Okay, I admit it. I’m, what the French have termed, a noob.

Its been almost five years since I’ve completed a game on the PS2 (anyone remember that console?). I’m not sure exactly when I fell out in love with gaming and we amicably seperated with the PS3 taking my dignity and half my money. Maybe it was the pressures of university and being drunk through most of it. Maybe it was the harrowing depression that comes with dealing with the jobcentre. Maybe Uri Gellar did some form of mind control over me and I spent my time chasing squrriels in the park. Nethertheless, my gaming career appeared to be dead and buried.

Until the first week of February 2012, the last Button Mash event. While kindly making up the numbers in a stellar re-enactment of timeless classic “The Power of Love”, by Huey Lewis and the News, I managed to score O% on the guitar. No, thats not a mistype. A big fat zero, or for the eurovision fans amongst us, nil point. The taunting was merciless. And quite like Pop-Eye before me ” I had all I could stands, And I cant stands no more”. So naturally I grabbed a can of spinach and squeezed with all my might. After 2 hours and a bruised ego, I dropped the can and made the decision to dust off my PS3 and get back into gaming.

So, this is essentially the sit. Every week, a mystical being (known as Roberto), will pick out a game for me to try out each week and I’ll feedback to you on my progress. It wont always be pretty, hell the weeks I get shooters will be bloody depressing, but if you’re a first time gamer looking for new games to try, or a seasoned veteran who wants to laugh at the shortcomings of others, this will be an essential read.

So my starting point this the blog was a release from around 3 years ago, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. Those in the know about gaming will recall the series is on its third game, and I have been informed I will review the next two in the series at some stage. The premise of this game is pretty simple. Drake is a treasure hunter, looking for a golden idol in El Dorrado. Along the way he faces hardship, mercenaries, cliffs and generally anything one might expect in games in this genre.

For me, the game was a good starting point in my development. The controls were pretty simple for a newbie to pick up and start playing immediately, thanks in part to the very easy level offered at the start. Okay sure, the dialogue is lifted from Indiana Jones and there are a few glitches in the gameplay (at one point, my accomplist decided to float over the edge of a cliff, when I tried I plummeted to my death), but the story is solid and doesnt require to much thought or investment to get into. As a matter of fact, I actually completed this game within the week, and trust me you wont be seeing that sentence crop up too many times.

The only real issue I had with the game was its decision to change the plot and genre of the game at the end. In one of those genius plot twists Hollywood tend to love, the game suddenly changed into a fight against zombies. Granted, its no aliens in Indina Jones but still quite the shock for a guy expecting something akin to Tomb Raider. Unless there were zombies in an obscure Tomb Raider I dont know of, and if that’s the case I humbly apologise. As the game essentially became a shooter, my television was subjected to the phrase “oh (insert relevant swear word here) many times. Now it didnt ruin the game for me, but if you’re gonna give this a try brace yourselves.

Ultimately then, Uncharted is a decent place to start for a non-gamer. Its not too taxing for a first timer, has a pretty good story, quick and easy to master the controls and will give you a few hours of enjoyment. Thankfully my journey to rewin gaming’s love has gotten off to a decent start. Granted we’re not at full blown reconcillation stage yet, but I’m excited to pick up the control pad again, and that’s not a bad thing.

TTFN

Thackx8