStation Network service had absolutely no influence upon my purchase. I’m not even sure if I knew what PSN was. Yet over the last year, it has played an increasingly substantial role in the way that I enjoy and use my PS3.

Initially, I had zero interest in downloading games. I never download music, from itunes or otherwise, and have always taken a perverse pride in the CDs, DVDs and game boxes lining my shelves, so the thought of downloading games from the PlayStation Store did not interest me in the slightest. In fact, it took a month before I even bothered to hook up my console to the internet.

After a while, I started to check into the store for the odd demo, and eventually I succumbed to my first downloaded game, Flower. Since then, the store has become a central part of my gaming experience. From the laid back experience of the mesmerising Flower, multiplayer fun with Worms to reminiscing with Final Fantasy VII, downloaded games have started to warrant more and more of my gaming time, not to mention space on my hard drive. With Battlefield 1943 and Shatter claiming the last few precious bytes of my original 40GB HD, I updated to a 120GB replacement. Flushed with my newly acquired bytes, I recently downloaded Marvel vs. Capcom 2, Fat Princess and Burnout Paradise Big Surf Island and there is plenty of space for Trine and mining the PS1 resources on the Japanese store.

I really don’t feel like I have to give much thought to paying £4 for a game like Shatter, or ¥700 for Flower. And the overall experience and amount of time I put into Battlefield 1943 still surprises me for a downloaded title. There is a great deal of quality and choice on show, and armed with an address and point card, it’s easy to set up multiple accounts across different regions.

For all of Sony’s past blunders with the PS3, be they real or imagined, PSN, and more specifically the PlayStation Store, is definitely something that they can be proud of. There is also a great deal of scope for future improvements, perhaps with an increase in episodic titles, and fingers crossed, PS2 titles. I have no idea about the technological ramifications of running downloaded PS2 titles, but it would seem to be a win win situation, with Sony receiving an influx of cash for titles that have long since paid for themselves, whilst gamers would benefit from easy access to a vast back catalogue of impressive games.


Odds & Ends

“The things I’ll teach ya is sure to beat ya, But nevertheless you’ll get a lesson from teacher”, so says Chop Chop Master Onion. I picked up a dirt cheap copy of Parappa the Rapper for the PlayStation on Friday, and I’m absolutely loving it. I didn’t play it when it first came out, so its all new to me. I will definitely be putting up a Parappa related blog once I have finished the game.

Entering The Halo Universe For The First Time

With Halo ODST just around the corner, I feel it’s about time that I finally delved into the Halo games that have been waiting patiently on my shelf. You see, I have never played a Halo game (aside from a 10 minute session on Halo 3), despite being a FPS fan, a heavy consumer of video games, and an Xbox 360 owner. I want to allow myself to get caught up in the hyperbole that will come hand in hand with ODST's release. To do so, I need to invest in what came before it. I will turn on my 360, and I will play some Halo.

My Halo negligence stems from my relationship with Xbox. At the time of release, I was too firmly entrenched in my PS2 gaming to be interested in the ugly brick that was the Xbox, thus many a quality title passed me by entirely. I finally bought a 360 about 6 months ago, when after a few pints too many in Akihabara, I decided to go home via the shops. This is never a particularly sound idea. “A 360” I must have said to myself, “that sounds like a good idea”. I’m pleasantly surprised that I didn’t drop it on the way home.

I had been considering buying one for a few months, as I was interested in playing Left 4 Dead, Dead Rising and of course Halo 3, but it took a couple of beers for me to see the true merits of such a purchase. Since that day, I have played only one game from start to finish, Dead Rising, which I thoroughly enjoyed, starting and almost immediately abandoning a handful of other titles. In fact, my fiancé has gotten far more mileage out of it, currently being a fair way through The Last Remnant. I’m not sure how much she is enjoying it though, as every time I look over my shoulder she seems to be stuck in a cave and/or loading screen.

