Uncharted 3

There’s an action sequence in the first Uncharted game where everything suddenly clicks into place, and for a fleeting moment it feels like you’re starring in a Hollywood movie. It may only last about half a minute, but it has come to define the PS3-exclusive series as it stands today. How do we know this? Because there’s a mini-documentary included with the new game that explains exactly how those 30 seconds became the mission goal for subsequent instalments. It was notably achieved with Uncharted 2, a groundbreaking affair that provided a genuinely cinematic experience, specifically the cinema of the Indiana Jones films.

It’s pretty much the same format this time round, with titular antiques thief Nathan Drake again playing hard and fast with historical accuracy in a plot that embraces Francis Drake, Lawrence Of Arabia, and The Lost City Of Atlantis. New and familiar faces turn up for the ride, which takes in such exotic locales as France, the desert, and a London pub.

The story plays out via frantic action, playable flashbacks, and even hallucinogenic trips, with Drake almost constantly in peril and often surviving via the skin of his fingertips, which always seem to conveniently find something to cling to. Of course the drama is all captured by the dynamic camera, which practically swings round to show you exactly where to go next. Sometimes you even have to run towards the camera, all the better to show off the ensuing carnage happening inches behind you.

Antiques Road Show

It’s a trademark approach that provides for a relentless thrill ride that is probably almost as much fun to watch as it is to play. In fact, such is the predetermined nature of some of the action, you could question whether you’re actually playing a game at all, or simply pressing X repeatedly in order to watch an incomprehensible 11-hour film. Thankfully there are some more interactive areas: the melee system has been tweaked to include a dodge button, and there is of course a lot of shooting, with ancient tombs littered with fully functional guns and ammo.

That said, the aiming doesn’t feel quite as precise as its predecessor, something that is apparently going to be rectified by a downloadable update. On a purely moral level, the sheer amount of bloodshed does seem a little incongruous, considering that the lead character is essentially a younger, better-looking, and more dishonest version of Lovejoy. During the course of the single player campaign, we managed to kill 813 people, which seems a little excessive given that the main motivation was collecting a few archaic trinkets.

The Crystal Method

The puzzle sections do at least provide a change of pace, something of a cross between Tomb Raider and The Crystal Maze, albeit without a team of provincial accountants. It’s fairly unchallenging stuff, although if you do get stumped, simply standing around for a few minutes will activate the option to have the puzzle solved automatically – it’s all about keeping the action moving.

Suffice to say that action is portrayed via the very top level of graphical splendour, eking the best out of Sony’s machine. Allied to a rousing score, it is by and large compelling stuff, with some epic set pieces proving to be genuinely exciting. One of the more celebrated of these takes place on cruise ship, with a further cinematic homage paid to classic 1972 disaster movie, The Poseidon Adventure.

Lights, Camera, Action

The linearity of the campaign is emphasised by the fact that’s it’s broken up into chapters, and without telling you exactly how many there are, you should comfortably be able play through it in a handful of sittings. The point is that you will almost certainly finish the game, which is statistically not always the case these days. Such is the straightforward nature of the gameplay, you’re rarely in any doubt as to what to do next, and generally only minutes away from an explosive action sequence.

As for the story, you might occasionally lose the plot, but the cartoon villains pop up frequently enough for you to vaguely care what happens next, and there are a number of devious twists thrown in. The action frequently slips seamlessly into a cut scene, to the extent of sometimes catching you out, when you find yourself attempting to play a movie. Which was, of course, the original idea.

Verdict

With the production values of a major motion picture, Uncharted returns in spectacular fashion. Indeed it is all about the spectacle, and the emphasis is on keeping the action flowing at all times. You’ll never get lost, puzzles are eminently solvable, and even death only sets you back a matter of seconds. There’s a suggestion that Uncharted 2 was the true breakthrough game, but number three carries on the tradition in fine fashion, providing a relentless action adventure that is accessible to anyone.

Modern Warfare 3 London launch gets YouTube streaming

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 is set to launch in less than 24 hours and to celebrate Activision has decided to throw one hell of a party. Naturally not every COD fan will be able to make it along, there just isn't a building big enough, thankfully, however, Activision is planning on live streaming the entire event on YouTube. 

