It’s not a stretch of the truth to say that the latest entry into the Indiana Jones franchise was lacking the character that can be found in the first 3 movies.  It had just as much action and suspense that could be found in the other movies but lacked any likability that didn’t rely on the charm first achieved in the initial installments of the series.  I bring Indiana Jones into this review because the lead character in Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune feels like a better Indy than his cinematic counterpart portrayed in “Crystal Skull.”

Rise of a Rogue

Nathan Drake has the same bad boy charm that Hans Solo, Captain Mal, and any number of smart-alecky rogues found in modern day cinema and television.  Sure they have a tendency to be put themselves into situations that would kill any ordinary man but they are more than happy to quip about it without batting an eyelash.  You’d be hard pressed to find a better example of this archetype than the lead character in Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune.

Stop and Enjoy Paradise

Uncharted has the same pace as a Summer blockbuster movie.  You start the game mid-action seeing what sort of exploring Nathan is accustomed two and are quickly drawn into a story that may not reinvent the wheel but does an adequate job to move you along from set piece to set piece in an interesting way.  These gorgeous set pieces are a perfect example of one of Uncharted’s biggest strength, its art design.  You will be travel through some of the most scenic jungle scenery and ruins ever recreated in a video game.

No Ones Perfect, Words to Animate By

Another way Uncharted sets you up for a thrill ride is through the animations of its lead characters.  Great time was taken to capture the most realistic animations possible and it shows through and through.  You’re drawn into the action as you see Nathan flinching as each bullet hits his cover.  Nate has a tendency to stumble at random which works to make a more believable every day type of guy traversing these jungle ruins rather than some superhuman badass.

Worthwhile Headaches

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune is by no means a perfect game but it provides an experience that surrounds the player in a believable world and story that tickles the adventurous side of us all.  One thing that I must comment on is how clunky the controls can feel during combat.  Even the simple act of switching between weapons and utilizing grenades makes for a overly complicated situations during the many encounters you have with multiple enemies at once.  While quite realistic in implementation, the fact that Nathan has inertia when moving around the environments makes for accidental deaths or frustrating predicaments.

I found myself overlooking these problems when faced with the excitement galvanized by the story, characters, and pace of the game.  I’m quite excited at the prospect of Uncharted 2: Amongst Thieves, which is set to release later this year.  Thus far the previews of the game all seem to lean towards the Uncharted team once again striking gold once again.

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2.  Playing with my first pick up group with some other players online and actually feeling like a competent part of the team.  My gnomish feet were running circles around the poor mobs while my rogue was slashing up a storm.

3.  Realizing I could make money by offering professional guild charter signing – you have to have 20 signatures before you can created a guild so people are constantly asking for signatures.

4.  Grabbing a ton of gear from the auction house thinking I was “pimpin” out my gnome, only to find that I could have saved money and just quested some more and gotten the same exact gear for free.  At the very least I did feel awesome for a full day.  As illustrated to the right.

5.  Participating in the Lunar Festival and Winter Veil Feast.  I wasn’t smart enough to take a screen shot of the Winter Veil Feast (was a Christmas-ish themed event) but I did grab one of the Lunar Festival that’s currently going on.  Both were awesome events that had quests and special items dedicated to them.  Seeing the Lunar Festival day made me search for what other events are planned and part of me wants to put them on my calendar just to see how each one is set up in the world.

It’s an role playing game set in a world that has its residents polarized into the two factions of  Horde and Alliance.  What sets this apart from other RPGs is the fact that it’s played exclusively online and is populated by players that you can interact with, duel with, chat with, laugh with, dance with, loot with, guild with, along with other random buffoonery mixed in for good measure.

….Welcome back, so yea I’ve felt the need to attempt playing WoW for the first time.  In the past I’ve dabbled but never got a character past maybe level 20 within the game.  I’m currently playing a Gnome Rogue with Mining and Engineering as my professions.

So far it seems interesting enough.  It has the same set up as many RPGs I’ve played over the years have used.

-Step 1 Get Quest

-Step 2 Complete Quest

-Step3 Rinse and Repeat.

The fact you get to at least share some of the monotony with other people is a definite plus in its favor.  There’s something satisfying when you coordinate an attack on a particularly hard monster and take him down or the even more satisfying impromtu dance parties that occur soon after.  It’s like a fantasy themed chat room that also lets you walk around killing shit until you get some free stuff.

Current WoW Mood: Meh I’m right clicking copper on a hillside so I can click another button to make copper bars soon after…yea it’s even worse than it sounds.  I need me a WoW suga mama to fund my lust for sexy gnomish rogue clothes.