Have you finished playing it yet Tom? Just curious if the story comes together in the end or if it stays kind of disjointed. I really don't understand the draw of either of these games. Tomb Raider style games are dated, because of things like you said about the bionic fingers, out of place puzzles and crumbling ledges. The only thing I found impressive about the first was the visuals and what could be the most likable and realistic lead character ever created in a videogame. Still doesn't hold a candle to Mass Effect or Bioshock in terms of immersion and story, though. Uncharted seems to be like a bass tester for those douches with 20 inch subs in their cars. All it's doing is flexing the muscles of the PS3 without offering anything of substance to appreciate.

Yep, I've gotten to the end. This is one of those games with a narrative arc that I wouldn't dream of passing judgment on until I'd finished it. And, no, I don't think it comes together. The final boss battle is pretty terrible and what happens afterwards -- I don't want to spoil it -- seems to me a big mistake in terms of the Nate/Elena relationship.

KZ2ATFFS is goin' down!

I couldn't agree more. The game is certainly very good, but I haven't been blown away like I was when I played Drake's Fortune, and it's mainly because of the story.

Are you kidding me, do you really belive that people will take you serously when you compair Batman, and Brutly boring Legend, I have just goten brutal legend, and played for about an hour, and the only thing I can't belive about the game is how fast I want to to through the game a way. If I can find anyone who is willing to pay half price for it right now, I would sell it and never give it a second thought. Batman was okey, but talking about being repative, he had four moves and used them through out the game, now that got boring. Just two qustions are you on crak? and Why are you trying to push so hard for a lousy game such as Brutal Legend? r u getting some kind of payment for everytime you say brutal legend? Iguess those were three qustions, still brutal legend is one of the most over hyped games and it is one of the worst games this year, for you to compaire that to uncharted 2 is blasphamey in my book, and I will never take your reviews into account ever againe when looking for anything good, since you just keep showing me with everytime you say brutal legend that you know nothing of video gaming.

Are you kidding me, do you really belive that people will take you serously when you compair Batman, and Brutly boring Legend to Uncharted 2 which is probibly the best game of the year.

I couldn't agree more, Tom.

Uncharted 2 is an amazing experience, but compared to the original it doesn't really live up to what it could have been.

The shootouts were by far the best feature of the game. Not only does it completely blow away every other shooter action game, it actually makes me think of the other aspects of the game to be mere fillers like you describe.

The saddest part is how the climbing bits are the only reason I'm not too keen on replays. After having climbed them once I don't really feel like I want to do it again.

But storywise, In short: Chloe was a completely void character, and the ending of both Flynn and Lazarević were pretty cheaply resolved.

The part were the story actually felt right was at the very end, when both Elena, Sully and Nate were together.

That very last discussion they had at the fence made me giggle in joy, but also saddened me when I realized what could have been.

Still a fantastic game though.

Must not ... feed ... trolls ... don't know ... how much longer ... I can hold out ...

Tom,

Appreciate the re-review, but I think it was a mistake to post it here. I feel your disappointment with Uncharted 2, but one review was enough. Now you've gone and attracted "those people", and since they think you hate the PS3, they're going to recruit all of their feral friends and bring the Fidgit server down in a morass of nutter comments. See you when you're back on next week!

This article is complete horse$hit. This game falls into top 3 of all time. Tom Chick, you sux.

Uncharted 2 is easily one of the best PS3 releases to date. I've played the mainstream shooters like KZ2 and Resistance and Uncharted 2 is more fun to play than both, hands down. It's also a faithful follow up to the first game imo and is incredibly easy to recommend to anyone who enjoys actions games. 9/10 here

This has to be written just to get hits. I have rarely agreed with Tom Chick's reviews, but now I think it is time to move on to another career... because you have absolutley lost your damn mind. After the orgasm you had over Section 8, I knew you were a little off, Brutal legend.. I figured maybe you just liked metal.. because there is no game there. Looking at the previews on this site, I guess I should have known the review was written before the game was out. If anyone passes on this game because of this review, it should be a crime.

