By DOUG ELFMAN
GAME DORK
This fall continues to be a very good season for games. The latest: "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves" is an excellent and addictive action-adventure where you portray an Indiana Jones-styled explorer searching for the lost treasures of Shangri-La, as you follow clues left behind by Marco Polo.
I know that sounds nerdy and familiar (Lara Croft-ish), but this is a beautiful shooting-and-climbing game, featuring unpredictable storylines and quirky twists, tongue-in-cheek cinema scenes, and clever dialogue delivered by perfectly cast actors.
The game begins with one of the best starts I've ever seen, as you, Nate Drake, wake up, sitting on a train seat. The train is not in motion. You look out the window and the world appears sideways, because inexplicably the train is dangling by a thread over a snowy cliff. How did you get here?
In the next five minutes: You nearly fall out of this broken train car, then you use basic wall-climbing techniques to climb up the outside and inside walls of the shaky train, reaching the cliff before the train falls off the ledge into a great void of lovely, snowy forest far below.
At this point in the game, you may think, "Well, this game won't be as pretty or creative as this during the rest of its time." But you'd be wrong. "Among Thieves" ranges, level to level, from basic fun to outright awesome, never dipping into suck or even average.
You travel from Nepal to Bornea and beyond, dodging through forests and cityscapes, sneaking up on bad guys and breaking necks, or shooting them down en masse.
Your nemeses are rival explorers who shoot at you, set you up for double-crosses, and generally act like jerks.
Along this perilous and precarious path, there comes lots of fairly amusing dialogue, delivered by actors like Nolan North, a soap opera pro who voices Nate. North's voice delivers urgency but lightheartedness. He makes Nate a confident but unthreatening everyman.
At one point, you kill a bunch of bad guys in one room, then turn to a female explorer by your side, and Nate (North) teases rather than taunts her: "Are you impressed I got all those guys by myself?"
My favorite noir-ish conversation: A woman explorer turns to a bad guy's henchman and demands to know, "How can you work for that monster?" The henchman, in an unfettered British accent, quips, "Beats workin' against him, love."
The only downer: controls can respond slowly, sometimes.
Online, you can play multiplayer-competitive, or three-person cooperative shoot-outs.
In all, you climb vines, squeeze through tight spaces, hide behind many obstacles while shooting at villains with rifles and dart guns, solve ancient Indiana Jones-ish puzzles involving rocks and maps, and shimmy across many a ledge.
I wouldn't go so far as to say it's worth buying the PlayStation 3 for this PS3-only game. But if you play an Xbox 360 but not a PS3, "Uncharted 2" is another reason why you're missing out.
GAME DORK
This fall continues to be a very good season for games. The latest: "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves" is an excellent and addictive action-adventure where you portray an Indiana Jones-styled explorer searching for the lost treasures of Shangri-La, as you follow clues left behind by Marco Polo. I know that sounds nerdy and familiar (Lara Croft-ish), but this is a beautiful shooting-and-climbing game, featuring unpredictable storylines and quirky twists, tongue-in-cheek cinema scenes, and clever dialogue delivered by perfectly cast actors.
The game begins with one of the best starts I've ever seen, as you, Nate Drake, wake up, sitting on a train seat. The train is not in motion. You look out the window and the world appears sideways, because inexplicably the train is dangling by a thread over a snowy cliff. How did you get here?
In the next five minutes: You nearly fall out of this broken train car, then you use basic wall-climbing techniques to climb up the outside and inside walls of the shaky train, reaching the cliff before the train falls off the ledge into a great void of lovely, snowy forest far below.
At this point in the game, you may think, "Well, this game won't be as pretty or creative as this during the rest of its time." But you'd be wrong. "Among Thieves" ranges, level to level, from basic fun to outright awesome, never dipping into suck or even average.
You travel from Nepal to Bornea and beyond, dodging through forests and cityscapes, sneaking up on bad guys and breaking necks, or shooting them down en masse.
Your nemeses are rival explorers who shoot at you, set you up for double-crosses, and generally act like jerks.
Along this perilous and precarious path, there comes lots of fairly amusing dialogue, delivered by actors like Nolan North, a soap opera pro who voices Nate. North's voice delivers urgency but lightheartedness. He makes Nate a confident but unthreatening everyman.
