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Showing posts with label Naughty Dog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Naughty Dog. Show all posts
Monday, October 27, 2014
Old School Lane Casual Chats Episode 34: Naughty Dog's 30th Anniversary
In this episode of Casual Chats, Patricia and special guests Manic Expression members Klancy "Infamous Jak", Comic Book Cast/PlayStation members Tristen and Tom "indexsonic" discuss about Naughty Dog in honor of its 30th anniversary from the Crash Bandicoot series, the Jak and Daxter series, Uncharted series, and The Last of Us.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Video Game Review: Uncharted: Golden Abyss
Hey everyone, welcome to another video game review done by yours truly at Old School Lane. After going through a busy schedule with school and homework, I finally finished Uncharted: Golden Abyss for the PS Vita. This is the first Uncharted game not done by Naughty Dog, but instead done by Bend Studio, the same studio who made the Syphon Filter series and the surprisingly good PSP game, Resistance: Retribution. The Unchartedseries has been known for memorable characters, beautiful graphics, epic story, fun platforming, interesting puzzles, and unexpected plot twists. Can Bend Studio follow Naughty Dog’s footsteps of everything that we love in this series? Is this game worth getting a PS Vita or does it fall short of being an adventurous journey?
Graphics
For a PS Vita game, the graphics look absolutely incredible. The jungles look lush and green, the water mechanics looks fluid, and the characters look quite realistic. Everything that you can expect from the visuals of the Uncharted series is there, which is quite an accomplishment for a handheld.
Gameplay
The gameplay mixes platforming, puzzle solving, and third person shooting, just like the other Uncharted games. It works quite well here with Golden Abyss. Also, you get to use a camera in the game to identify a few locales, which is a pretty neat feature. The only minor complaint is that shooting your enemies controls a tad bit different than the other games, but you kind of get use to it after a while. Plus, you don’t really shoot as much as the other series since it focuses more on platforming and puzzles, so not a lot of complaining here.
However because Golden Abyss is integrating with the features of the PS Vita, the game includes tapping on the screen for platforming certain obstacles and running your finger on the screen to slash at bamboo and other things. This feels very gimmicky at times, similar to using the Sixaxis in the first game, but it doesn’t happen very often, so it’s okay.
Story
The game takes place before Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, so that means that there’s no Elena Fisher, or Chloe Frazier which is a huge disappointment. Even Sully isn't the game for too long. We have some new characters named Jason Dante and Marisa Chase, who are interesting and funny, but not quite as memorable as Elena or Sully. It takes place around Central America where Nathan, Jason, and Marisa are looking for the an ancient lost city where an encounter of a golden abyss has been told, according to legend. The plot sounds somewhat similar to Drake’s Fortune, so it’s fitting. But, the story for me falls a little short of being an instant classic compared to the other games, but it’s still pretty good.
Extra Features
One of the most disappointing things about Golden Abyss is that there is no online multiplayer. With the other series, everytime I’m done with the main game, I go straight to the multiplayer and shoot the crap out of noobs as a warm-up, then play the co-op game of Uncharted 3 with my friend. With Golden Abyss, I played the game and then moved on with something else. You can play previous levels and find hidden treasures, which are a lot easier to find than the previous games. Other than that, there’s not much to it.
Overall, Uncharted: Golden Abyss is a great game to buy for the PS Vita, but falls a bit short compared to the other games in the series. But considering the fact that this wasn’t done by Naughty Dog, this game does the series justice, which is great. It seems that we have come a long way of other developers taken games that isn’t theirs and making it good. If only High Impact Games could have done the same for Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier, oh well. If you have a PS Vita, this is definetely worth a buy. Check it out.
-Patricia
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Video Game Review: The Jak and Daxter Collection
As mentioned in my previous First Impressions on The Last of Us, I am a huge fan of Naughty Dog and their games. Out of their three video game series, that being Crash Bandicoot, Jak and Daxter, and Uncharted, the Jak and Daxter series is my absolute favorite. When I first got the PS2 back in 2003, I had gotten the PS2 pack which had two of their Greatest Games packaged with the console. Those games were Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy and Ratchet and Clank. I had played both of those games and loved them. Over the years, I had purchased Jak II, Jak 3, and Jak X: Combat Racing, and had spent many hours immersed with the characters, storyline, gameplay, and more.