Tom I disagree with your view about the character development. I thought 2 is a reasonable development of Nate as a character established in 1 (well, as reasonable as a B-action movie is allowed to be). DISCLAIMER: I know of the plots of Uncharted 1 and 2 through youtube only. I watched the cutscenes of 1 and 2 over a couple of nights.

First, Chloe is clearly set up as a female version of Nate, right from the beginning of 2, and therefore justify their instant chemistry. And Drake (and by extension Chloe) is set up to be the lovable scoundrel, Han Solo type of character, based on 1 and the beginning of 2. So far so good. Flynn is set up as a LOT more shady than Drake and Chloe, after he sold Drake out. More important, Flynn's relationship with Chloe is set to be a LOT less personal than you think, based on the fact that Chloe routinely and reluctantly sided with Drake when nobody is watching (or about to be shot in the head anyway). There is at most a love triangle: Elena, Drake and Chloe.

I think one of the problems you have is with Nate and Elena being together at the end of 2. That I thought is at least understandable. It is like the relationship between Han Solo and Princess Leia (i.e. Elena, the bleeding heart type). Yes, he shot Greedo first, but when push comes to shove, he is a good guy, and Princess Leia (and that noob Luke Skywalker) brings that goodness out of him. Amongst scums and villains that side of him would get him killed, and he knew that, so he rarely showed that side. Now back to Uncharted 2 near the end, when Elena asked Nate to SAVE THE BLOODY WORLD (B movie cliche), he happily obliged. THAT is consistent with Nate being the Han Solo, lovable scoundrel type.

Is it THAT hard to imagine Nate liking her? I mean, Elena is supposed to be a KICKASS reporter, like a young Diane Sawyer with SWAT training, what's NOT to like?

Uncharted 2 does have some problems, but I am not too demanding of games in terms of story and characterisation, I honestly don't care, I mean if you are aiming for an Indiana Jones movie you aren't exactly aiming for realism and complexity anyway. What bugged me a lot more was that the same button is used to pick up ammo and to swap weapons, I kept swapping my weapon by mistake while trying to collect ammo. I would have preferred automatic ammo pickup. Also sometimes I couldn't see where I was supposed to climb which was a bit frustrating, and the hint system didn't always have a hint for that. As for the platforming and puzzles, I didn't really care that they weren't too engrossing, because the graphics are so amazing that most of the time 90% of my considerable enjoyment when playing was just from drinking in the visual awesomeness, and the smoothness of the character interacting with the world, and the smoothness of the framerate. This game is a phenomenal graphical achievement, better than anything ever. The environments look wonderful, it is pure pleasure just to look at them, it gives me a huge buzz. to move around them in realtime, it is phenomenal. To have gunfights and platforming in such amazingly visually detailed environments makes the game one of my favourite ever, simply because the graphics are so great. And while the platforming is only mildly enjoyable in and of itself, the gunfights actually are a lot of fun. Having that in such great environment wins me over easily.

I think I must be the last gamer in the world who actually values graphics any more, everyone else seems to have become more and more blase about them as they have become more astonishing. Real-time 3D worlds this realistic and a huge luxury, and engage a certain part of my brain which enjoys imagination and fantasy in a way that nothing possibly can. Just being in the environments is a buzz. The final level on Uncharted, (I don't want to spoil it) was just such huge visual reward when I saw it, I was really awestruck and happy about how amazing it looked. But the best level visually was definitely the Napalese city.

Disagree completely... the fact you throw Halo in for comparison, is very telling.

Really!!! I don't think Tom knows what he is talking about. He obviously doesn't know much about visual language, cinematography, and story telling. Space, line, shape, tone, color, movement, and rhythm; does that ring a bell Tom?? What about character development, pacing, rhythm. Yeah that's what i though. You have no idea of what you are talking about. But that's okay, it's not too late. You still have time to go to school and educate yourself. Try USC they have a great Film Program, then after you degree, i suggest you take computer science; knowing the limitation of console and the rudiment of a game engine is required if you want to understand how game are made. Then after, CALARTS and the Art Center have a great animation program.