At one point, you kill a bunch of bad guys in one room, then turn to a female explorer by your side, and Nate (North) teases rather than taunts her: "Are you impressed I got all those guys by myself?"
My favorite noir-ish conversation: A woman explorer turns to a bad guy's henchman and demands to know, "How can you work for that monster?" The henchman, in an unfettered British accent, quips, "Beats workin' against him, love."
The only downer: controls can respond slowly, sometimes.
Online, you can play multiplayer-competitive, or three-person cooperative shoot-outs.
In all, you climb vines, squeeze through tight spaces, hide behind many obstacles while shooting at villains with rifles and dart guns, solve ancient Indiana Jones-ish puzzles involving rocks and maps, and shimmy across many a ledge.
I wouldn't go so far as to say it's worth buying the PlayStation 3 for this PS3-only game. But if you play an Xbox 360 but not a PS3, "Uncharted 2" is another reason why you're missing out.
The hit list
Here are the Top 10 best-selling video games, according to retailer Game Crazy. Games are listed by title, company, gaming system, and rating from the Entertainment Software Rating Board. Most games are priced $60 for Xbox 360 and PS3; $50 for Wii; $40 for PSP; $30 for PS2 and DS:
1. "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves" (Sony) for PS3; rated "T" (blood, language, suggestive themes, violence).
2. "Brutal Legend" (EA) for Xbox 360; also available for PS3; rated "M" (blood, gore, intense violence, partial nudity, strong language, suggestive themes).
3. "Brutal Legend" for PS3.
4. "Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Explorers Sky" (Nintendo) for DS; rated "E" (mild cartoon violence).
5. "Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days" (Square Enix) for DS; rated "E 10+" for fantasy violence.
6. "Halo 3: ODST" (Microsoft) for Xbox 360; rated "M" (blood, language, violence).
7. "Madden NFL '10" (EA) for Xbox 360; also available for Wii, PS3, PS2 and PSP; rated "E."
8. "Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story" (Nintendo) for DS; rated "E" (comic mischief, mild cartoon violence).
9. "Wii Sports Resort" (Nintendo) for Wii; rated "E."
10. "NBA 2K10" (Take Two) for Xbox 360; also available for PS3, Wii; rated "E."
Pay now, return later
Here are the Top 10 best-renting video games, according to Game Crazy/Hollywood Video. Games are listed by title, company, gaming system, and rating from the Entertainment Software Rating Board.Most games are priced $60 for Xbox 360 and PS3; $50 for Wii; $40 for PSP; and $30 for PS2 and DS:
1. "Brutal Legend" (EA)
for Xbox 360; also available for PS3; rated "M" (blood, gore, intense violence, partial nudity, strong language, suggestive themes).
2. "Halo 3: ODST" (Microsoft) for Xbox 360; rated "M" (blood, language, violence).
3. "Batman: Arkham Asylum" (Eidos) for Xbox 360; also available for PS3; rated "T" (alcohol and tobacco reference, blood, mild language, suggestive themes, violence).
4. "Madden NFL '10" (EA) for Xbox 360; also available for Wii, PS3, PS2 and PSP; rated "E."
5. "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games" (Sega) for Wii; also available for DS; rated "E" (mild cartoon violence).
6. "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves" (Sony) for PS3; rated "T" (blood, language, suggestive themes, violence).
7. "Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising" (Codemasters) for Xbox 360; also available for PS3; rated "M" (blood, gore, strong language, violence).
8. "NBA 2K10" (Take Two) for Xbox 360; also available for PS3, Wii; rated "E."
9. "Brutal Legend" for PS3.
10. "Wet" (Bethesda) for Xbox 360; also available for PS3; rated "M" (blood, gore, drug reference, intense violence, sexual content, strong language).
Now In Stores
"Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time" (Sony) will be greeted by the hardcore "Ratchet & Clank" fan base with quite the fanfare, I imagine, since it appeals to players drawn to solid cartoon games ensconced in shooting, puzzle-solving, crate-breaking and platform-jumping, all bundled up in a cute package.
