I recently picked up last year’s Game of the Year award recipient, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Honestly, I didn’t know much about the game other than that the lead character resembled Captain Hammer and that there was a strong female lead. I bought Uncharted 2 specifically because it had won Game of the Year. I wanted to know exactly what made the game so damned special. Of course, I have my own criteria of what I thought a Game of the Year be:

1. Well-written and acted characters (if story has a narrative arc)
2. Fluid controls
3. Well-stated and achievable goals
4. Challenge without frustration (or at least that positive frustration that makes you jump that impossible gap over and over and over once more)
5. Attractive art style
6. Fun! Exciting! Entertaining!

I don’t think that my list is too demanding. I’m not exactly sure how IGN or the VGAs come to their decision but I can’t imagine that their list does not include most of these considerations. How has Uncharted 2 measured up so far? Read on, intrepid gamer, for my super important, all encompassing opinion.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves definitely wins in the character development / narrative development category. The story is exciting. The characters are funny and somewhat complex. I didn’t feel the urge to poke myself in the eye every time a female character was on-screen. This is a good thing. What games like Uncharted and Dead Space have over games like Alan Wake is that the narrative is tucked into every nuance of the game and is a surface conceit. Also, neither game pretends to be “scholarly” or a game for “readers and writers.” Alan Wake‘s main conceit was that an active force was scripting the experience. And that active force is supposedly a comparable writer to Stephen King. What a dangerous comparision! This means that Alan Wake should be as well-written as The Dark Tower or  Carrie. Yeash. What a way to set the bar impossibly high.  Of course, Uncharted and Dead Space are both scripted but they don’t throw it in your face that you as a player are helpless to change events.

Games are little worlds where players can pretend to be gods. Acknowledging the script is for actors not for viewers or players. Otherwise, one feels distracted and torn between God-like and a fool. I can only think of a few examples where acknowledging scripts is effective and one is Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, a Tom Stoppard play, and the other is Adaption, a Spike Jonze movie. Notice both of these works are theatre-based and not game-based. Uncharted 2 sweeps the player into the action and moves them along at the pace of an action film. As does Dead Space and a horror film. This is not to say that I believe that a video game can be a theatre experience anymore than a theatre experience can be a video game. The two mediums can borrow from each other but I think the attempt to make every game interaction film quality is near-sighted. Game narrative pacing should definitely utilize dramatic tropes. Films should attempt to engage viewers in a more varied internal stimulation. Books, theatre, film, and games are all related in that they tell stories but they are vastly different. (Oh and Nathan Fillion would be freakin’ awesome as Drake.)

The film narrative to game narrative relationship is an area that Naughty Dog both succeeds and fails in. There are certain cinematic choices that are a determent to completely fluid controls. How so, you ask? Take, for example, when Drake has to jump a suspiciously large gap. Normally, I would run as fast as I can towards the edge of the gap and launch my character as far as possible to guarantee a safe landing. Not so in Uncharted 2. In Uncharted 2 each jump is cinematic. Drake as to have a mid-air flail and struggle to pull himself onto the ledge. This means that no matter the gap size, if Drake has to travel in a direction, he will always make the jump. Therefore, I cannot judge correctly if I can make a jump or not. I have to willingly fling my character over gaps of various size and assume that Drake will make it because it’s in the script. If it is the correct direction, Drake will make it 100% of the time. I have found that this cinematic jump mechanic has seriously cut down on the challenge and exploratory anxiety normally associated with taking such a risk. It seems that the only time I fail and fall is by complete random mistake and not due to challenge.

Oh, you Naughty Dog!

Another control issue arises when the player attempts to sneak up on a bad guy and use the sleeper kill tactic. For some odd reason, the button that I always push for the sleeper attack no longer functions in the same manner if I am hiding behind something. Now, instead of just tapping the square button, I have to move forward and tap the square button and hope that the guard does not become aware of my awkward fumbling.  Of course, most of the times I try and sneak behind a railing to grab a guy, Drake completely spazzes out and jumps right into the open.  I’m sure there are smoother operators than I out there, but after playing a game like Splinter Cell: Conviction, I know that there are better duck, cover and eliminate options available. Instead I am as stealthy as if Sam Fisher was a stroke victim trying to get the lid off the apple sauce. In fact, Tommy and I were discussing the fact that Naughty Dog seems to frequently employ sub-par control mechanics. Even Crash Bandicoot was off in some manner that made jumping an especially confusing experience. Which is lame because Naughty Dog does excellently in almost every other facet of game-play.