Tom, you are a wannabe actor/journalist. You don't know anything about movie making, neither about game. You probably can;t even define what makes a good film. So please, stop polluting the internet with awful reviews. Focus on your acting career. Video games, you don't know anything about it. You played them since you were kid, but that doesn't make you knowledgeable about it!!

Good luck with your acting career
hope that works out for you

Sincerely
Dom

These comments are hilarious. So funny. I am dying.

HAHAHA these comments are fantastic.

"for you to compaire that to uncharted 2 is blasphamey in my book, and I will never take your reviews into account ever againe when looking for anything good, since you just keep showing me with everytime you say brutal legend that you know nothing of video gaming."

This is the best.

Further laughing @ Dommmmmm:

"But that's okay, it's not too late. You still have time to go to school and educate yourself. Try USC they have a great Film Program, then after you degree, i suggest you take computer science; knowing the limitation of console and the rudiment of a game engine is required if you want to understand how game are made."
First off: Right, because movie critics need to go to Film School.

Secondly he went to Harvard, you moron. He's certainly more educated than you are, Mr. Can't-Use-Only-One-Punctuation-Mark!!!!

I BOUGHT A GAME SYSTEM AND YOU HAVE EXPRESSED DISLIKE FOR A AAA TITLE THAT IS EXCLUSIVE TO THE GAME SYSTEM THIS INVALIDATES MY PURCHASE COMPLETELY BECAUSE I CAN'T OBJECTIVELY THINK FOR MYSELF

HOW DOES IT FEEL TOM

TO SLEEP ON MICRO$$$OFT MONEY?

HOW

DOES

IT

FEEL?????

Yeah Tom, how can you bash this game with such hate-filled comments as, “But all this isn't to say Uncharted 2 isn't a good game. It is.” Why aren’t you saying that it’s Game of the Year? Why aren’t you saying that it’s one of your top three games of all time? It would be a crime if someone skipped this game, just because you said it wasn’t the best game ever.

Also, I don’t know how you expect anyone to take you seriously when you liked a game that I hated, and didn’t love a game that I loved. It’s like you’re implying that different people can have different tastes. That kind of nonsense doesn’t fly with me.

@Andy: I laughed out loud.

Your review is inaccurate, misinformed and fanboyish. You are entitled to your opinion but expect to advertise it on several media sites without getting flak. You're a bad journalist, and you know it.

you are so special that you don't like Uncharted2.now return to play your beloved RTS brutal legend and the milked story of batman vs Joker.

...Did April Fools come early or something? Because this article is steaming pile of horseshit.

There's my truth, your 'lies' and a collective truth...If anyone read this editorial, they would be deterred from buying what is considered the most cinematic, action-packed, well-rounded game of this generation and possibly all time. Metacritic is a great resource, and Unchartered 2 has received more perfect scores than any other game bar GTA4...but has not recieved a score under 90...which GTA4 has plenty of...

If there is anyone in doubt about the quality of Unchartered 2, please read a decent review and editorial...something like this : http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9007555&publicUserId=5518509

Tom, your thinking is 'narrower' than any train level, the writing is 'clunky', the argument is 'confusing' and the 'biggest sin' is that the entire article is transparent. It's obvious that you attempted to create a controversial, maybe even *shocking* editorial to get eyeballs on this page...but at the cost of your journalistic integrity ?

A few examples : *Contains possible spoilers*

You ask for a simple love romance, but then say in your comment that he basically chose the wrong girl...if there were no other romances, he would have ended up with her anyways ? Why are you disappointed that he didn't choose chloe ?

The gunfights have a very strong stealth component that you either never explored or never commented on. The stealth adds an element that the other 360 games don't...you can move from tense stealth to intense gunfight back to tense stealth as you strategically please...it's sad you intiated every fight with the same 'boring' gun blazing approach....

UC2 is the only game ever compared to a hollywood blockbuster movie by a significant part of the gaming community...based on it's storytelling, pacing, character development, voice acting and direction and *YOU* are honestly going to say these people are talking horse cr@p?

