Originally, I didn't see any reason to pick up a PS3 except for the Blu-Ray player. Given it's original price tag, there was no way I was going to purchase one on my own. Thanks to a lovely sister and brother-in-law, I received one as a gift.
The first game I purchased was Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. That title was a blockbuster for the PS3, seemingly replacing the Tomb Raider franchise as a staple for Playstation owners. Great gameplay and a fresh take on the "treasure-hunter" genre. You take the role of Nathan Drake, a ladies-man, professional thief, marksman, mountain-climber, gun-fighter, and all-around badass... often spouting quick and humorous one-liners. The in-game cut scenes, with great voice-acting and animation, are something of a reward for completing a chapter. This sequel delivers everything I hoped for and then some.
Take (1) part third-person shooter, (1) part stealth and hand-to-hand, (1) part platformer, and mix with great cinematic sequence, you get a great gaming experience. The developers made sure to tighten up each facet of the game. Aiming was tighter, duck-and-cover shooting was responsive, and the platforming felt fluid and natural. You can choose to run-and-gun, killing everything in sight, or choose to remain undetected to make things easier on yourself.
Of course, what's a treasure-hunter game without puzzles, right? There are plenty of puzzles to be solved throughout the game all with varying levels of difficulty and larger-than-life scenarios. In one particular event, you're required to climb what seems like a 10-story statue and adjust mirrors to point sun-light in a specific direction.
You also get to experience some great vehicle sequences. One of my favorite parts is when I found myself fending off enemies from a moving vehicle, only having to jump to another one before the current one was destroyed. Simply cuh-razy.
The game comes fully loaded with a multi-player mode: Co-op, Death Match, and Objective-based. Death Match and the Objective-based modes are similar to what you would find with other shooters, but to add some depth they included a 'leveling' up type system - you unlock cash for completing various objectives that can be used to purchase in-game items (weapons, outfits, etc...). What I really enjoyed are the 3-player co-op modes that have you working together with your friends, only to end up in a free-for-all fight to see who gets the treasure.
A MUST-BUY for all PS3 Owners
5 out of 5 stars and two thumbs up from this guy. After playing the first title, I put my reservation down at the local GameStop to pick this 2nd installment on release day. It has everything that makes a game great. Replay Value: High
