MORE video games?
I am on a roll.
So, as possibly none of you are aware, the PS3 HD collection of the Jak and Daxter trilogy was released here today. AWESOME! I preordered my copy the same day I picked up the first two Uncharted games, so it seemed fitting that I picked up the third game today, along with the collection. (Dear Naughty Dog; Here is all my money. Love, Jecca.) (Actually, through buying pre-owned and clever use of credits and coupons, I paid virtually nothing for Uncharted 3. Elsewise I'd not have got it, 'cause, uh. MONEY.)
And then I sat and contemplated which I'd be sticking in to play for a very long while. But I opted for Uncharted 3 because it is NEW and EXCITING, whereas the Jak games are OLD though still EXCITING, but good lord I do not want to blow myself up with zoomers right now so fuck that.
So then I spent a few hours jumping and shooting my way through the first seven chapters of Uncharted 3.
I was really torn between starting this game or replaying the entire Jak and Daxter trilogy (since, of course, I picked them both up today - I mean, why not? I preordered the collection the same day I got the first two Uncharted games, so why not pick up the third when I actually pick it up? Plus I had a sweet coupon and I finally re-found my credit, so I was able to pick up a used copy for basically nothing. Nice deal.
I WANT THE SOUNDTRACK or at least a copy of the title screen song.
BLAH BLAH BLAH scrolling camera and talking. Nate, I… did not recognize you for a moment, there, in that fancy clothing. BILLIARDS WHOO.
What is going on, NATE. Are you selling your ring? I'll be annoyed at you. Ahaha fake money. Of course. Guys, I have punched my way through bigger crowds than this.
Oh, but maybe this time I get a pool cue. Sure! Sounds fun! No, they were just kidding about that. STILL. PUNCHING!
Escape through the window! That is one way to get out of a room. And, uh, hey, thanks for the ride, I guess, random thug who threw me.
Eeew, this is one nasty restroom. Though I am glad this guy is apparently more than happy to wait for Nate to attempt to recover himself a bit before, y'know, putting me through a wall or whatever.
Does that toilet say "lucky" on it…?
ALLEY ESCAPE-FAIL and also some Evil Accent-possessing woman named Kate.
…Nate has surprisingly well-kept teeth for someone who gets knocked in the face as often as he does. SORRY, I KNOW THAT'S A BIT RANDOM.
Also, Kate, for future references, we are afraid of zombies. And I know Nate ranked Demon Sasquatches higher on the More Scary scale, but they really weren't, in my opinion. Maybe that's just because I have history with zombies, or maybe it's because they were super annoying to deal with (thus diminishing their scariness), or maybe it's because they were really just crazy weird guys in costume, I don't know. Regardless of the why, the end result is the same.
AND NOW WE DONE BEEN SHOT. If this is anything like the last game, it's now time for a flashback.
Meanwhile, in Columbia… aaaand, yep! 20 years earlier. Wow, that's a much larger time skip.
ANYWAY. Hahaha, is that teenage Nate? KID HAS AN OBSESSION. Also, man, he sure was a gangly little twerp, wasn't he? Why is he in Columbia, anyway? How is he in Columbia.
NATE'S LIFE OF CRIME STARTED VERY EARLY. Whatever, that's what you get for leaving a ring in the barrel of a cannon, seriously.
I was really confused for a moment when Kid Nate was all, "wait, here it is!" right as I looked at the diving suit.
WHAT A SUSPICIOUS GREEN-SHIRTED MAN. Let's pretend we're not watching him and then get assaulted by a guard. That was fun. Fortunately, Sully THE GREEN-SHIRTED MAN (are we supposed to not know who he is?) is making it very easy (some might say too easy…) to follow him.
UGH NATE. LEFT-RIGHT. WALKING IS NOT THAT HARD, PLEASE DO IT A BIT FASTER.
Or knock over a can full of (apples?) hahaha that was dumb.
DAMN KIDS, EATING ALL MY FRUIT WITHOUT PAYING FOR IT.
I like how if you walk close to walls or carts or stuff, he reaches out to touch them. Is that new, or did he do that in the other games and I've just forgotten / never noticed?