Unfortunately, many of us have played the game, and your opinion will unlikely not even recieve the respect of being an opinion...

And to make any comparisons to Brutal Legend ? I hope you seriously take the time to consider if you should ever write again!

Hey!
Just to point something out, the game never says he is your everyday layman or what not, but an expert adventurer with plenty of combat experience. That said, it seems pretty clear to me you missed a few of the more suttle hints :P Read this for a more thorough review: http://www.giantbomb.com/profile/elemmire/nathan-drake-as-portrayed-in-uncharted-2/30-33552/

Uncharted 2 is one of the best games of all time and WAY better than the first!

This blog sucks and so does the community!

Tom,

The article has appeared on the front page of N4G.com, and, as predicted, the morons and crazies are arriving en masse. How about turning off comments before they find out how much you hate the PS3?

Ok regarding to all the commenst taht I dun give crapz, I haet teh PSthird cuz I luv gears 2 and teh 360 cuz it rox!!!11 and it rox cuz I shoot things and blow stuff

teh end

Flynn betrays you, there now you're not so confused as to what the heck is going on, good luck with life rocket scientist.

If you know anything you wouldn't be makeing any of these stuped compents, oh defently people have have thier own opinions as long as they make any kind of since as long as they are opinions. But there are facts Uncharted is a great game whether you like it or hate it, whther a the hack likes it or hates it. You can always say a typewrtier is better than a PC and you could say that is by opinion, but the fact is you know what they say about opinions (opinions are like WHAT Everyone got one) but the fact still remains that typewrters are garbig compaird to computers, and so is your opinons and toms compairted to the rest of the world's opinon, everyone and their mother game this game better than 9 out of 10, and you 360 hores come up and say it is a bad game just bacase you can't play it. So Yes how dare anyone say that 1+1= 0, becase saying uncharted 2 is "just a good game" is worese than saying 1+1= 0, it is saying exactly that people like you and tom can now days share thier "opinions" with people. I hope you got my meaning of that Last "opinion" but probilby lont it is reaferring to another three letter word starts with an a and ends whith two ss, get it yup yup yup you are almost there yes yes, exactly that's it. got it now.

Oh the obove comment was made to Andy Fagbates, I had it in oregnaley but when I I copied in case it didn't go throw the first time didn't get that part, and it didn't go thrwo the first time so just wanted all you guys to know who I was insulting. :-)

First of all you dare and compare uncharted to halo? how many times in halo you will play the same stage the silent cartographer how many times you will destroy the blasted thing it doesent have anything new!!! wake up people,resistance 1 was good , The second was ok graphics sucked but it had great multy,mass effect is e very good game but its like you compare aples to pears sorry you cant judge a first person with a third person nor a rpg with a shooter.You are conflicted maybe by fanboyism its a shame you had to publish that piece of article if you can call it such.Uncharted hands down it deserves the credit, its a worthy succesor by all means even without the multyplayer its hands down great ,Play it on crunching and reconsider than maybe you can correct your image and player status for once

This is pathetic and very nonprofessional ... people who've played the game will know EXACTLY what I mean.

tom, my friend, i think you're retarded... and the ppl that agrees with you is just as dumb, nuff said

FAIL! This sequel betters the original in EVERY way - most especially the story. Let me guess - you relied on Cliff Notes in high school didn't you, or are you still in high school and the plot complexities are over your head.
This website is a joke!

Wow, Urkidding, completely illiterate much?

just one question, Tom did u even finished U2?, i mean if you had, ur opinion wud be same as everyone else, that this is the best game ever to hit this console generation, let alone GOTY....

Wasn't your overly critical review on crispy gamer enough? You felt you needed to voice your distaste for this title once again? If anything, it seems as if you as well as your website "crispygamer" are screaming for attention to make it seem as if you guys are different from the norm when all it does it make you look silly.

Everyone has their different tastes, and not every reviewer is going to have the same critical outlook on a game, but when you take it to yourself to make an overly negative review, then post it twice on a different website, thats pushing.

but this review is simply a repost of what you said on crispygamer.