Things are set to kick off at 7pm where guests (including Pocket-lint) will be arriving on the "green carpet". Activision has pulled in three dedicated crews to film the whole event who will be roaming about all the excitement. TV presenter Rick Edwards, YouTube famous DaveyBoyz and Xbox Live @AceyBongos Graeme Boyd will all be on hand to keep coverage exciting.

Musician Example will be blasting tunes out at the event so expect footage of him. Those more bothered about playing the game than mingling with celebrity b-listers will also get their moment of fame as crews will be interviewing those queuing for the midnight launch.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Modern Warfare 3 is, in some ways, a bit like buying a Spice Girls album, in that, no matter how cool you think you are, it's impossible not to sing along. This is what Call of Duty is, gaming fun in its purest form. There is nothing complicated about it, you stick the disc in, let it spin up and hold that right trigger down, blasting your way to the end. 

The game marks the finale in what has been one serious rollercoaster ride across the globe for über soldiers Soap and the gang. It features the same explosion filled eight hour blast-fest of a single player followed by a social life sapping multiplayer like no other. The difference is that this time Infinity Ward has come so close to  perfecting every element of the experience that it makes us wonder where else they could possibly take it.

Brain pain

We like to play games at Pocket-lint, our bloated bellies and puffy eyes tell tales of hours spent on our Xbox. Every year when a new Call of Duty title comes out, we prepare the friends and family for the worst, lock ourselves away and play through the single player in one sitting.
It is a tradition that began with the first Modern Warfare and one that, up until now, has remained. Modern Warfare 3 however has defeated us. This is a game that likes explosions, so much so, in fact, that you become so acclimatised to them that when you die, the silence feels like your ears just don't work any more. From the very first level of MW3's singeplayer, which we won't spoil for you, it is an absolutely water-tight polished experience that is relentless up to the last moment.
The game is full of moments where you find yourself saying "They aren't going to do that are they? Oh wait they have". Every level acts like a game of one-upmanship to the last. How many more vehicles, enemies, explosions or landscapes can Infinity Ward possibly pack in to outdo it. The only issue with this insanely intense explosion-fest is that on the easier settings, you can become entirely desensitised to it. The game stops being an interactive experience at all, and more like a piece from a Michael Bay film which you move forward by shooting at 'things'.

Crank the difficulty back up however and all those classic COD single player tactics return. You are still vulnerable as anything out in the open and enemies will rain down an absurd number of bullets at you. Not to worry, in many cases our faithful friend the drone returns, complete with missiles. Other levels take this concept even further but we want you to find that one out for yourself.

Engine, Engine, Number 9

The Call of Duty engine is something which has spanned the majority of the current console generation. We remember how impressed we were the first time we fired up the original game. Others will have been thrown into the CoD universe via that highly detailed, if extremely violent 'No Russian' level - where you can, if you choose, kill a lot of people in an airport setting - in the second Modern Warfare game.

It was a game that for a good while easily retained the looks crown on consoles. There are however, several new contenders for that crown, namely Battlefield 3 and Crysis 2. The latter quite frankly destroys MW3 graphically. Battlefield however, isn't quite as impressive, despite looking gorgeous on a PC, CoD on consoles wins. Why? Because it manages to pack so much onto the screen while never ever fluctuating from the golden 60fps.
We know for a fact that 60fps has remained paramount to the design behind COD. Without it, all those stunning set pieces and lightning quick multiplayer matches just wouldn't play the same. Sure textures and lighting sometimes show their age, but quite frankly, it's all forgiveable when you see just how much is going on, on-screen.

Make us feel special

Special ops returns in its most complete and polished form in MW3. If you are a fan of split-screen gaming, then this is one of the best experiences you can have, with a friend, on consoles. All the new additions add to what is already a beefy gaming package, making MW3 incredibly good value for money.
Spec ops is the sort of thing you will be able to pour hours into, on top of the multiplayer, and you'll struggle to get close to finishing by Christmas. It exists in two forms; 'survival' and 'missions'. The latter is more the like conventional Spec ops you know from previous games, replete with all the usual steal, shoot and sniping challenges. Survival is CoD's take on horde mode from Gears of War, and is almost just as addictive. You pick up different weaponry or perks during, or, between rounds to survive an ever more difficult onslaught of enemies. It is fast paced and perfect for a brief half an hour play session.

