Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Game 1: Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

Y'all:

In addition to reading a lot more, I'm going to be working through my massive backlog of video games. Gaming is an important aspect of my life, and I have so many games that I've started and just not finished. So here goes nothing!

Although this is the PS4 remastered edition, I'll still count it as being from my backlog because I had these games on my PS3 before I traded it in (much to my eternal dismay!), and I was always sorry I hadn't played through them. I finished the first two Uncharted games before the new year, so they won't count for this.



Game 1
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
Naughty Dog

When the remastered versions hit the PS4's online shop I downloaded them, and now I've finished all three games.  They are fantastic, and I can't wait for the fourth installment. The Uncharted franchise makes an action-packed case for games as literature.

"Mikie, is this literature?" you ask. To which I would reply, "Yes." This game is a classic hero's journey. Nathan Drake searches for the lost city of Ulbar, a place secretly visited by Sir Francis Drake (Nathan's ancestor). This takes him on his usual whirlwind tour of exotic locals as he hunts down the knowledge hidden away by Sir Francis Drake, clues that will lead him to his goal of going to the place to find the McGuffin and stop the bad guys. Without spoiling the plot too much, we are given a glimpse at young Nate, discover the treasure Francis hid in Ulbar, and also witness how Nate's treasure-hunting ways led to the decline of his marriage. In the end many issues are resolved, lessons are learned, and characters leave the stage with the promise of a second chance.

The pacing of these games is such that I couldn't put them down once I got started.  After a chapter or two I was hooked, and I had to see where Nathan and his companions were headed next, what dangers they would face, and how they would triumph.  A great story, excellent pacing, fantastic visuals and voice acting...this franchise has it all.

These games occupy the same space in my head as the Indiana Jones, National Treasure, and The Mummy film franchises, which makes me very happy.  Uncharted is a grand adventure, and video games have evolved to the point that their narratives can be just as memorable as films or books.

I really hope that Sony takes some of their other exclusive franchises from PS3 and puts them on PS4 (I'm looking at you, Infamous!)
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THE ONE AND ONLY,
MAC III






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