Another aspect of Uncharted 2 that feels a little lackluster is the navigability of the world. Although I am generally a map fan, I can deal with games that don’t include them as long as I can still figure out where to go. I get it. It is highly unlikely that Nathan Drake has a pre-rendered map of the exotic locations he finds himself in. I guess Naughty Dog wanted to help out the player through an ever present hint system But the addition of a hint system is not a solution for lost players. Either the levels must be streamlined in a way that moves the player towards the goal.or the Player needs some sort of messaging that they’ve already explored this damn rocky corner 17 times. Oh and it looks suspiciously like plenty of other rocky corners, so good luck telling the difference. Games like God of War 1 & 2 don’t employ a map and, even with occasional path confusion, I never feel like the world is impossible to keep track of, rather, it’s because I’ve messed up somewhere along the way or I am not looking in the right manner. In Uncharted 2, I find myself wandering around more often than I would like. Or I find myself keeping an eye on the NPC to see where they are hanging out and figure that the path must be close by. This is just another hint system mechanic. It’s almost as if Naughty Dog knows that it’s difficult to find one’s way and didn’t spend enough time creating level designs.

Uncharted 2 does set up the puzzle elements and unique action skills rather well. I feel like I always know the next step to take when it comes to puzzle rooms. The challenges are well thought out and suit the narration well. New mechanics are easy to employ, which is awesome because you usually have to use the new skill in the midst of a swarm of bullets. These portions are the most enjoyable parts of the game. There is a great train scene (no not the opening train scene that you play through twice) that has Drake ducking low signs and sneaking into windows that really shines.

I am currently playing it on hard mode but have been jogging through. When exactly does this game get difficult? Or is the difficulty just dealing with the lame control mechanic? Anywho…

The last two items on my list are completely met by Uncharted 2. The art and set pieces are immense and very Indiana Jones-like. The characters look and move well. Furthermore, even with my complaints, I have found Uncharted 2 to be a blast. It really is very fun and entertaining. I care about the characters and want to see how events resolve. It’s like Crash Bandicoot all over again. There’s something wonky there but I don’t care. I’m having a great time.

Do I consider Uncharted 2: Among Thieves to have met all my Game of the Year criteria? Not really. Do I actually know what that means? Not really. Would I buy another “Game of the Year”? Probably. Will I still gripe about it like a petulant four year old? You betcha.

In celebration of a most loathed holiday, Valentine’s Day, I have compiled a list of the games I have enjoyed playing with special someones over the years. I am strictly anti-Valentine’s Day but these titles can muster up a loving feeling from this cynic’s heart. Just so you know, I am a fairly competitive player. Actually, I am more “outrageously” competitive but let’s not get distracted. These games have great mechanics and balance that, I believe, cut down on the competition and plump up the fun. For example, Gauntlet, will not be featured on this list  because I have a bit of a hoarding problem in that game which seriously displeases anyone else on the same quest.

Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles

Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles definitely comes to mind. Rail-shooters seem like a fairly safe bet for a date game. They don’t take too much skill and they’re somewhat cinematic in that there are surprises and thrills for your sweetheart to jump at and seek comfort from. Wii games are especially user friendly and the Wiimote feels natural to shoot with. It is much easier for a novice player to point and shoot rather than use two joysticks and two triggers (think Resident Evil 4).

I feel The Umbrella Chronicles is a better game than it’s successor The Darkside Chronicles, mainly because the camera gets rather shaky and nobody wants to feel pukey on a date.