After the PS3 came out in 2007, I couldn’t wait for the next installment of the Jak and Daxter series to come out, but they had decided to work on the Uncharted series. On December 3, 2011, the Jak and Daxter series celebrated its 10th anniversary and Naughty Dog had announced that they were going to be a HD collection of the Jak and Daxter trilogy in February 7th. I was waiting for this for a very long time and was very excited for it to come out. It seems now that when people associated games from Naughty Dog, they always think of the Uncharted games and seem to forget about the Jak and Daxter games. With this collection, it’ll really introduce people who missed it the first time on the PS2.
So, as of today, I had taken a few minutes to play all three games and now I’m going to give my video game review on the collection. Has the series held up well after 10 years later to be purchased or has it become so dated that you shouldn’t bother with it? Well, here we go.
Graphics
When I first saw the Jak and Daxter series back on the PS2, the graphics were absolutely amazing. I loved the bright, lush, and green jungles in Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, the dark atmosphere from Haven City in Jak II, and the huge deserts in Jak 3. When looking back at the games again, the graphics has gotten a bit dated, especially Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. Over the years, we have come a long way from graphics with today’s looking more realistic, especially since Naughty Dog pushed it to the limits with the Uncharted games. However, with the sequels, they look much more improved and they look a lot more sharper and cleaner thanks to the 720 HD visuals.
Gameplay
All three games are just as much fun as they were 10 years ago. With The Precursor Legacy, you’ll be spending a lot of time exploring a non-linear world collecting Power Cells, Precursor Orbs, and Scout Flies, obtaining different colored Ecos and doing unique abilities such as run faster and gaining extra strength, fighting large bosses, riding a Zoomer to complete tasks, and so much more. It’s such a shame that you don’t see a lot of these platforming games anymore.
With Jak II, they made a huge change with the series changing the gameplay to focus more on sandbox gaming and third-person shooting than platforming and collecting items. Not only that, but you can also steal Zoomers and drive them around, have races, ride a Jetboard and pull off some neat tricks, killing Metal Heads and collecting their Skull Jems, and obtain a new ability that can make Jak turn into a darker version of himself. With the popularity of Grand Theft Auto III at the time, Naughty Dog took a huge risk in making Jak II more darker and more serious than its predecessor. Playing Jak II again made me remember how difficult and frustrating some of the missions are, although they aren’t as bad as I did it the first time. But for those who are playing this game for the first time may give up a few times along the way.
With Jak 3’s gameplay, it’s pretty much the same as Jak II’s, but the gameplay has gotten more refined and less difficult than the last game. Also it taking place in a different city with new tasks and new areas to explore. Also there are new things to do such as more racing, arcade shooting range, hunting different Metal Heads, exploring the desert, and so much more. It also introduces a lighter version of Jak with the ability to heal himself, slow down time, create a barrier, and fly for a short period of time. There’s also new abilities for Dark Jak and 8 more weapons to unlock.
Extra Features
Similar to other PS3 collections, there are trophies to be earned for every task completed. Other than that, there’s really no reason to play the games a second time besides getting 100% on the collectibles and playing some of the mini games. It’s such a shame that there are no new levels, mini games, or even DLC.
Overall, after 10 years later, the trilogy still holds up very well with its amazing story line, fun and unique game play, and intriguing characters. Sure, some of the graphics and game play from The Precursor Legacy are a bit dated, the later levels of Jak II are very difficult, and there are no extra features to make you want to go back, but this is definitely worth spending $40 dollars on Naughty Dog’s earlier games. Hopefully, we can get more people to remember the Jak and Daxter series as one of Naughty Dog’s greatest game series as much as Uncharted. Check it out.
-Patricia
After the PS3 came out in 2007, I couldn’t wait for the next installment of the Jak and Daxter series to come out, but they had decided to work on the Uncharted series. On December 3, 2011, the Jak and Daxter series celebrated its 10th anniversary and Naughty Dog had announced that they were going to be a HD collection of the Jak and Daxter trilogy in February 7th. I was waiting for this for a very long time and was very excited for it to come out. It seems now that when people associated games from Naughty Dog, they always think of the Uncharted games and seem to forget about the Jak and Daxter games. With this collection, it’ll really introduce people who missed it the first time on the PS2.
