Mini-review: Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty

As the first downloadable only Ratchet and Clank game, Quest for Booty faced pretty high expectations. A lot of gamers were hoping for a robust R&C story to hold them over until the new disc based game hit the shelves.

Quest for Booty is fun, but really short. I don't have a problem with short games, but this will take you 4 hours tops. It is a fun 4 hours, and you are never bored while using your various gadgets to take down zombie robot pirates (I know, I know).

However, the price tag of $15 isn't really worth the experience. It is a good thing that Sony periodically puts it on sale for $10. If you are a Ratchet and Clank fan pick it up for $10, but if you have never played a R&C game before rent or buy an older title in the series first. If you like it shell out the $10.

Micro-Review: Web of Spider-man #1

Just awful. The Kaine storyline is too long and unnecessary and the Spider-Girl story is incoherent for new readers. The only decent part was the Frog-man story, but it was the shorter joke story at the end of the book. I will give this new Web a bit more of a chance, but you should avoid.

Mini Review: Amazing Spider-man #609

Making ASM a thrice monthly publication has done nothing but ensure inconsistency in Marvel’s flagship title. Some storylines are great, some mediocre, and some downright horrible. This month’s issue falls into the middle category; the art and writing are fine, but the overall story is lacklustre.

Also, why are we talking about Kaine and Ben Reilly again? When you have run out of ideas and you need to reach into the mid-90’s for sub-par characters there is a real problem.

I also have to wonder why Kaine knows Spider-man’s secret identity? Spidey simply states that “it makes sense” that his clone knows who he is. No, it doesn’t. Mephisto changed reality so Aunt May would be alive and no one knows who Spider-man really is. This deal with Mephisto was a ridiculous plot fix and Marvel will forever be cleaning up the mess.

If you are a Spidey collector this will find a place in your comic box, but others should just wait until an actual storyline comes along.

Bad Naughty Dog

So apparently in Uncharted if you start a new game your chapter select disappears. That does not make me want to play this game any more. I assumed that this was like RE 5 and I could start a new game and retain my chapter select for picking up extra trophies here and there.

Naturally I saved over my game that had chapter select enabled (how was I to know?) and now I feel little incentive to continue on my trophy hunt.

Why did you leave such a design flaw in the game Naughty Dog? RE 5 does the chapter select, new game plus, and unlockable items much better.

Finished Uncharted over the weekend. Now the trophy hunting really begins.

Mini-Retro Review: Preacher

I recently had the chance to re-read Garth Ennis' magnum opus, Preacher. For most of the late 90's this was the comic that I looked forward to every month. While it is still great, I no longer think that it is the greatest gift to all of comicdom.

Some of it seems quite dated and very 90's (e.g. Arseface and Kurt Cobain), but it is still a compelling story. Unless you find a cache of issues for cheap the complete tpb run will cost you $180, so If you are a fan of horror or the western genre this is for you, but if dislike stories with graphic violence, mature situations, and sacrilegious plotlines, steer clear of this title.

Mini-Review: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

As Uncharted 2 hit the shelves this week, I figured that I should see what all the fuss was over the original Uncharted. Currently a greatest hits title that costs $30, Uncharted provides you with at least 10 hours of Indiana Jones style adventure.

I am currently about half way through the game now and I can see why this title is a favourite of many gamers out there. The controls are tight (I only have a complaint on the grenade controls) and responsive. Death will occur frequently, but you start almost exactly where you left off.

The story is compelling, and Uncharted is the only game in recent history where I didn’t try to skip the cutscenes (MGS4 is a great game, but some of those cutscenes are brutally slow). You will get great value from this game and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good solid action title with great puzzle elements.