Mario Tennis

The next game speaks volumes to me about sitting close to someone special in a dark basement by the soft glow of a TV. Mario Tennis for the N64 does require a bit of skill but it is so damned fun and cute, that you don’t mind losing (that much). Sports, in general have a certain amount of teasing and silly dramatics attached. If you can find a good partner and a non-threatening presentation, good times will roll.

Backgammon

Backgammon. I know it’s not a video game (although I guess it could be) but sometimes you want your hands free. Think about Backgammon as a way to drink a glass of wine and nibble on some cheese or pate to show how cultured you are. Backgammon is one of those easy to learn hard to master games that accommodate a variety of skill level. Also, if you have a loving partner that isn’t so into video games, this is a great way to prove that you don’t like games more than them. That you’re willing to share your game experience and perhaps warm them up to your side of the force. Think of it as a gateway drug to play. Some tabletop games to avoid include Chess and Scrabble. Those games will teach your partner to hate games and possibly you.

The Simpsons Arcade

Ahh, The Simpsons arcade game, how I adore thee? One, your humor and character inspire smiles. Two, you represent a familiar universe seamlessly. Three, your two button mechanic is simple but your gameplay is not. The Simpsons was one of the first brawlers that enabled players to team up and attack the same enemy. So you and your deary can alternately vacuum, jump rope, skateboard or Homerize bad guys in unison. If that ain’t romantic, I don’t know what is!

Bust A Move 4

Bust A Move 4 is my favorite of the series. I wanted to include a puzzle-type game and at first I thought that Tetris would be perfect. Then I started thinking about the amount of ladies I know that liked Tetris and the ladies I know that loved BAM 4 and, if I was being honest, I’d have to say that most of my lady friends prefer BAM 4 hands-down.

Like Tetris, anybody can play BAM 4 but unlike Tetris, BAM 4 is lushly colored and features really cute dinosaurs. Also, it does not have a “math game” or “nerd king” stigma attached to it like Tetris. As a lady, I have a certain nervousness of displaying poor math skills after years of being told that woman are poor at math and logic. Yes, this is a blanket statement and many women are great at math but it makes me work so much harder to be a better Tetris player than my date. And that can make things less than fun for all.

I have to confess that it was really difficult to not think of Nintendo games. Those guys have the date experience down. Serious. I hope all you prospective love birds make it out of Valentine’s Day alive. I know I will be hunkered down in my apartment avoiding plasticine chocolates and amorous chubby dudes with arrows with my lovey dovey and some co-op romance. Which is what we do everyday  anyway.

While playing Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, something happened to my attention span…It just disappeared. Or maybe not “just disappeared” but rather “beaten into submission by multiple boss fights.” Do you guys ever have a moment after you’ve just spent an inordinate amount of time beating a challenging boss, and there’s another, different yet more arduous boss battle immediately following, when you toss up your hands and think “Screw this mechanical spider laser monster. I just want to run around and play for a while!”? Well, I had that moment with CLoS.  It isn’t a matter of a lack of desire to continue sitting on my couch playing video games until my eyes can’t shut due to dryness. It’s more, I’ve been operating under a serious amount of tension for an extended period and if I don’t commit some silly fun now, I may actually pass out.  (I feel that there has been this theme of “blowing off steam” recently in my posts and I will have to address my feelings on what that means in a later post.)

For now, just know that Donkey Kong Country Returns was there for me. And it can be there for you, too.  I received DKCR as a xmas gift and, besides a few 2-player games with my boyfriend, hadn’t really gotten into it.  I had seen all the positive reviews and I like Super Mario Brothers Wii just fine but, with all my super hardcore adventure death dealing gameplay, it really didn’t register on my radar.

That, folks, has changed dramatically over the last few days. DKCR is awesome. It is difficult and beautiful and charming (just like me!). It beats the snot out of SMBW through sheer charm and joy. That’s right. Donkey Kong’s joy beats Mario. Call your shrink if this upsets you.