"A Crack in Time," which is already garnering very good preview-reviews, continues to offer you a pretty sizeable world to work your way through, playing mostly as Ratchet but also as Crank. As it begins, Crank is off on his own adventure, and Ratchet goes looking for Crank.
The visuals are very inspired. The tone is humorous. The game play will be familiar to fans. Once again, you blow things up, and these blown-up things explode into coin-like currency of a sort. You upgrade your weapons, and so forth. And you get lots of guns and gadgets, like a shockwave weapon, to playfully but brutally deal with creatures in your way.
The game retails for $60 for PS3. It's rated "E 10+" for animated blood, comic mischief and fantasy violence.
"Tekken 6" (Namco) comes with 40 martial artists to choose from, who battle each other through floors and walls in this latest "Tekken" fighter. You can play solo offline, or cooperative. You can create your own customized character. And you earn money to buy clothes that give you better odds of pulling off moves, a la the "Tiger Woods" costume store.
Among the wacky, supernatural fighters, there are those that sprout wings, fight with chainsaws for hands, hand rivals their own head which explodes like a bomb, shoot lasers out of their eyes, or generally just appear as a panda, a kangaroo or an anime Japanese girl in a skirt.
The game retails for $60 for Xbox 360 and PS3; it comes out in November for PSP at $40. It's rated "T" for alcohol reference, crude humor, mild language, suggestive themes and violence
"Madagascar Kartz" (Activision) is a straight-up kart racer. You can play as the cartoon's heroes -- Alex, Marty, Melman, Gloria, King Julien or the penguins, plus other DreamWorks moneymakers like Shrek.
This comes with 20 jungle, beach and other tracks based on the movies, including ramps, stunts, power-ups and other racing-kart stand-bys.
The game retails for $30 for Wii, Xbox 360 and PS3; and $20 for DS. It's rated "E" for comic mischief.
"Forza Motorsport 3" (Microsoft) is so big, it comes as a two-disc game. This latest in the driving simulator lets you pick an option to make it an arcade racer if you so prefer. Good move.
There are 400 cars. The focus here is on making the "Forza" experience better than before with tweaks, rather than with wholesale changes. You can push a rewind button if you mess up stupidly, sometimes, which is a nice way to keep you from having to rerun whole races simply because you blinked and hit a turn badly.
The look of the game is very precise, down to fine details on the autos and fictional, environmental tracks. If you play it, pay very close attention to your tires in relation to front- and rear-loading; it'll help you play faster and smoother. The game goes online, including a store to buy car upgrades. IGN.com has already called this one of the best racing games ever made. That's high praise.
The game retails for $60 for Xbox 360. It's rated "E."
Here are the Top 10 best-selling video games, according to retailer Game Crazy. Games are listed by title, company, gaming system, and rating from the Entertainment Software Rating Board. Most games are priced $60 for Xbox 360 and PS3; $50 for Wii; $40 for PSP; $30 for PS2 and DS:
1. "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves" (Sony) for PS3; rated "T" (blood, language, suggestive themes, violence).
2. "Brutal Legend" (EA) for Xbox 360; also available for PS3; rated "M" (blood, gore, intense violence, partial nudity, strong language, suggestive themes).
3. "Brutal Legend" for PS3.
4. "Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Explorers Sky" (Nintendo) for DS; rated "E" (mild cartoon violence).
5. "Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days" (Square Enix) for DS; rated "E 10+" for fantasy violence.
6. "Halo 3: ODST" (Microsoft) for Xbox 360; rated "M" (blood, language, violence).
7. "Madden NFL '10" (EA) for Xbox 360; also available for Wii, PS3, PS2 and PSP; rated "E."
8. "Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story" (Nintendo) for DS; rated "E" (comic mischief, mild cartoon violence).
9. "Wii Sports Resort" (Nintendo) for Wii; rated "E."
10. "NBA 2K10" (Take Two) for Xbox 360; also available for PS3, Wii; rated "E."
Pay now, return later
Here are the Top 10 best-renting video games, according to Game Crazy/Hollywood Video. Games are listed by title, company, gaming system, and rating from the Entertainment Software Rating Board.Most games are priced $60 for Xbox 360 and PS3; $50 for Wii; $40 for PSP; and $30 for PS2 and DS:
1. "Brutal Legend" (EA)
for Xbox 360; also available for PS3; rated "M" (blood, gore, intense violence, partial nudity, strong language, suggestive themes).