How many times do we possibly have to hear from you fools that you think its not perfect? You guys gave it one of the most negative reviews its received since its release, You make an "UNCHARTED 2 ITS NOT PERFECT" negative analysis, and now basically do another re-review.

We get it already, you guys don't think its as good as everyone else is saying, but im sure that 97 score from metacritic didn't come from thin air.

Wasn't your overly critical review on crispy gamer enough? You felt you needed to voice your distaste for this title once again? If anything, it seems as if you as well as your website "crispygamer" are screaming for attention to make it seem as if you guys are different from the norm when all it does it make you look silly.

Everyone has their different tastes, and not every reviewer is going to have the same critical outlook on a game, but when you take it to yourself to make an overly negative review, then post it twice on a different website, thats pushing.

but this review is simply a repost of what you said on crispygamer.

How many times do we possibly have to hear from you fools that you think its not perfect? You guys gave it one of the most negative reviews its received since its release, You make an "UNCHARTED 2 ITS NOT PERFECT" negative analysis, and now basically do another re-review.

We get it already, you guys don't think its as good as everyone else is saying, but im sure that 97 score from metacritic didn't come from thin air.

Tom, I really think that you try so hard to be controversial in reviews, that it simply makes you look stupid. Giving your ever-long track record of giving highly acclaimed games outspoken critical and somewhat overly negative reviews, it no longer appears genuine, and seems more or less like a running gag you've got going. You did it for killzone 2, infamous, deus ex, and tons of other games

its not informative, its not interesting and not becoming either. There was nothing that made this review hold any more weight than the numerous other glowing reviews that any true gamer in their right mind should consider.

The overly critical gaming connoisseur thing isn't much fun anymore tom.....

This review isn't the review it could have been. I played through the whole game and I think it's great. I don't get this review at all. I don't even get what you're saying. Is it a great game or a horrible game? Your review leaves me puzzled. Pun intended.

Wow. Given the response, you'd think that Tom said something actually controversial like "Winodws 7 is less amazing than having an hour long orgasm while eating ice-cream sprinkled with Ecstacy".

"You can read my more detailed review at Crispy Gamer here."

That right there told me all I need to know about the author and this site. It's widely known that CrispyGamer is anti-PS3. I guess I'll add Fidgit to the list of sites that I don't take seriously.

wow, i've never read an article so wrong and bland. The author clearly is biased towards the game. The story is well written as many other people have said, it puts many movies to shame. Uncharted 2's story is deep the betrayal is felt throughout. While your in the game your left why am i still following this person, what does she have to offer, and as the story goes along you realize wat that is. In all, Uncharted 2 has put a lot of games to bed, it is easily one of the best written scripts, the best graphics and best display of art. The characters develop at an astonishing rate and gameplay hardly skips a beat. Extremely great game, dont listen to this author's BS, go out an play it and i guarantee you would be impressed by the material.

Not the game it could have been? I've been playing games for almost 30 (!) years, and I would be hard pressed to find a more cinematic experience. The storytelling in the Uncharted games is second to none. What has this guy been smoking?

stupid xbox fan talking shit

i love how you enjoyed the gunfights were everyman nate kills hundreds of highly trained mercinaries and, yet the only criticism you can muster for the platforming and puzzles is it ruins the everyman image. go play gears 2 you fucking idiot

I disagree, I thought the characters were gradually developing in the right direction, all the way 'till the end of the game!

I'm about halfway thru Uncharted 2, and I have to say I am simply amazed at this game. The combat, story, and level design are simply unmatched, and there is no better game for any system out there.

The anti-ps3 media is having a hard time slinging mud onto Uncharted 2. They've been able to do it previously to ps3 games by using buzz words like "too-short", "no-multiplayer", "poor controls", "lack of originality", etc, etc.

However with Uncharted 2, this game is so good that certain journalists are having to take shots at this game 2, 3, even 4 times to try and get the 360 fanboys to start chanting their anti-ps3 mantra.

For anyone who's never played Uncharted 1 or 2, how dare you even comment on the matter. These are 2 of the best games in the world, they have nothing to do with Tomb Raider or Indiana Jones. That's like saying COD4 is just like Platoon or Rainbow 6. Sure, they have certain genre elements to them in common. But until you've played them, you know nothing.