Why am I so enamored with our simian friend? First, the platforming is superb. It has a great mix of nail-biting maneuvers and eureka puzzle solves. I am further impressed by how much humor can be expressed without words. We’ve been making a game that has really complex ideas, a young audience (5-10) base and a total lack of voice over.  Let me tell you that this particular game has tons and tons of reading but I would love for it to work akin to DKCR. I bet it could if we had 100x the budget. (any takers?) Also, DKCR is actually funny. Sorry plumber pals, but your butt as the crack of jokes does not appeal to me. Kidding. Mario and Luigi are definitely gentler humorists when it comes to the Nintendo World but Donkey Kong has more humor in his raised eyebrow than the straight-laced Peach or gender-confused Birdie. A small confession- when I restart in DKCR and our monkey heroes celebrate excitedly, I feel warm and good inside. It’s like when I figured out how to place the tape back on wrapped presents so no one would know I peeked. (sorry ma)

The 2-player mode is fun and great for a date but if you really want to get a feel for the game, 1-player is the way to go. Not only is there a chance for more health hearts, you can team up with Diddy Kong and his jet pack to help navigate especially tricky passes. Diddy rides Donkey (watch out for that monkey on your back, eh?) in such a way that it’s almost like Donkey is naked without his buddy. I should not be this attached to virtual monkeys. Oh, well.

This does not mean that I am kaput with CLoS but rather, I now am switching between the two games for variety and peace of mind.

Jess Grade-O-Rama: A

Lander-style games have been a long standing tradition in video games ever since Lunar Lander pioneered the sub-genre. There hasn’t been another lander game as iconic since 1969. While the concept is simple, executing it well is deceivingly complex. The mobile games revolution brought about by Apple’s App Store would not be complete without it’s own set of modern lander-style games.

For purposes of full disclosure–if it was’t already obvious–we are the game studio behind one of the games on this list: Propaganda Lander. There aren’t any conflicts of interest here as there really is no other game quite like Propaganda Lander available for the iPhone. After having played virtually every lander-style game on the App Store–certainly the most popular ones–I can confidently say that Propaganda Lander stands alone. That isn’t to say there aren’t other good lander games available as well. There are and that’s why we were able to make this list.

Every game on this list is worth their price tag and most are free or have a free version for you to try. I’ve forked over the money to try all these games so you don’t have to! Each best lander game belongs to a different category: adventure, puzzle, simulation, Lunar Lander remade, and Lunar Lander reimagined. These 5 were whittled down from an original list of 15 candidates so the competition was fairly tough.

Let’s kick this off with the Best Adventure Lander:

Best Adventure Lander

Propaganda Lander is a lander game unlike any other on this list or any other on the App Store. Propaganda Lander features five different worlds with different obstacles on each planet plus one of the most epic boss battles of any App Store game. Along with all the gameplay and action is a heartwarming story of David versus Goliath told through a series of animatics featuring a hilarious and professionally-voiced script. Once you’ve heard the things that the key villan, known as The Rickster, says, you’ll never forget them. You might even find yourself repeating some of them!

I realize that all this praise for Propaganda Lander coming from the people who developed it is going to have a little bias so I’ll quote from a review by AppSpy:

“Propaganda Lander isn’t the only Lander style game available for the App Store, but almost none can claim as much charm and style as ‘The Rickster’ on his universal campaign of glory.” -Andrew Nesvadba, AppSpy (4 out of 5)

By all means, read some of the reviews on the App Store itself and check out this thread from Touch Arcade. We’re proud of our game and we’re not afraid to show it! It is the most expensive game on this list at $4.99 but, this is an experience you cannot supplement with any other app on the store. Get it here.

Best Puzzle Lander

Gravity Lander is another lander game unlike any other. It is really a puzzle game that borrows lightly from the idea of landing a spaceship. The game comes with 52 missions and has a pleasing aesthetic look. Personally, I got stuck at level 45 and had a fun time getting there–I am still unsure of how anyone can pass level 45. The objective of each level is to get your lander from one part of the level to the landing zone by removing various obstacles, tilting the phone, and using a limited supply of thrusts.

If you like puzzle games, this is probably a much overlooked one. It is also free so there’s little commitment. It won’t hurt you to try it. I had a great time playing it. Get it here.