2. "Halo 3: ODST" (Microsoft) for Xbox 360; rated "M" (blood, language, violence).
3. "Batman: Arkham Asylum" (Eidos) for Xbox 360; also available for PS3; rated "T" (alcohol and tobacco reference, blood, mild language, suggestive themes, violence).
4. "Madden NFL '10" (EA) for Xbox 360; also available for Wii, PS3, PS2 and PSP; rated "E."
5. "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games" (Sega) for Wii; also available for DS; rated "E" (mild cartoon violence).
6. "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves" (Sony) for PS3; rated "T" (blood, language, suggestive themes, violence).
7. "Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising" (Codemasters) for Xbox 360; also available for PS3; rated "M" (blood, gore, strong language, violence).
8. "NBA 2K10" (Take Two) for Xbox 360; also available for PS3, Wii; rated "E."
9. "Brutal Legend" for PS3.
10. "Wet" (Bethesda) for Xbox 360; also available for PS3; rated "M" (blood, gore, drug reference, intense violence, sexual content, strong language).
Now In Stores
"Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time" (Sony) will be greeted by the hardcore "Ratchet & Clank" fan base with quite the fanfare, I imagine, since it appeals to players drawn to solid cartoon games ensconced in shooting, puzzle-solving, crate-breaking and platform-jumping, all bundled up in a cute package.
"A Crack in Time," which is already garnering very good preview-reviews, continues to offer you a pretty sizeable world to work your way through, playing mostly as Ratchet but also as Crank. As it begins, Crank is off on his own adventure, and Ratchet goes looking for Crank.
The visuals are very inspired. The tone is humorous. The game play will be familiar to fans. Once again, you blow things up, and these blown-up things explode into coin-like currency of a sort. You upgrade your weapons, and so forth. And you get lots of guns and gadgets, like a shockwave weapon, to playfully but brutally deal with creatures in your way.
The game retails for $60 for PS3. It's rated "E 10+" for animated blood, comic mischief and fantasy violence.
"Tekken 6" (Namco) comes with 40 martial artists to choose from, who battle each other through floors and walls in this latest "Tekken" fighter. You can play solo offline, or cooperative. You can create your own customized character. And you earn money to buy clothes that give you better odds of pulling off moves, a la the "Tiger Woods" costume store.
Among the wacky, supernatural fighters, there are those that sprout wings, fight with chainsaws for hands, hand rivals their own head which explodes like a bomb, shoot lasers out of their eyes, or generally just appear as a panda, a kangaroo or an anime Japanese girl in a skirt.
The game retails for $60 for Xbox 360 and PS3; it comes out in November for PSP at $40. It's rated "T" for alcohol reference, crude humor, mild language, suggestive themes and violence
"Madagascar Kartz" (Activision) is a straight-up kart racer. You can play as the cartoon's heroes -- Alex, Marty, Melman, Gloria, King Julien or the penguins, plus other DreamWorks moneymakers like Shrek.
This comes with 20 jungle, beach and other tracks based on the movies, including ramps, stunts, power-ups and other racing-kart stand-bys.
The game retails for $30 for Wii, Xbox 360 and PS3; and $20 for DS. It's rated "E" for comic mischief.
"Forza Motorsport 3" (Microsoft) is so big, it comes as a two-disc game. This latest in the driving simulator lets you pick an option to make it an arcade racer if you so prefer. Good move.
There are 400 cars. The focus here is on making the "Forza" experience better than before with tweaks, rather than with wholesale changes. You can push a rewind button if you mess up stupidly, sometimes, which is a nice way to keep you from having to rerun whole races simply because you blinked and hit a turn badly.
The look of the game is very precise, down to fine details on the autos and fictional, environmental tracks. If you play it, pay very close attention to your tires in relation to front- and rear-loading; it'll help you play faster and smoother. The game goes online, including a store to buy car upgrades. IGN.com has already called this one of the best racing games ever made. That's high praise.
The game retails for $60 for Xbox 360. It's rated "E."