I love when stealth 360 fanboy journalists write articles like this. It shows their deep hatred for the playstation 3, and everything that us ps3 gamers have been saying for 3 years is now blatantly true. The ps3 is a much more powerful machine than the 360, and now has one of the best, if not the best, action adventure shooter in the world. Also, when we say "teh bias media", articles like this just prove our point.

You 360 fanboys better get your heads on straight and start putting your ridiculous arguments aside. If you are a gamer, you need to buy a ps3, and the Uncharted series, along with several other games you've decided aren't good before you've even played them, like MGS4, LBP, Killzone, Valkyra Chronicles, Demon Souls, Rachet and Clank, Heavenly Sword, GT:P, along with many PSN games. The list goes on and on.

Stop acting like teenage girls and start acting like gamers. This is a frikin 97 meta for christs sake.

Oh, it's just Tom Chick again. I was wondering how another assclown could be confused by Uncharted 2's simplistic but awesome narrative, because Tom Chick's dumbass ailment isn't very common among people.

Wait did this jackass really compare uncharted 2 to batman: arkham asylum and brutal legend? Wow this person mr Tom is retarded those game are fun but in no way a comparison to the magnificence of what uncharted is about. Oh that's right he didn't even understand the simple story of it. No wonder.

are you completley fricken insane?
the platforming bits in uncharted 2 are the best part of the game, i love the ice cave, how the whole level is getting from one side to the other.
the bell climbing half way through the game is the best bit of the whole game, and most of the action scenes come from the platforming.
like at the end where your crossing the bridge a it collapses and you have to climb up.
or the best bit of the game, the opening scene climbing out of the train as it hangs off a cliff.
im sorry but take out the platforming bits and you have lost 3/4s of the game, take them out and this game has gone from a 10/10 to a 6/10.
take the platforming out of the game and your left with nothing but gears of war.
if you want to play just a TPS may i suggest wet, or gears 2.

All you ps3 fanboys know that there is a recent scientific study that shows xbox360 owners lose their virginity on average five years earlier than ps3 owners:
http://tiny.cc/Ty0s8

I love how angry people are that this article merely says, "I really liked this game, it just didn't live up to my hopes."

Yes, how DARE he feel that this game wasn't as good as it could have been. How DARE he say that it's a great game with some minor flaws. As that one illiterate lunatic said, this is clearly the best game on any console ever made in existence forever...having played halfway through it.

I haven't played this game yet, but I will say that this year's drought of good exclusives makes me think that the gaming populaces' collective orgasm over this game might just be a bit hyperbolic. From everything I've seen and read about this game, Tom's criticisms seem pretty grounded.

But what do I know, I'm not using poor grammar or losing my temper.

Gamer20's post made me laugh so much. Where the hell do these people come from? My favourite bit is when he lists the 'buzz-words' (all of which are actually phrases) that the 'anti-PS3 media' (you know, them) like to use.

Try and read it that post without laughing, its impossible. "It's a frikin 97 meta for christs sake"

"The first Uncharted was a revelation for its characters. The romance between Nate and Elena was well written, subtly animated, and expressively acted. No game had done characters so well on all three of those levels. Furthermore, Nate himself was a great everyman, the quintessential charming rogue in a genre full of space marines. The rest of the game was gorgeous, concise, and full of memorable set pieces."

Are you kidding me? The first game sucked on almost all those fronts (except character animation). You think the second did those WORSE than the first game?

You're the Armond White of video games. Jesus.

While I think most of your complaints are totally valid, and cover a lot of what I would tell Naughty Dog in order to improve Uncharted 3, you've taken those seeds of truth and expanded them to ridiculous proportions. Every aspect of the gameplay is better than the first game, full stop. The platforming is satisfying but not revelatory in any way, which seems to be what you were hoping for (aren't we all?) Even the story, while more a slave to huge action set pieces than the first game and less original (it is a sequel with returning characters, after all) is better executed in every way, from the pretty much flawless pacing to the voice work, which probably won't be outdone for years, unless more developers learn from the example and decide to let their actors perform as an ensemble.

