I’m back!!!

It’s only been 800 years since I last finished a game. But anyways, this was really cute and fun. So short though! Me and my girlfriend had a good time playing it, and it felt like such a wholesome, light experience.

Some really cool level design, pretty much impossible to get really stuck anywhere. So many little secret things to find and mess around with, and even some really cool little racing levels that were so random and fun.

I’d be okay with playing a lot more games as cute and harmless as this one.

Though Uncharted 3 didn’t quite reach the same heights as the 2nd game for me, it still managed to pack a sharply developed punch and an effortless amount of charm.

I don’t think the narrative tops that of its predecessor. But when it works, it works. Especially the first half hour of the game. Once it starts, it has your attention. It often seamlessly blended its cutscenes with its gameplay- and man the combat feels good here! Better than ever.

The hand to hand stuff finally feels polished enough to be enjoyable. There’s also a handful of gameplay elements that have been fine tuned to feel more organic. They’ve consistently topped themselves in that department.

The level of detail is also an improvement. From its level design to its character models. For a game that’s roughly 12 years old, it looks great! It really shines throughout certain sequences. Much of the first hour is breathtakingly good to look at. The desert sequence still looks fantastic also. When you enter the lost city for the first time, the scope is truly felt.

The set pieces are as grand as ever. While I don’t think they’re quite as varied as the second game, there’s not a single one that’s less than good. Every set piece was awesome in its own right, and the way they blend together feels organic.

The story is better than that of the first uncharted, but not quite on par with Uncharted 2. Sully and Drake’s relationship to one another is really the thing that shines about the story. I wish they would have even given us a bit more of young Sully and Nathan throughout.

I think the stuff with Elena is always nice. Though they did just rehash the same story-beats for their relationship. Regardless, I think the execution of the storytelling is what really sold the entire thing. The antagonist could have been stronger. At least her motivations. I actually liked her as a character quite a bit.

Overall the game is pretty amazing. I’m really loving this series so far. I hope that the final entry manages to tighten up both the storytelling and gameplay. Not like it’s bad or anything- cause it’s far from it. I just see room for growth, and I know that this series has the potential to have a truly masterful entry. Regardless, it’s a fantastic one as is.

So I don’t exactly have the same nostalgia for this series that a lot of others do. I did play Arkham City a lot as a kid, and at that time I loved it. Outside of that, I haven’t touched the other games.

I wanted to revisit Arkham City in my adulthood, but I figured I should start where the series began. I’m glad I did. As someone who went into Arkham Asylum as an adult, almost 15 years after its initial release- I can confidently say it still holds up well.

It’s a more linear experience than the one I was familiar with, but I’ve grown to appreciate linear storytelling games over open world experiences anyway. Even while operating as a more linear experience, it still has an open air of freedom. You have an entire island to roam around, and you can freely go where you please when you want to.

So while it’s not entirely “open world”, it’s still open arena I guess? Idk the term for it. Anyways, I love the gadgets you unlock throughout the game. They’re everything you would want to be able to use as Batman. The remote control batarang is awesome. I only wish I could knock out enemies completely with it.

The aesthetic is so richly moody and atmospheric. Rocksteady did an incredible job at capturing the spirit of the character, and the comics. I also love that they weren’t afraid to go a little creepier than some kids might have been ready for at the time.

A lot of the combat still feels really cool. I do wish some things were a little more responsive, and that there was a bit more complexity to the combat system- but I also recognize how revolutionary this was for its time. I’m willing to bet improvements are made in future installments.

The boss levels were a lot of fun, and I wish there were more of them. For a what was probably a stripped back budget at the time, Rocksteady really managed to pack a lot of punch into this game. There was nothing else like it in the superhero genre. They really created something truly special, and I love it.

I don’t think that it narratively reaches any exciting heights or anything. It’s pretty standard superhero fair. But for what it was, I really enjoyed it. If any of the future games can combine incredible gameplay, atmosphere, and storytelling, then that will for sure be a game that’s one of my favorites. This got pretty close at times.

Can’t wait to continue with the series!