So, we've successfully picked Sully's pocket, and now I'm just waiting for the man to leap out of nowhere and knock Nate straight to the ground and take it back or something. Nate, of course, does not seem to share this apprehension.
Which was silly of him, because, surprise! No more wallet.
Glad he pocketed the key, though, otherwise that'd just have been embarrassing.
And with a mis-pressed button, Nate's life of crime ends before it beings with a SPLAT on the streets of Columbia.
… okay, I know that pendant wasn't in the diving suit's hand earlier, so that just raises the question of what the hell idiot is going around and putting this stuff in these places.
Okay, you've got your stuff, now scarper. Nate, honestly, hanging out in museums you've just broken into and stolen from is a bad habit to get into.
I guess he has a long history of being shot at. Geez, no wonder it's more annoying than anything at this point.
… I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE I AM SUPPOSED TO BE RUNNING TO.
WHAT. HEY. NPC. Falling off of roofs is my shtick. DON'T DO IT AGAIN. … oh, I see. Sully threw you off the roof. Well, that's okay, then. AS YOU WERE.
And now we discuss over food, and finally learn a bit of Nate's bizarre life story. (Nuns, hahaha, fantastic.)
BACK TO REALITY. Ah, so it was a con. Should've guessed. (Well, obviously they weren't really shot, but the paintball gun-wielding double-agent did surprise me a little.) Ah, we've picked ourselves a claustrophobic ally. Good thing you're only joining us now, but too bad you're joining us at all, on that count.
Ah, hello, Chloe!
Nate, when do these "sneak in, sneak out" plans of yours ever actually work? Take the damn gun.
Hm. Obvious. Follow the tracks from the car. THEY GO INTO THE WALL OH NO so there's clearly some kind of trip mechanism.
I am back to FFXI and the weighted doors in Garlaige and the Quicksand Caves. Everyone pick a block and stand on it! Oh, good, Nate's caught on, as well.
Ah, damn. I was wrong. XD HEADLIGHTS. Phooey.
Chloe's the best driver in the business? Well, okay, but I'm only giving it to her because Elena isn't really in the business. I don't think we've ever really seen Chloe drive, actually. Have we? Can't possibly be better at it than Elena.
No end to his ignorance at all, sir! (BUT HE IS OMNI-LINGUAL!)
Am I supposed to go up or down here?
Okay, well, up got me a Precursor Orb, so the answer was probably down.
DOWN HOLES DOWN HOLES DOWN HOLES AND IN TUNNELS AND DOWN HOLES AND Silent Hiiiiiill.
And also Neverwhere, I guess? No, wait, that'd be London Below, never mind. (Bummer.)
… how do I get down from these rafters.
Oh, there we go! I didn't see that other section you could jump over to at first.
Okay, no, I'm still stuck? WAIT NO I CAN REACH THE WALL.
Chandeliers… jesus, this is insane.
Stonework identification. You really have been hanging out with Elena, haven't you? :D
Creeps are justifiable! This is pretty weird! Unless you're Nate, in which case grunting and shouting all over the place is fine. WHAT ARE SNEAKING.
ahahaha and Sully calls him on it. Quietly, Nate, geez.
She doesn't look any older than she did in the flashback. Too much botox and hairdye?
…. Wait, what? Four hundred years of searching? POSSIBLY NOT TOO MUCH BOTOX AND HAIRDYE?
Nate, what is that in the jar? I can't identify it and you're in a better position to judge.
I O H D N
… Sure? Ah. Golden Hind. Of course.
ROOM SEARCH, GO!
No, for - NATE - Stop reading the map and maybe worry about the guys shooting at you and your pals?
Whoops, out of ammo. MELEE TIME, ALL RIGHT!!
HA! I KNEW there had to be a treasure up here! NOW TO ESCAPE PROPERLY! OVER THE RAILING!
Aaaand onto a croco-gator-thing, sure, why not.
I couldn't climb or stand on any of the other dead animals (I TRIED). What makes this guy so special?
AMBUUUUSH.
007 is TOTALLY RELEVANT, Nate, just because you have no idea what that even means…
Let him have his enthusiasm, Sully!
Why hide? Oh, probably because it's cursed and evil and full of monsters.
