Friday, October 30, 2009

Uncharted 2 - As good as it gets?

So yeah, I'm a big Uncharted fan and I've managed to have some time to play the sequel lately, and it is superb. It does top everything from the first game. Graphics, story, music, gameplay, you name it! Not an easy job when the first game was so good. I remember when I played the first Uncharted, I thought it was the closest thing to playing a Hollywood movie and the bit with the German U-boat really amazed me and not many games do. Well, the sequel is even better and you have the added bonus of multiplayer added into the mix when the single player game alone is worth the admission price.

Modern Warfare 2 will really need to impress to dethrone Uncharted 2 as my game of the year. And please don't forget to pick up the first Uncharted if you haven't already, it's a classic at a budget price. I wonder if they'll be able to top this one with another sequel...it's gonna be tough. I thought Gears of War had a better single player experience than the first game, but if anyone can keep churning out better games, you can count on Naughty Dog to do it!


Friday, October 23, 2009

Rocket Knight Retro Game Sequel

It's great to see some classic retro games getting remakes or sequels with updated graphics and sound on Xbox Live and PSN. Apart from the new sonic game which looks to possibly be a real direct sequel to Sonic & Knuckles on the Genesis, we now have Sparkster from Rocket Knight Adventures to look forward to, 15 years after the original sequel. The game is set 15 years later and you'll enter the Kingdom of Zephyrus once more. The gameplay looks good, but the art style is a little different of the new game, I prefer the retro look. Anyway, check out the trailer and prepare for a 2010 release!


Sunday, October 11, 2009

Uncharted 2 Multiplayer Demo Follow up

I've mentioned I don't play online much if at all. There are the rare exceptions such as Killzone 2, Resistance 2, Motorstorm 2 and of course Uncharted 2 (hah, all sequels!). Anyway, after my brief play previously with the demo, I've now had a couple of hours worth of gaming time with it and I have to say it's really fun stuff. Well, three of the four modes are, there's one I got bored of quickly.

Deathmatch is excellent, but I'm a fan of team deathmatch and since I was in a party, I was automatically put in a team with my party members. First team to get the set number of kills, wins. Simple and fun.

Next on the list is objective. Again, being in a party led me to be in a team objective match, I'm not sure if this can be played with everyone being independent, I'm guessing not. There are two different types of objectives that I encountered, but there may be more in the full game. One is to capture nodes on the map. You need to stand at a node until it is captured with no enemies within range of the nod. This is the same as in Battlefield games. If your team captures all nodes, you win. It's a fun tug of war type objective. The other objective is capturing treasure and bringing it back to your treasure chest at your respective base. This is basically capture the flag and was very fun to play. You can throw the treasure (like a grenade or propane tank) if you need it to get across a gap or to a higher level and of course, you can't shoot if you're carrying it. But unlike capture the flag, where there are two flags (one for each team), the treasure is neutral and gunning down the carrier doesn't mean you can run up to the treasure and return it to it's original post. It lies on the ground waiting to be picked up again.

The third mode is my favorite. It's three player co-op in which you need to get to a certain area to find treasure and you'll fight bad guys together and do simple puzzles. It's like playing the singleplayer game and is excellent.

The final mode is the weakest of the lot. It's another three player co-op mode with an objective. As with the capture the treasure mode, you'll need to find the treasure and bring it back to your chest to complete the round. Waves of bad guys try to stop you from reaching your goal and each round gets progressively more difficult, but I find it much to repetitive and it gets boring quickly. It's a mode that I wouldn't bother playing ever again. In the co-op modes, you can also heal your partners if they've been mortally wounded, but you have a limited time to do so.

My only complaint is that unlike Killzone 2, players can't just jump in mid game if there are spots open from people quitting or there not being a full amount for that particular match. You need to wait to find and join a fresh game everytime, just like in Resistance 2. This wouldn't be so bad if there was something to do while you wait, but there isn't. And wait you will (at least in the demo), sometimes up to a few minutes before you join a match, but it's not too bad and maybe it will be shorter times in the full game. So there you have it, all the multiplayer modes in more detail.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

All Japanese Music CDs are discounted at 10% in Play-Asia.com



This is as good a chance to try out some new music genres as ever. All Japanese music CDs on Play-Asia.com are available at a 10% discount. So get the new Arashi CD or try out some exotic Enka music. Who knows? you could be addicted to it after your first go.

All products that are available, including those that are currently , are discounted. As long as it's not a sold out Limited Edition, you can enjoy the price cut. Don't worry if you cannot grab the last Limited Edition of your favourite artist, you can preorder the next one, this deal applies to all preorders as well.

Browse around for things you like, to help you distinguish the products that are discounted, we will place a 10% off logo on the product page. Get the best out of the deal, use the credit card that gives you the most points and your Play-Asia coupons. No strings attached.

Please be aware, however, that the discount does not apply to shipments to Japan.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Multiplayer Demo

I tried the demo of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves on PSN. It's multiplayer only but is very generous with what you get to try out. There are four different modes and all of them were fun. My favorite being the co-op mode where you need to find treasure. It's like playing the actual game, except you've got two other players and need to work together to take out the bad guys and get past certain places. There's deathmatch in there too of course. The game looks fantastic and the multiplayer mode is excellent from what I've played.

I highly recommend downloading the demo. I'm sure it will be a purchase for most PS3 owners.


"Fortune hunter Nathan Drake returns in UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves™, a pulse-pounding third-person action-adventure/shooter created by award-winning developer Naughty Dog. Down on his luck, Drake is lured back into the treacherous world of thieves and mercenary treasure-seekers he had sought to leave behind. When a mysterious artifact propels Drake on an expedition to find the legendary Himalayan valley of Shambhala, he finds himself embroiled in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse against a fugitive war criminal who’s after more than just the fabled riches of the lost city. Caught in a web of deception and plunged into an increasingly deadly pursuit that tests the limits of his endurance, Drake will be forced to risk everything – but has his luck finally run out?"