Spec ops is a sort of Call of Duty lite. It sits on the left at the launch screen, tempting those who fancy a short, sharp, blast with friends or a quick solo play.

Let's get online

Chances are, if you are thinking about picking up MW3, it's for the multiplayer. Sure many still spend hours on the previous games online, but for the casual player, the joys of Black Ops online will have diminished many months ago. The arrival of MW3 means it's time to go through it all again.
So, get ready to pour hour-upon-hour into one of the most in-depth, complete and balanced online experiences in any game. It's bolstered even further with CoD Elite, an incredible back end for managing and engaging with players.
So what do you get? Well all the favourites are here, team deathmatch and all. You also benefit from a revamped and rethought approach to killstreaks. These exist to even the playing field now, rather than push the kill counts higher for better players. It is extremely refreshing and whilst the balance isn't quite perfect, there are plenty more helping hands for beginners. That said, we still think there could be more, as multiplayer remains a daunting prospect for less confident players.

The three 'strike packages' which decide what sort of killstreaks you gain, do almost exactly what they say on the tin. Unsurprisingly then, 'support' gives you support perks, like ammo drops or radar boosts. These don't get lost when you die. Assault is the more conventional, accumulated kills approach, complete with helicopter attacks and airstrikes. Finally there is Specialist, which is most suited to those who like to go solo, it includes additional perks which you can stack to transform yourself into some sort of super-soldier.
Weapons themselves now also level up, meaning you can work on a single gun, unlock parts for it and build a play style to suit yourself. No longer are things like red dot sights interchangeable, you have to unlock individual parts for individual weapons.
Levels themselves are also very different, they are multi-layered affairs with far more close-quarters setups. It stops any nasty situations where you get stuck and repeatedly blasted to pieces by a cleverly placed sniper or speedy assault gunner.
The sum of all these changes is a unparalleled console multiplayer package. By itself it would outdo the longevity of most other triple A titles, but with the rest included it's a bit of a stunner.

Verdict

So all this praise yet again for a Call of Duty game. It is almost impossible not to acknowledge what Infinity Ward has done here. It has put polish on top of polish so that MW3 shines brighter than any other game in the series.
But for all its good points, of which there are many, ultimately it is just another Call of Duty game. That's no bad thing, but quite frankly if the game hadn't been so good we would have felt it a seriously tired affair. But then, why mess with a formula that can generate so much revenue? All we want to see, from whatever comes next, is something totally new, a new engine, story and play style reminiscent of all the excitement we first felt when playing the original Modern Warfare.
In the meantime we can enjoy all the delights of what has to be the best game in the Call of Duty series yet. And, one of the best games of the year.

Gears of War 3 Lancer built entirely out of Lego

Every so often the odd video comes along that surprises even the darkest depths of our geeky souls. Something so terrifically time consuming, yet utterly brilliant in its fanboyish approach that we can't help but stare at it.

This special Gears of War 3 Lancer made entirely out of Lego is most definitely one of them. First up it is bar none the most complex piece of bricks put together that we have ever seen. We can't even begin to contemplate the amount of man hours involved in putting something like this together, let alone making it so both the chainsaw and ammo cartridge work.
The gun operates by having rubber bands wrapped around the black brick ammo cartridge, which is then snapped into place, Gears of War style. You then draw back the firing mechanism on top of the rifle and away you go. From the looks of it the gun itself has quite a bit of power, thankfully the builders even went to the effort to put a safety catch on it.
The battery operated chainsaw mounted below the Lancer is easily our favourite bit, particularly when the gun's builders use it to knock over the tiny paper Locust cut outs.
This is one for both Lego and Gears fans to enjoy, we doubt it will ever make its way onto shop shelves, but perhaps a guide on building the thing will turn up. Don't imagine it comes cheap though, looks like more bricks have been used in putting the entire Lancer together than Pocket-lint's entire childhoods combined. 