Hahaha, everyone thinks you are ridiculous, Nate. AND OFF WE GO!
To France! Because if we started in the desert, they'd have to skip this part of the game, rather than put us through both.
HA! I didn't just run off the ledge in that cave! Good job, me!
OH GEEZ I nearly jumped out of my skin when the floor collapsed and dropped me that far. I kept hitting buttons waiting for the quicktime event. XD
Do the puzzles change depending on what difficulty you're playing? I know that's how it worked in Silent Hill, and that puzzle with the statues just seemed… really easy. (I play on Easy, if anyone was wondering. The first game was because OH GOD SHOOTING and now it's just habit, or something. Like how with Kingdom Hearts I always go with whatever's the hardest setting.)
Haha, Nate is doing all the falling down for me! wheeee.
…. What noise? Shit, was there a noise? I had the radio on. WHAT'S DOWN HERE WITH ME??
Oh, there's the noise. CHITTERING CLICKING. Mandibles?
Ah, spiders. Of course.
WATER PASSAGE.
WATER PASSAGE WITH MURKY UNDERWATER SECTIONS.
NYUUUU!!!
NEAR DROWNING AAAAAUGH
Whew, we're out. Thank goodness.
HOW THE FUCK DO THEY ALWAYS FIND ME? NATE, I TOLD YOU TO REMOVE THAT TRACKING DEVICE. UGH, YOU NEVER LISTEN.
Alternately, it was Chloe or Cutter.
Nate, Sully's probably heard all the commotion and figured it out already, but yeah, we should probably still find him.
HOORAY HEAVILY DECAYED DEAD GUY
Lalala floor tile puzzle. I WON IT. Sully was nice enough to hold still and not mess me up. Thank goodness for well-programmed AI.
Also, Nate will never need to carry his own matches. What are you trying to imply, here, Sully?
Goddamned alchemists. Can't leave or take 'em anywhere.
Enochian, eh? Where's Castiel when you need him.
(Damn, though, seriously, where does Nate get the time to do all this sketching in his journal? Man's got mad skills.)
WTF THAT WALL PUZZLE. I was ready to scream. Turns out I had two of the tiles messed up, so once I finally got it into my head to swap them, poof! But uuugh I was getting super annoyed.
Aaand our stalkers are still doing their job, it seems.
AND NOW: SPIDERS.
Heeeey. NOT FAIR. :( I made it through the spider death tunnel only for Nate to keel over as Sully shut the door.
So are those what got that dead guy from before?
Why are we shh-ing, Nate?
YOU FUCKING IDIOTS, THIS WHOLE PLACE IS BURNING THE FUCK DOWN AND YOU'RE STILL JUST HANGING AROUND WAITING FOR A CHANCE TO TRY TO BEAT MY HEAD IN?
… I had a weirdly hard time hitting those guys who try to shoot you while you've got your foot stuck in the floor.
For crying out loud. Nate, your life is like a bad dream or something.
DON'T YOU "COME ON, NATE" ME, I AM AHEAD OF YOU. (Amazing how mortal perils can motivate one to leapfrog up walls like that.)
WORST DAY EVER HOLY SHIT the tower just fell on me hahaha ow.
MADE IT OUT!
Sully. They're always playing for keeps.
That said, y'know, after nearly being trapped in a burning mansion and dying horribly (immediately after nearly being killed by spiders), not sure I'd blame you for wanting to back out. Besides, it's pretty much tradition that we go most of the game without you at this point.
BOOM, Syria.
Which is the start of chapter 8 and the end of my gaming for tonight.
DEATH LIST!:
GRAVITY: 9
Failure to Flee: 7
SPIDERS: 1
Shot: 2
TOWER ON HEAD: 1
So you would think, between me getting two (well, four) amazing games and having a really random and confusing but TOTALLY ACCEPTABLE three-day weekend, I would be all super cheerful, but instead I am saaaad and full of woe and worry, because my kitty isn't feeling very well today! She keeps hacking everything up, poor thing. I hope she feels better tomorrow, both for her own sake and because I really don't like cleaning up cat puke.
... Have I put up a picture of her yet? Here she is sticking her tongue out! And now she's sitting on the sofa! Yay!