 

On top of this, there is my propensity for the PS3. For one reason or another, I just happen to love playing it. Whether it’s my familiarity with the Sony brand, the games, the interface, trophies or the fact that more of my friends have PS3s, the 360 is severely losing the battle for my attention. I will now kiss my PS3. However, I am not a stubborn Sony purist, as I can quite clearly see the merits of Microsoft’s machine and some of the outstanding games that it boasts, but I just can’t motivate myself to play it. However, in my desire to experience the Halo series, I am determined to at least attempt to resolve this.

When I think of Halo I think of Master Chief, space travel, shooting from vehicles, tea bagging, a strong story and guns. As you can see, I really don’t know all that much about Halo! But that’s all about to change as I finally jump into a series that I’m bound to enjoy. It’s been 8 years coming, but I’m finally going to do it. All I have to do is turn off my PS3 first.



Odds & Ends

I got the final confirmation/paperwork for my Tokyo Game Show press pass last week. Having attended the last three years on the extremely busy public days, I’m really excited to get an opportunity to be there for both industry days, starting on September 24th. I managed to utilize a bit of initiative this year and offered to write a preview and round up of the event for a magazine, in return for a press pass. Voila, pass got! I will be posting lots of news and pictures from TGS, so watch this space.

I have been playing and thoroughly enjoying Batman - Arkham Asylum. Not wanting to add to the astounding number of online blogs dedicated to it, I will keep my comments to one bullet point. It’s an excellent game, and is extremely accessible for people like me, whose Batman knowledge comes from the films, and have no interest in comics. I do have one bone to pick though, and it concerns the Detective Mode, which allows you to see through walls, spot secret areas and locate armed guards, but causes you to view the game in a dull palette. The game rewards you for using this mode, but in doing so, the excellent visuals are sacrificed. I found myself spending the vast majority of the game in this mode. It would have been great if Rocksteady had better incorporated this feature with the visuals, or limited its use somewhat. Still, I’m nitpicking about what will probably stand as one of the best games of the year.

I’m Useless at Beat-em-ups - Marvel vs Capcom 2

Marvel Vs Capcom 2
Street Fighter IV
Fighting Vipers
Virtua Fighter 2
Mortal Kombat
X Men Vs Street Fighter

Those are just a small sample of the fighting games that I currently have in my video game collection. And I’m terrible at all of them. Absolutely, and utterly hopeless.

Every time a new, acclaimed beat-em-up comes along, I get sucked in and conveniently forget that I can’t play fighting games for the life of me. Marvel Vs Capcom 2 is the latest game to subtly remind me that I have no talent for beat-em-ups. I play, get unbelievably frustrated and swear to the high heavens that I will never touch it again. Two hours later and I’m trying again. Rinse and repeat. I must be a glutton for punishment.

I haven’t even tried it online yet, for fear of bursting into tears. I have limited myself to an “easy” run-through of the single player mode as well as playing against my fiancé. My current record is 2-9, yet control-wise she doesn’t know what she is doing either. She is just bashing the pad. I try taking a more strategic approach, and I lose. I bash the controller until my fingers ache, same result.

Earlier this year, Street Fighter IV gave me a fat lip. I’m usually a very calm and collected individual, but after my 50th odd attempt at downing Seth, I chucked my controller at the cushion next to me, only for it to bounce back up into my face. It was probably the only combo I pulled-off all day.

I think that deep down I want to enjoy fighting games. The promise that a bit of practice and dedication could transform me into a legitimate player, keeps me coming back for more. But I just don’t know how to go about it, especially in multiplayer games. In single player, I can get to the point where I know enough about the opponent’s technique to squeak past them. But when it comes to multiplayer, I have no bloody idea.

So, to all those fighting pros out there; am I missing something?

For now, I will go and move that damn cushion in preparation for my next session.

Review - Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood

Western themed video games are somewhat few and far between. Those games that have emerged from the genre have largely been greeted with mixed reviews and consumer indifference. However, with Rockstar’s high profile Red Dead Redemption on the way, maybe things are changing. And If Call of Juarez – Bound in Blood is anything to go by, then things are already-a-changing partner.

I have just got through playing the single player campaign of Call of Juarez – Bound in Blood on the PS3, and I was suitably impressed. From the setting, to the combat, to the outstanding story and lead characters, this game is very easy to recommend.