You can be critical of a game without making grim prophecies about its net worth and what should have come to pass. I can acknowledge all the complaints you've made in your article and still clearly see that Uncharted 2 is one of the best executed games of all time. In the end Tom, you have to make a choice: do you want to have real discussions about the games that inspire debate over where gaming itself is going? Or do you want to position yourself as the dissenting voice of the internet, no matter how much of a parody of yourself you become in the process of running with your views to the uncharted extremes?

i agree with "Gamer 20"
they are just xbox fanboys.

I love all the retard fanboys who come here to post any time Tom has anything negative at all to say about some 'hot' console game. Not really any different than the morons who heed the call to flood some political blog with personal attacks when they believe the blogger is some ideological enemy. Hilarious. They must protect the preciousssssssssssssssssssss.

Oh, what the hell.

The worst things about the PS3 are the community of cultists that has grown up around it, and their tedious persecution complex. Whenever some bland genre mediocrity comes out "exclusively" for their console, they proclaim it to be a new standard for the genre.

When critics do their job and point out all the ways that a PS3 exclusive might be derivative and uninspired, the PS3 community's self-appointed guardians react with all the thought and eloquence of a race riot.

And there's no satisfying these idiots. It's not enough to see a PS3 game get universal praise. No, it has to receive universal, unrestrained hyperbole from every last critic and blogger. Their games cannot be "very good", because of course they are great. Except they're not just great. They're the greatest example of whatever the hell is their genre.

And if you don't agree, or have the temerity to talk about the bad as well as the good, then you don't have a right to your opinion. Because it doesn't agree with the PS3 fanboy's point of view, unlike all those excellent writers he will cite who just happen to support his guttural ranting.

People own the system that suits their needs, but I have to wonder what spiritual need the PS3 is satisfying that transforms its customers into lunatics? Is it because it looks like the the obelisk in 2001 that monkey has to grab the nearest bone and go club the first critic he sees?

God help me, though. I love it. I love this roving freak show that is the PlayStation Defense Force. With its gargantuan conspiracy theories (most of the planet apparently has it in for the PS3) and risible catechism ("You can't give Killzone 2 a 7!"), they carve a swath of unself-conscious hilarity through the game space. I'm going to be really sad when they all move into the same compound in the American Southwest and sever all ties with the outside world. But at least then, when they have finally created their own internet, they can finally know the peace of seeing PS3 exclusives get the 100 Metacritic that they have deserved all along.

Rob Zacny>hi

@ Rob Zacny
WOW! You've done it - you've exposed our secret society and now we must run for the darkness. One last thing ... I have played and do not like ANY Halo game - but I can say that because I'm sure no one will come out and torch me for it because...
*knock*knock* - OMG it's the Xbot National Defense Force "come out with your hands up or we'll shoot you with our purple guns!"

F U Rob, you prejudiced deusche.

The only form of self importance cheaper than paranoia is self-imposed persecution. Real bigotry (racism, sexism, homophobia) exists and the world is worse for it. Nothing is more pathetic that someone who claims to have been slighted due to prejudice over gaming consoles. 2x pathetic if that slight is a less than orgasmic review of an exclusive title.

Wow. I thought Gabe and Tycho were exaggerating about these guys.

PS3 Defense Force, you guys are hilarious. Keep up the insane work!

(Psst! I heard there's this blogger who sort of implied that Ratchet & Clank might not be the greatest platforming series ever. I'll give you his URL for a quarter!)

I think that to be fair, that the real issue is the role of Metacritic itself rather than the fanboys who worship it. Metacritic's pernicious influence is getting to be a real problem, both from this kind of thing and for the unfortunate developers who are given a certain Metacritic score as a target (which is happening more and more).

The problem with Metacritic is that the very idea behind it is totally flawed. Their thinking seems to be that if one review of a game is an opinion, if you put lots of them together you get the 'correct' score for the game. This is totally untrue. Not only is the final metacritic score still just an opinion, it is by nature no more valuable than any of its component parts, no more correct, no more accurate. A majority opinion is stil just an opinion, and all opinions are equal - regardless of what Metacritic says.