[Crossposted from DW. Comments:
]
So, as possibly none of you are aware, the PS3 HD collection of the Jak and Daxter trilogy was released here today. AWESOME! I preordered my copy the same day I picked up the first two Uncharted games, so it seemed fitting that I picked up the third game today, along with the collection. (Dear Naughty Dog; Here is all my money. Love, Jecca.) (Actually, through buying pre-owned and clever use of credits and coupons, I paid virtually nothing for Uncharted 3. Elsewise I'd not have got it, 'cause, uh. MONEY.)
And then I sat and contemplated which I'd be sticking in to play for a very long while. But I opted for Uncharted 3 because it is NEW and EXCITING, whereas the Jak games are OLD though still EXCITING, but good lord I do not want to blow myself up with zoomers right now so fuck that.
So then I spent a few hours jumping and shooting my way through the first seven chapters of Uncharted 3.
I was really torn between starting this game or replaying the entire Jak and Daxter trilogy (since, of course, I picked them both up today - I mean, why not? I preordered the collection the same day I got the first two Uncharted games, so why not pick up the third when I actually pick it up? Plus I had a sweet coupon and I finally re-found my credit, so I was able to pick up a used copy for basically nothing. Nice deal.
I WANT THE SOUNDTRACK or at least a copy of the title screen song.
BLAH BLAH BLAH scrolling camera and talking. Nate, I… did not recognize you for a moment, there, in that fancy clothing. BILLIARDS WHOO.
What is going on, NATE. Are you selling your ring? I'll be annoyed at you. Ahaha fake money. Of course. Guys, I have punched my way through bigger crowds than this.
Oh, but maybe this time I get a pool cue. Sure! Sounds fun! No, they were just kidding about that. STILL. PUNCHING!
Escape through the window! That is one way to get out of a room. And, uh, hey, thanks for the ride, I guess, random thug who threw me.
Eeew, this is one nasty restroom. Though I am glad this guy is apparently more than happy to wait for Nate to attempt to recover himself a bit before, y'know, putting me through a wall or whatever.
Does that toilet say "lucky" on it…?
ALLEY ESCAPE-FAIL and also some Evil Accent-possessing woman named Kate.
…Nate has surprisingly well-kept teeth for someone who gets knocked in the face as often as he does. SORRY, I KNOW THAT'S A BIT RANDOM.
Also, Kate, for future references, we are afraid of zombies. And I know Nate ranked Demon Sasquatches higher on the More Scary scale, but they really weren't, in my opinion. Maybe that's just because I have history with zombies, or maybe it's because they were super annoying to deal with (thus diminishing their scariness), or maybe it's because they were really just crazy weird guys in costume, I don't know. Regardless of the why, the end result is the same.
AND NOW WE DONE BEEN SHOT. If this is anything like the last game, it's now time for a flashback.
Meanwhile, in Columbia… aaaand, yep! 20 years earlier. Wow, that's a much larger time skip.
ANYWAY. Hahaha, is that teenage Nate? KID HAS AN OBSESSION. Also, man, he sure was a gangly little twerp, wasn't he? Why is he in Columbia, anyway? How is he in Columbia.
NATE'S LIFE OF CRIME STARTED VERY EARLY. Whatever, that's what you get for leaving a ring in the barrel of a cannon, seriously.
I was really confused for a moment when Kid Nate was all, "wait, here it is!" right as I looked at the diving suit.
WHAT A SUSPICIOUS GREEN-SHIRTED MAN. Let's pretend we're not watching him and then get assaulted by a guard. That was fun. Fortunately, Sully THE GREEN-SHIRTED MAN (are we supposed to not know who he is?) is making it very easy (some might say too easy…) to follow him.
UGH NATE. LEFT-RIGHT. WALKING IS NOT THAT HARD, PLEASE DO IT A BIT FASTER.
Or knock over a can full of (apples?) hahaha that was dumb.
DAMN KIDS, EATING ALL MY FRUIT WITHOUT PAYING FOR IT.
I like how if you walk close to walls or carts or stuff, he reaches out to touch them. Is that new, or did he do that in the other games and I've just forgotten / never noticed?