The McCall brothers are the stars of COJ, and the game succeeds because of them. Ray and Thomas are the playable brothers. Ray is the bad tempered, profanity spewing gun slinging older brother. Thomas is slightly quieter but equally as violent, and deadly with a rifle. The third brother, William, is a man of the Church. Although not playable, he is central to the game, narrating the story and his vain attempts to save his brothers from sin. And they do a lot of sinning! All of the three brothers are perfectly voiced and their complicated relationship and constant banter is believable throughout. One second Ray will be threatening to kill Thomas, the next he will be putting his life on the line to protect what family he has left. The complications of the McCall family relationship is what makes things so engrossing.

We follow the brothers from Civil War ravaged Georgia to the vast landscapes of Mexico and Arizona, as Ray and Thomas dessert from the Confederate army to protect their home, only to embark upon a journey fuelled by greed and lust. And the game isn’t afraid to include some of the grizzly truths of the lives of men like the McCalls. Talk of massacres, rape, slavery and the prevalent racist attitudes of the era constantly simmer under the surface.

Thanks to the strong characters and well crafted atmosphere, the story is extremely engaging. This is the first game I have played in awhile where I was genuinely interested in seeing what was going to happen next. These days, I’m usually content if the story simply doesn’t get too much in the way of the gameplay. But with COJ, the story was just as much a reason to play on as the fluid gameplay. At times I was racing through levels just to find out what turn the plot would take next.

Developers Techland have milked the western setting for all its worth. You fight in corn fields, saloons, a ghost town and an Apache village, and exciting set pieces abound. One of my favourite parts of the game involves a Comanche ambush when one of your wagons gets stuck during a river crossing. It culminates with you chasing down a group of Comanche before they reach and kill one of your fleeing companions. This sequence is well executed and perfectly captures the sense of fear felt by the group as they venture deeper into un-travelled territory.

The combat is very gratifying, and although it borrows many aspects from the Call of Duty series, it plays out in a rather unique way. During most missions, you are free to select which brother you want to use. Each has different skills, and approaches problems in a different manner, adding a degree of replay-ability to proceedings. The guns feel suitably antique, lacking the power and accuracy of modern day weapons but still packing enough punch to get the job done. Killing a certain number of enemies triggers the “concentration mode” which slows done time, giving you a short window to line up a number of shots with your dual pistols. It works really well, adding further to the cinematic feel of the game. The “Showdown” mode accurately recreates the gun-slinging duels of spaghetti westerns. This game of quick-draw is very frustrating at first, but once you get the hang of keeping you foe in the centre of the screen and inching your hand towards your revolver, it becomes very satisfying.

However, it’s not all roses. Whilst your brother’s AI is rather impressive, the same cannot be said about the enemy. They will stand out in the open, have no concept of flanking manoeuvres or working together, and will at times just randomly run into you. The other problem is that it can be very difficult to figure out from where exactly you are being shot at. On a number of occasions I died without being any the wiser as to where my killer was shooting from.

There are a few open world sections where you are encouraged to do side quests for money. They range from hunting down outlaws, to protecting railroad workers from Apache. Whilst these sections are fun, they don’t really add much to the game. The music is also a mixed bag. You do get the obligatory whistles in the wind and the sounds you expect to hear in any good Western. But when the action heats up, you are greeted by the screeching of electric guitars. Few things take away from a game’s atmosphere more than a bit of ill-placed metal. I really wish developers would stop doing this.

I haven’t really had a chance to get into the multiplayer as of yet. However, from what I have seen it offers a nice mix of character types across a decent amount of modes. One glaring omission though is a co-op mode, online or otherwise, that would have fit perfectly with the brother’s story.

These few gripes aside, Call of Juarez – Bound in Blood is a refreshing break from your standard FPS setting, and an excellent take on a genre that has so much untapped potential. Graphically, it’s highly polished and the combat is smooth and offers a well-balanced challenge. But it’s the characters, their struggles and interactions with each other which will keep you coming back for more. When 2009 draws to a close, I’m confident that Call of Juarez will rank as one of my outstanding titles of the year.