Battlefield 3 review

We took a short trip out of the office to see EA Games at its swanky Guildford office. The purpose of this visit was to play a segment from a Battlefield 3 single player mission. To say we were excited is a bit of an understatement. What follows may contain plot details, so if you want it to be a complete surprise, then click away now.

The segment we played was set in the outskirts of Tehran at dawn. It was about 10 minutes long, which wasn't anywhere near long enough for us. It was fun though, and it's built up a lot of excitement for us about the forthcoming release of this game.

The segment starts with some waiting for the "mission go" command. There's some chatter here, but nothing crucial. Then it's a jaunt downhill to plant your mortar launcher. As you do so, the landscape around you explodes with rockets and the sound of distant gunfire. All the time a subtle but tension-creating score plays.

You play a pivotal role here, in that you put down the mortar launcher. Without you, no mortar, and then what? Well, there would be no illumination rounds, that's what. Then it's a quick hop over a wall and down another hill. Here it starts to get interesting though. There's a lot of gunfire, and you need to do a sniper turn to pick off some fairly distant enemies.

It was here we felt a little superfluous. As fun as it is, we did kind of feel like the unit could have managed without us. Although, with that said, at times they appear to be the stupidest grunts on the earth, failing to shoot things our grandmother could hit, and generally being a bit slow on the uptake. There is, also, a slightly linear feel too, that comes from being shepherded from one place to another to fulfil the task of the moment. How you feel about this will depend on how you like your gaming. We, personally, like a bit of story, and don't mind taking a team role.

Then we had to clear a building. There weren't a huge number of enemies to defeat here but one door conceals some chaps who want to do you some harm. There's also some slow-motion where you get to waste someone in your own time. If this game was launched a few years ago, this would have been more impressive. As it stands, it gives you a chance to get your ducks in a row and shoot the three or so baddies behind the door so you can get your eye into the game. Your infantry friends are useless here, you have to just get on with it yourself.

Once you clear the building, you're out in to the street and into a Hummer to proceed to the next part of the level, but, sadly, that's all we saw.

Well, there's nothing revolutionary in the gameplay here. It's a pretty standard shooter, although there seems to be a story from what we gathered of the fragments we played through. It's also leading up to something big, although we don't know what.

Gun selection is good, but we felt the long-range weapon we were issued was more than capable of doing all the jobs the segment demanded. Picking up other guns just got us shot at more, and didn't really add much. Gun choice is a lot more relevant in the co-op missions, where stealth plays a huge part.

Speaking of co-op, we also had a quick go at this part of the game too. And it was actually a very enjoyable experience. Working as a pair, you have to clear a building and rescue a hostage. From there, it's your job to protect him, and your team. This involves taking point and clearing the streets of any gun-toting miscreants. We found this more challenging, and there were two of us playing.

This, for us, is where the excitement is though. Battlefield 3 may well be a single-player game that rivals the likes of CoD but it will always have a multi-player heritage that sets it apart. EA doesn't seem to have forgotten this, producing a game that is a challenge, but great fun too.

On co-op, we didn't feel that progress saves happened often enough. This adds to the challenge, but also adds to the likelihood that your console will be thrown out of a window. If your teammate gets badly wounded, you can leg it over and rescue them. Of course, this is risky in itself as you too could be shot and killed. We speak from experience here. 

Of course, it's very hard to judge Battlefield 3, based on one small segment of the game. One thing is for sure though, the single player works well, and is fun. Co-op is a challenge, and enjoyable too. And, although Battlefield has always been about Multiplayer, it's great to see such structured and enjoyable single player levels.

Speaking technically, we played on PS3s and that's not our first choice for a game like this. The more FPS-orientated controller of the 360 would be preferable, and, as always, Battlefield should be a big hit on the PC.

In terms of the graphics, it might be a bit early to judge how it looked. It was, however, a little glitchy, with the occasional missing texture. There is currently some debate about console games and their graphics quality, and it's clear that the PC can generate a superior picture. From what we saw, this game is sleek enough and the Frostbite engine makes all the difference. We'd trade photo-real graphics for a believable environment any day, and Frostbite delivers that.

As with our other hands-on with Battlefield 3, we haven't played long enough, or with finished code, to be able to judge it. So, do not take this as a review. We know that when the final game is released, there will be a lot of changes.