While we're on the subject, what about their controversial - and totally opaque - 'weighting system', by which some sites review scores are more influential than others? What about reviews with no score that Metacritic arbitrarily picks a number for? The whole process is an absolute travesty.

The other problem is this need for a game to do better than other games, mostly on the rival platform. Metacritic has a symbiotic relationship with the fanboy hordes, it gives them validation and 'evidence' in return for page hits, word of mouth mentions, and those ridiculous 'user reviews'. This poisons and stifles debate around a game but also damages the game itself - I'm against tagging a number onto the end of a review anyway, but Metacritic has done away with the words entirely, turning it into just a number - I wonder how many people make purchase decisions based purely on the M. score without clicking through to any of the reviews? Are there people missing out on games they would have liked, simply because it didn't get a good Metacritic score?

Certain game sites (not this one) also share some of the blame for this, with their ridiculous 7-10 review scale; and one of my other pet hates - overly precise scores. The idea of marking a game out of 100 (or /10 using decimal points) is so unbelievably crass and meaningless, what really distinguishes an 88 from an 89 for instance?

There seems to be this growing belief that you can quantify wether something is fun or not, but it's impossible, except in extremely broad strokes. It's bad for consumers, reviewers and developers alike, and I for one would love to see news outlets turn away from Metacritic, and refuse to allow their scores to be added to the total. No site will ever have the stones to take the first step, to voluntarily become that voice in the wilderness, but it really would better all round if they did.

/rant. Sorry for the ridiculous length!

This is the worst review ever. Uncharted 2 was a great game!

This person was obviously drunk when they wrote it.

Oh... my... God!!! The comments of PS3 fanboys here are just pure gold. I have not laughed so hard in such a long time. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I hope more Sony fans come in because I need to laugh some more.

EVERYTHING YOU SAID IS ASUMING ONE HAS PLAYED UNCHARTED 2. IF ONE HASNT YOURE WRONG AND IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING UNCHARTED 2 IS HE FUCKIN BEST GAME IN HISTORY

Not that I mind Tom's reviews. They are just his opinions after all, and nothing to get all butt-hurt about even were I a fan of Uncharted to begin with. However, I've noticed that Tom seems to go out of his way to be contrarian, perhaps to differentiate himself from the legions of folks who review videogames on the internet for a living.

When your voice as a reviewer isn't unique or interesting in and of itself, you have to find a hook with which to draw in readers, and Tom's particular hook appears to be that he's eager to be almost anally critical about the games that everyone else enjoys. He is willing to pick them apart at the seams in order to find the smallest things to nitpick, very few of which actually have a bearing on how entertaining a given game might be, and he does it to such a degree so often that one has to wonder if he has the capacity to enjoy anything at all.

Now there's nothing wrong with having an opinion that doesn't jive with that of the herd, so to speak, but maybe Tom would be well-served to consider whether or not his opinions are genuine, or if he just likes pissing on people's parade. The way he tends to reiterate his points in similarly-themed articles time and again just reeks of being the actions of someone who craves the attention that being controversial tends to attract.

He seems to have the need to constantly remind us all of why he's right, while getting another couple of pot-shots in against a given game in the process. That ends up suggesting a lack of faith in his work to stand on its own merits, which in turn raises the question of whether or not his reviews really are genuine to begin with. When you factor in the often tactless manner in which Tom engages his readers, it makes you wonder if it's not the desire for confrontation that drives Tom's reviews. Well, on top of the need to differentiate himself from the rest of the pack, that is.

So while I have no issue with Tom's reviews, I don't think that they're worth much one way or the other, simply because one has to wonder if this sort of negativity isn't just Tom's schtick. The potential that it's all just meant to stir the pot is enough to render his reviews worthless, even to those who might be inclined to care about what a reviewer has to say in the first place.

Can't hold a candle to Brutal Legend...? Sorry, but this review is awful?