Pads & Panels

Title: “Drake’s Fortune Multiplayer Pack” DLC for Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Platform: PS3

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Developer: Naughty Dog

Review by: Bill Jones

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is an absolutely fantastic game. It’s so good we gave it the #1 spot on our list of Best Games of 2009. So it’s hard not to want more. And given, it impressed more on the side of its fantastic story integration in the single-player campaign, but its multiplayer mode happens to be a lot of fun as well, so as fans we’ll definitely settle for more on the multiplayer side of the game. “Drake’s Fortune Multiplayer Pack” as its name implies brings gamers back to the first title with two new maps inspired by the first game – The Flooded Ruins and The Facility. The former features the focal point of the Customs House, and it’s smart to keep a vertical eye on enemies. The latter is almost symmetrical, working around a U-Boat in The Bunker. It’s fantastic for elimination games. The $5.99 total package also includes six skins based on characters or variations from the first titles, as well as 12 new Trophies. (more…)

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Title: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Original Soundtrack

Format: CD

Publisher: Sumthing Else Music Works

Review by: Bill Jones

Everything about Uncharted 2: Among Thieves screamed big-budget Hollywood blockbuster. Not the least of those things was its bombastic soundtrack that rivaled the likes of films like Pirates of the Caribbean, from its memorable new rendition of “Nate’s Theme,” to its airy flute work that helped bring its lush locations and sense of adventure to life. The original soundtrack collects more than an hour of Greg Edmonson’s stellar compositions across 23 tracks. Every second of it feels big, and is just as much of a joy to listen to outside of the game as in. It’s a no frills release, with one disc and a simple fold-out insert with credits and a few screenshots, but the music alone is more than enough reason to pick up this CD.

For more info, www.sumthing.com

Pads & Panels received a copy of the CD courtesy of the publisher for review purposes.

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Title: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Platform: PS3

ESRB Rating: T

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Developer: Naughty Dog

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

Sometimes innovation comes out of nowhere with a striking new idea that blindsides us and changes an industry. But more times than not, innovation is a gradual effort, where no one thing can be cited as the sole instigator of change. But still, in those gradual instances, there is often a point when that change is realized and credited to the epitome of its ideal.

The original Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune marked an early display of PlayStation 3’s power and Naughty Dog’s interest in bringing their skills to a more realistic (visually) gaming experience. Its story played out like an Indiana Jones movie with a good sense of humor, as Nathan Drake, a descendent of Sir Francis Drake, set about on a modern-day quest to find the legendary treasure of El Dorado. Along the way, Drake teamed up and played betrayal games with a dynamic set of characters, with explosive third-person gun-fighting action every step of the way.

But that’s neither here nor there with Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. While fans of the first will have a slight edge and get a little bit more out of its sequel, Naughty Dog smartly creates an entirely new story, relying very little on the first, leaving Uncharted 2 accessible to new audiences, while also expanding on the characters people grew to love in the first installment. (more…)

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Two of the year’s biggest games release tomorrow – Naughty Dog’s PlayStation 3 exlusive, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, and the lastest from Tim Schafer and Double Fine, Brutal Legend. Just wanted to give readers a heads up that we will have reviews of both posted tomorrow!

Also, we’ll have the next round of our grab-bag contest  to coincide with the reviews tomorrow!

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Uncharted 2 on the big screen, sort of [Events]

By Bill Jones

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The cinematic comparisons with the Uncharted series are well-documented. The original played out like a true action blockbuster of Indiana Jones caliber, mixing gun fighting gameplay with a solid story. And with the sequel, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, looking to build upon that success with its release next week, developer Naughty Dog and publisher Sony Computer Entertainment have made no qualms about playing to that comparison. It’s even in their advertising, in a recent commercial where a guy quips that his girlfriend is making popcorn before he plays because she thinks it’s a movie. (more…)

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