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Uncharted 2 – Among Thieves

PS3 Review

For years, the console with superior specs and advanced blue-ray technology has failed to compare on it's flagship games against the 360 – until now. Finally, Uncharted 2 – Amongst Thieves is the defining moment for the PS3 – the moment where smug 360 users will for the first time, envy their PS3 cousins.

Uncharted 2 is one of the most polished games we have ever seen. Right from the outset when you're trying to save our hero Nathan from a train wreck, climbing up carriages as the train threatens to slide of a cliff, your heart is in your mouth. At the end of the first scene, you press pause, capture your breath and realise you're in for something amazing.

The terrain covered by Uncharted 2 is sublime. From snowy mountaintops, to lush green jungles and a number of urban backdrops, the scenery is always changing, yet equally beautiful. It's strength lies in the adventure it takes the player on; through the likeable characters; the beautifully choreographed scenes; and feeling of the journey the player is on. Uncharted 2 is laced with funny one-liners and a generally lite hearted overtone. It's more than Tomb Raider and smarter than Infamous - in fact, there is really no other game on the market like it. Thee action is intense, yet manageable; and the story is strong enough to keep you on the edge of your seat through the entire single-player campaign.

The game can be split into three parts – combat, puzzles and platform. The combat is a major improvement over its predecessor. It's very intuitive and indeed, logical. Stand in the open and Nathan will be shot dead. Take cover and shooting ain't so easy. The stealth mode which allows Nathan to sneak up and take out enemies is also a lot of fun. Taking control of Nathan just feels natural and apart from the sometimes cumbersome efforts to release Nathan from backing up against a wall, it's effortlessly superb.

The puzzles are more fun than irritating, which is a fine line many games walk badly. Nathan carries a journal with his notes and scrolling through these can often give clues on how to best pass a puzzle. Actually, puzzles can be a welcome pause in this game, given the player a chance to relax, catch their breath and rest their fingers after hours of intense combat.

The platform is very forgiving, Make a slight mistake trying to keep Nathan from falling to his death and the AI will usually allow Nathan to grab a nearby ledge and survive. Botch it up badly and Nathan is dead. If you get stuck in an area for a prolonged period of time, the “hint” indicator appears, whereby you push UP on the control pad and Nathan is given a hint on what to do next. The hint doesn't solve the riddle or get you out of your predicament, but intelligently points you in the right direction – usually giving you another aspect you hadn't considered.

The most incredible part of this game, is the feeling it gives the player that you are actually in the game – or more accurately, in a movie. The sound is faultless – the best ever of any console game. From the hilarious banter between characters; intelligent dialogue; sexy character accents; the thumping soundtrack; and overall cinematic feel … Uncharted 2 cannot be surpassed.

My favourite online mode is the deathmatch, where you join a group of either heroes or villains with the sole aim of killing the other team. I haven't had this much fun in a deathmatch since Goldeneye on the Nintendo 64 (yep, that does hint at just how old I am).

Make no mistake – this is the best PS3 game to date.

Graphics 9.5/10

Simply incredible. Finally the PS3 gets a chance to show it's potential. The cinematic sequences are lifelike. The attention to game detail is unheralded.

Sound 10/10

The voice acting is superb. The varying characters accents make you feel like you are in this movie, not just playing this game. The characters feel so real. Action sequences are filled with suspense due to the amazing sound this game delivers.

Gameplay 9/10

Whilst the control of a 1st person action game is lacking, Uncharted 2 plays as well as any 3rd person action game. Solid controls, an excellent balance of calculated movement and combat.

Longevity 9/10

The single player game offers several days of entertainment. However, it's the online multiplayer where the real longevity kicks in. The death-match alone is so addictive, players will be glued to their PS3s for months to come.

Overall 9.4/10

SENSATIONAL. Finally a flagship PS3 game to bring it into the same playing league as the 360. Game on!

In my grandfathers day we invented recorded music
In my fathers day we invented subwoofers
In my day we invented little purple flames that make music?

Sounds crazy but its true, I like to think I'm up to date with all the happenings of technology but in the midst of all thats new I stumbled across a somewhat old technology that is being perfected for new use.

 
The Plasma speaker is an electronic discharge between 2 points that creates an arc which produces sound; in amazing quality. Albeit the flame mainly produces high end frequencies but it does that with ease due to the fact that it has no real threshold like that of a traditional speaker design which is limited by the excursion of the cone due to the foam surround. These speakers are not yet in commercial production (most likely due to the inherent fire and electrocution dangers!) but there are certain companies now looking at high end consumer electronics market for possible purchasers. The technology behind this speaker dates back nearly 100 years to the singing arc created by William Duddell. 
 
I find it very exciting to see a genuinely new technology emerge with promise of changing the way we do things. So on the topic I thought I'd seek out some other groundbreaking designs and see what's in store for us!

The first of these I found was the LASER TELEVISION: Australian company Arasor International and US partner Novalux announced what they claim to be the world's first laser television. Its meant to be twice as clear, half as much and extremely energy conscious in comparison with the current LCD/Plasma systems. For all those people who have just bought a new oled plasma or lcd this could be heartbreaking as laser technology seems to be the way things are going to go!
 

 
Microsoft Surface: Getting on a bit now but still worth a mention as it really is a great idea, even if incomplete.
Think about a coffee table sized Ipod touch with multi touch, bluetooth and wifi, that can be installed into any flat surface you can find. In use its practicalities make sense, imagine a coffee shop with one in every table so you can sit down, throw your phone on the table and drag your photos onto your friends phone, then as soon as the table feels that your glass is no longer cold it could ask whether you want another drink and let you pay by credit card, all right there on your table!
 

Amazing really. Check it out at microsoft.com

With all this excitement it can be easy to overlook how much we rely on technology and how it's killing us through obesity, but I just can't get over the new apps I just got for my iPhone!

Live Long and Prosper!
 
ADAM G