So, we've successfully picked Sully's pocket, and now I'm just waiting for the man to leap out of nowhere and knock Nate straight to the ground and take it back or something. Nate, of course, does not seem to share this apprehension.
Which was silly of him, because, surprise! No more wallet.
Glad he pocketed the key, though, otherwise that'd just have been embarrassing.
And with a mis-pressed button, Nate's life of crime ends before it beings with a SPLAT on the streets of Columbia.
… okay, I know that pendant wasn't in the diving suit's hand earlier, so that just raises the question of what the hell idiot is going around and putting this stuff in these places.
Okay, you've got your stuff, now scarper. Nate, honestly, hanging out in museums you've just broken into and stolen from is a bad habit to get into.
I guess he has a long history of being shot at. Geez, no wonder it's more annoying than anything at this point.
… I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE I AM SUPPOSED TO BE RUNNING TO.
WHAT. HEY. NPC. Falling off of roofs is my shtick. DON'T DO IT AGAIN. … oh, I see. Sully threw you off the roof. Well, that's okay, then. AS YOU WERE.
And now we discuss over food, and finally learn a bit of Nate's bizarre life story. (Nuns, hahaha, fantastic.)
BACK TO REALITY. Ah, so it was a con. Should've guessed. (Well, obviously they weren't really shot, but the paintball gun-wielding double-agent did surprise me a little.) Ah, we've picked ourselves a claustrophobic ally. Good thing you're only joining us now, but too bad you're joining us at all, on that count.
Ah, hello, Chloe!
Nate, when do these "sneak in, sneak out" plans of yours ever actually work? Take the damn gun.
Hm. Obvious. Follow the tracks from the car. THEY GO INTO THE WALL OH NO so there's clearly some kind of trip mechanism.
I am back to FFXI and the weighted doors in Garlaige and the Quicksand Caves. Everyone pick a block and stand on it! Oh, good, Nate's caught on, as well.
Ah, damn. I was wrong. XD HEADLIGHTS. Phooey.
Chloe's the best driver in the business? Well, okay, but I'm only giving it to her because Elena isn't really in the business. I don't think we've ever really seen Chloe drive, actually. Have we? Can't possibly be better at it than Elena.
No end to his ignorance at all, sir! (BUT HE IS OMNI-LINGUAL!)
Am I supposed to go up or down here?
Okay, well, up got me a Precursor Orb, so the answer was probably down.
DOWN HOLES DOWN HOLES DOWN HOLES AND IN TUNNELS AND DOWN HOLES AND Silent Hiiiiiill.
And also Neverwhere, I guess? No, wait, that'd be London Below, never mind. (Bummer.)
… how do I get down from these rafters.
Oh, there we go! I didn't see that other section you could jump over to at first.
Okay, no, I'm still stuck? WAIT NO I CAN REACH THE WALL.
Chandeliers… jesus, this is insane.
Stonework identification. You really have been hanging out with Elena, haven't you? :D
Creeps are justifiable! This is pretty weird! Unless you're Nate, in which case grunting and shouting all over the place is fine. WHAT ARE SNEAKING.
ahahaha and Sully calls him on it. Quietly, Nate, geez.
She doesn't look any older than she did in the flashback. Too much botox and hairdye?
…. Wait, what? Four hundred years of searching? POSSIBLY NOT TOO MUCH BOTOX AND HAIRDYE?
Nate, what is that in the jar? I can't identify it and you're in a better position to judge.
I O H D N
… Sure? Ah. Golden Hind. Of course.
ROOM SEARCH, GO!
No, for - NATE - Stop reading the map and maybe worry about the guys shooting at you and your pals?
Whoops, out of ammo. MELEE TIME, ALL RIGHT!!
HA! I KNEW there had to be a treasure up here! NOW TO ESCAPE PROPERLY! OVER THE RAILING!
Aaaand onto a croco-gator-thing, sure, why not.
I couldn't climb or stand on any of the other dead animals (I TRIED). What makes this guy so special?
AMBUUUUSH.
007 is TOTALLY RELEVANT, Nate, just because you have no idea what that even means…
Let him have his enthusiasm, Sully!
Why hide? Oh, probably because it's cursed and evil and full of monsters.
Hahaha, everyone thinks you are ridiculous, Nate. AND OFF WE GO!