Best Simulation Lander

Lunar Module 3D is less a game and more a simulation of landing an actual lander. This game is done in 3D so you have free range of motion in 3D space. The object is to simply land your lander on the landing zones. I’m personally not a fan of realistic simulations but, for those who are this may be the best one available.

The controls felt good to me and is probably a good fit for fans of the original Lunar Lander who want to play it in a 3D world. The ability to swing not just left and right but in, out, and every other direction adds a new level of challenge to steering a lander. The game is $.99 and I’d only recommend it to people who are interested in more realism and less game. Get it here.

Best Lunar Lander Remake

Touch Lander is basically an exact remake of Lunar Lander. It is difficult like the original and uses vector style graphics like the original. The changes would be the use of the accelerometer to steer the lander and touching the screen for thrust. This is not a game for the light or heart much like the original.

Much like how the original arcade Lunar Lander was a coin robber and did little to comfort those without soft hands, this one is pretty much the same. The game costs $.99 and is as accurate a version of the original as you’ll find on the App Store. Get it here.

Best Lunar Lander Reimagining

Retro-X is like Touch Lander with a little modernization. While the art style could use improvements, it does employ 3D rendered environments so the game is possibly done in 3D but you can only move in 2D like class lander games. Retro-X is much more forgiving than the original Lunar Lander and uses scrolling levels. It employs the same accelerometer and touch screen system as Touch Lander.

Retro-X shares some gameplay similarities with Propaganda Lander in that you pick up little guys where you land and bring them back up to the mothership. Retro-X is available for free so there’s no harm in giving it a try. Get it here.

All right. I had a moment with this game. A moment that I am not proud of but happened none the less. It happened after Belmont sees his dead wife for the first time. I totally swooned. totally. This is a difficult admittance for me. That is why I felt the need to open up publicly. Belmont is brown-eyed dreamboat. There. I said it. Now I will sit and fret whether I will be condemned to the girly girl player’s camp or not. I usually have a hard time finding my video game avatars to have the necessary components to elicit sweetheartery. The Final Fantasy guys are too pretty. Dante from DMC is too flippant. Leon Kennedy could be cute but only if he learns how to simultaneously shoot and run. (I have to admit that I only make characters in Mass Effect that I would court.) But Belmont. Wowza.

Perhaps the reason I reacted to Belmont so “loinsingly” is that I am a long time Castlevania fan and Lords of Shadow is doing a great job of transferring what I imagined everything in Castlevania to look like to a new format. I have always had a crush on those from the Belmont clan. Back in the pixel art days I had a mental image of Simon Belmont that was vaguely pulled from his on-screen image. Lords of Shadow is just extending my deep-seated love of all things Belmont. This new Gabriel Belmont, somehow, fits the mental image I already had of an typical Castlevania protagonist. This is a good thing. This makes Castlevania: Lords of Shadow feel like a Castlevania game.

Apart from the mythology, Lords of Shadow plays very similar to a God of War game. Combos, mini-games, special battle power gauge that is filled by executing enemies, and a robust upgrade system are just a few of the Kratos inspired features. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as combat is truly awesome in God of War but it isn’t exactly innovative. It did make it quite easy for me to get into. The “metroidvania” mechanic of revisiting levels and areas as Belmont earns new skills is intact but without a map, things get a little confusing at times. I have always liked the chance to revisit areas, as in Metroid. This is because I am obsessive and need to get 100% complete on everything. That issue needs a whole other blog post but offering the chance to revisit areas seriously cuts down on my anxiety that I missed something important. The levels have been fun so far and I dig the enemies, so going back hasn’t felt overly grindish. Oh and the game looks great. The camera can be a little jittery. It, again, reminds me of the camera work in God of War I. The camera stays out of the rocks but occasionally there is such dramatic switch in perspective it seems that the whole world shimmied and moved a little to the left.

Overall, I have been enjoying Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. It’s a fun entry into the Castlevania world, much better than the other attempt at a 3D Castlevania, Lament of Innocence. Jeez. What a stinker that was.

Jess’s Grade-O-Rama: B+