So, as of today, I had taken a few minutes to play all three games and now I’m going to give my video game review on the collection. Has the series held up well after 10 years later to be purchased or has it become so dated that you shouldn’t bother with it? Well, here we go.
Graphics
When I first saw the Jak and Daxter series back on the PS2, the graphics were absolutely amazing. I loved the bright, lush, and green jungles in Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, the dark atmosphere from Haven City in Jak II, and the huge deserts in Jak 3. When looking back at the games again, the graphics has gotten a bit dated, especially Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. Over the years, we have come a long way from graphics with today’s looking more realistic, especially since Naughty Dog pushed it to the limits with the Uncharted games. However, with the sequels, they look much more improved and they look a lot more sharper and cleaner thanks to the 720 HD visuals.
Gameplay
All three games are just as much fun as they were 10 years ago. With The Precursor Legacy, you’ll be spending a lot of time exploring a non-linear world collecting Power Cells, Precursor Orbs, and Scout Flies, obtaining different colored Ecos and doing unique abilities such as run faster and gaining extra strength, fighting large bosses, riding a Zoomer to complete tasks, and so much more. It’s such a shame that you don’t see a lot of these platforming games anymore.
With Jak II, they made a huge change with the series changing the gameplay to focus more on sandbox gaming and third-person shooting than platforming and collecting items. Not only that, but you can also steal Zoomers and drive them around, have races, ride a Jetboard and pull off some neat tricks, killing Metal Heads and collecting their Skull Jems, and obtain a new ability that can make Jak turn into a darker version of himself. With the popularity of Grand Theft Auto III at the time, Naughty Dog took a huge risk in making Jak II more darker and more serious than its predecessor. Playing Jak II again made me remember how difficult and frustrating some of the missions are, although they aren’t as bad as I did it the first time. But for those who are playing this game for the first time may give up a few times along the way.
With Jak 3’s gameplay, it’s pretty much the same as Jak II’s, but the gameplay has gotten more refined and less difficult than the last game. Also it taking place in a different city with new tasks and new areas to explore. Also there are new things to do such as more racing, arcade shooting range, hunting different Metal Heads, exploring the desert, and so much more. It also introduces a lighter version of Jak with the ability to heal himself, slow down time, create a barrier, and fly for a short period of time. There’s also new abilities for Dark Jak and 8 more weapons to unlock.
Extra Features
Similar to other PS3 collections, there are trophies to be earned for every task completed. Other than that, there’s really no reason to play the games a second time besides getting 100% on the collectibles and playing some of the mini games. It’s such a shame that there are no new levels, mini games, or even DLC.
Overall, after 10 years later, the trilogy still holds up very well with its amazing story line, fun and unique game play, and intriguing characters. Sure, some of the graphics and game play from The Precursor Legacy are a bit dated, the later levels of Jak II are very difficult, and there are no extra features to make you want to go back, but this is definitely worth spending $40 dollars on Naughty Dog’s earlier games. Hopefully, we can get more people to remember the Jak and Daxter series as one of Naughty Dog’s greatest game series as much as Uncharted. Check it out.
-Patricia
First Impressions: The Last of Us
Hey guys, Patricia here. Time for another installment of First Impressions. Today, we’re going to do our first video game impression, The Last of Us.
From the same developers of the classic PS1 series Crash Bandicoot, the amazing PS2 series Jak and Daxter, and the epic PS3 series, Uncharted, Naughty Dog is now working on a brand new game about two people named Joel and Ellie battling through a post apocalyptic world filled with zombie-like humans. It’s a third person shooting game em phasing on survival. When I first saw this cover and heard about the plot, I was a bit skeptical about the concept, story, and game play. Don't get me wrong, I love Naughty Dog. They have always been known for their creative game play, story, and unique concepts. With Crash Bandicoot and Jak and Daxter, you can see the amazing creativity that they had with their platforming game play, intriguing characters, and beautiful story lines, especially Jak and Daxter. In my honest opinion, they kinda lost that when switching to the Uncharted series. Now, don’t get me wrong. I love the Uncharted series with a passion. But I felt like it wasn’t as creative as their previous games.