To France! Because if we started in the desert, they'd have to skip this part of the game, rather than put us through both.
HA! I didn't just run off the ledge in that cave! Good job, me!
OH GEEZ I nearly jumped out of my skin when the floor collapsed and dropped me that far. I kept hitting buttons waiting for the quicktime event. XD
Do the puzzles change depending on what difficulty you're playing? I know that's how it worked in Silent Hill, and that puzzle with the statues just seemed… really easy. (I play on Easy, if anyone was wondering. The first game was because OH GOD SHOOTING and now it's just habit, or something. Like how with Kingdom Hearts I always go with whatever's the hardest setting.)
Haha, Nate is doing all the falling down for me! wheeee.
…. What noise? Shit, was there a noise? I had the radio on. WHAT'S DOWN HERE WITH ME??
Oh, there's the noise. CHITTERING CLICKING. Mandibles?
Ah, spiders. Of course.
WATER PASSAGE.
WATER PASSAGE WITH MURKY UNDERWATER SECTIONS.
NYUUUU!!!
NEAR DROWNING AAAAAUGH
Whew, we're out. Thank goodness.
HOW THE FUCK DO THEY ALWAYS FIND ME? NATE, I TOLD YOU TO REMOVE THAT TRACKING DEVICE. UGH, YOU NEVER LISTEN.
Alternately, it was Chloe or Cutter.
Nate, Sully's probably heard all the commotion and figured it out already, but yeah, we should probably still find him.
HOORAY HEAVILY DECAYED DEAD GUY
Lalala floor tile puzzle. I WON IT. Sully was nice enough to hold still and not mess me up. Thank goodness for well-programmed AI.
Also, Nate will never need to carry his own matches. What are you trying to imply, here, Sully?
Goddamned alchemists. Can't leave or take 'em anywhere.
Enochian, eh? Where's Castiel when you need him.
(Damn, though, seriously, where does Nate get the time to do all this sketching in his journal? Man's got mad skills.)
WTF THAT WALL PUZZLE. I was ready to scream. Turns out I had two of the tiles messed up, so once I finally got it into my head to swap them, poof! But uuugh I was getting super annoyed.
Aaand our stalkers are still doing their job, it seems.
AND NOW: SPIDERS.
Heeeey. NOT FAIR. :( I made it through the spider death tunnel only for Nate to keel over as Sully shut the door.
So are those what got that dead guy from before?
Why are we shh-ing, Nate?
YOU FUCKING IDIOTS, THIS WHOLE PLACE IS BURNING THE FUCK DOWN AND YOU'RE STILL JUST HANGING AROUND WAITING FOR A CHANCE TO TRY TO BEAT MY HEAD IN?
… I had a weirdly hard time hitting those guys who try to shoot you while you've got your foot stuck in the floor.
For crying out loud. Nate, your life is like a bad dream or something.
DON'T YOU "COME ON, NATE" ME, I AM AHEAD OF YOU. (Amazing how mortal perils can motivate one to leapfrog up walls like that.)
WORST DAY EVER HOLY SHIT the tower just fell on me hahaha ow.
MADE IT OUT!
Sully. They're always playing for keeps.
That said, y'know, after nearly being trapped in a burning mansion and dying horribly (immediately after nearly being killed by spiders), not sure I'd blame you for wanting to back out. Besides, it's pretty much tradition that we go most of the game without you at this point.
BOOM, Syria.
Which is the start of chapter 8 and the end of my gaming for tonight.
DEATH LIST!:
GRAVITY: 9
Failure to Flee: 7
SPIDERS: 1
Shot: 2
TOWER ON HEAD: 1
So you would think, between me getting two (well, four) amazing games and having a really random and confusing but TOTALLY ACCEPTABLE three-day weekend, I would be all super cheerful, but instead I am saaaad and full of woe and worry, because my kitty isn't feeling very well today! She keeps hacking everything up, poor thing. I hope she feels better tomorrow, both for her own sake and because I really don't like cleaning up cat puke.
... Have I put up a picture of her yet? Here she is sticking her tongue out! And now she's sitting on the sofa! Yay!
[Crossposted from DW. Comments:
]