However, when I went to Game Informer to look at the latest pictures, I have to admit that I did get a little bit more excited. When it comes to post apocalyptic Earth, it usually looks dark and gritty (I’m looking at you Resistance and Prototype). But this one looks a bit more realistic with trees and grass overgrowing the cities, a brighter sky, very few survivors, and overcrowded cars. It kind of reminds me of I Am Legend, The Road, and Life Without People. The zombie-like humans are also kind of creative. Instead of them being actual zombies, which is getting redundant nowadays with video games, they are humans who have been infected with an unusual parasite inspired by the Cordyceps fungus.
If you never seen or heard of the Planet Earth series from BBC, then I’ll explain. The Cordyceps fungus affects only insects. When they get infected, they are completely brainwashed and hurt themselves and others without even knowing about it. Once it’s infected, they sprout out the fungus from out of their bodies and die within three weeks. But that’s not the full extend of it: Afterwards, their bodies explode and any insect near the explosion would get infected and die as well, rinse and repeat. For an ant, this has been known to wipe out huge colonies.
So, the people from Naughty Dog are adding a twist to this fungus for humans and what the outcome would be. Along the way, Joel and Ellie would have to explore for weapons, food, medicine, and other means of survival. Nothing yet on the story, but when the new issue of Game Informer comes out, then I’ll fill you in. Overall, Naughty Dog continues to create video games based on things that have been done before and give it their own unique twist, which is what I like about them. No release date on the game yet, but will most likely come out next year.
That’s it for this installment on First Impressions. Hope to see you around soon.
-Patricia
From the same developers of the classic PS1 series Crash Bandicoot, the amazing PS2 series Jak and Daxter, and the epic PS3 series, Uncharted, Naughty Dog is now working on a brand new game about two people named Joel and Ellie battling through a post apocalyptic world filled with zombie-like humans. It’s a third person shooting game em phasing on survival. When I first saw this cover and heard about the plot, I was a bit skeptical about the concept, story, and game play. Don't get me wrong, I love Naughty Dog. They have always been known for their creative game play, story, and unique concepts. With Crash Bandicoot and Jak and Daxter, you can see the amazing creativity that they had with their platforming game play, intriguing characters, and beautiful story lines, especially Jak and Daxter. In my honest opinion, they kinda lost that when switching to the Uncharted series. Now, don’t get me wrong. I love the Uncharted series with a passion. But I felt like it wasn’t as creative as their previous games.
However, when I went to Game Informer to look at the latest pictures, I have to admit that I did get a little bit more excited. When it comes to post apocalyptic Earth, it usually looks dark and gritty (I’m looking at you Resistance and Prototype). But this one looks a bit more realistic with trees and grass overgrowing the cities, a brighter sky, very few survivors, and overcrowded cars. It kind of reminds me of I Am Legend, The Road, and Life Without People. The zombie-like humans are also kind of creative. Instead of them being actual zombies, which is getting redundant nowadays with video games, they are humans who have been infected with an unusual parasite inspired by the Cordyceps fungus.
If you never seen or heard of the Planet Earth series from BBC, then I’ll explain. The Cordyceps fungus affects only insects. When they get infected, they are completely brainwashed and hurt themselves and others without even knowing about it. Once it’s infected, they sprout out the fungus from out of their bodies and die within three weeks. But that’s not the full extend of it: Afterwards, their bodies explode and any insect near the explosion would get infected and die as well, rinse and repeat. For an ant, this has been known to wipe out huge colonies.
So, the people from Naughty Dog are adding a twist to this fungus for humans and what the outcome would be. Along the way, Joel and Ellie would have to explore for weapons, food, medicine, and other means of survival. Nothing yet on the story, but when the new issue of Game Informer comes out, then I’ll fill you in. Overall, Naughty Dog continues to create video games based on things that have been done before and give it their own unique twist, which is what I like about them. No release date on the game yet, but will most likely come out next year.
That’s it for this installment on First Impressions. Hope to see you around soon.
-Patricia
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