THE GOOD:-Amazing graphics
-Excellent sound
-Lots of exploration
-Tons of challenges
-Very addicting
THE BAD:
-Sometimes annoying controls
-Not a lot of extras (but the challenges make up for it)
-Can get frustrating for first-timers
-Stupid health system
SUMMARY:
I've gotta say, I was far from disappointed with this amazing game. There is just so much about this game that I just loved, and you should feel the same.
Graphics: 9.6 -- I've always been amazed at what Naughty Dog is capable of, but who isn't? For starters, the character models are nicely detailed, especially for the release date, even with a few minor problems (like smeared-looking faces). The running animations look weird, but the rest is gold. But that's nothing compared to the environments. I can't believe how much detail was put into everything from the mountainous structures to the tiny blades of grass. And the water looks and moves incredibly lifelike! The day-to-night changes are also very smooth. And everything is shaded according to the time of day, including the character models. Plus, some things in the environment give off light (and not just lanturns), which then lights up everything around it. Every little ince of every environment has some impressive texturing as well. You can even see the basic details of much more distant locations, including the levels all the way at the other side of the area. That's right; from a good view, you can see all the levels of the game! As for the effects, I am impressed. Some of the lighting is a bit too dark, but the rest is brilliant. The sun looks like the programmers took a copy of ours out of the sky. The flames could use some work, but the enemy attacks and 'eco' pixels are superb. Overall, you will be amazed at the works of art in this game.
Sound: 9.7 -- Only a hair better than the graphics, the sound of the game will impress even the most critical gamers. The music is just so cool and fitting you'll want to put it on your MP3 player. And the soundtrack transitions between levels are smooth and natural. The sound effects aren't bad, either. Every object in every environment creates a realistic, unique sound on impact. It sounds a little fuzzy if it gets too loud (like when you punch a hermit crab enemy), but it's hardly noticeable. Also, unlike most every game on the market, the sound of your steps differ, depending on what you're walking on. If you step on metal, it sounds just like a metal floor from an army base. Wood creaks and snaps like real wooden floor boards. Grass crinkles like someone's lawn. You can practically fool elderly people into thinking you're really swimming in the ocean or walking through the grass! As for speech, you're in for a treat. The conversations the characters have are good enough for a Hollywood film. And some voices are just hilarious! You can even change the language (there are four others)! Sometimes the voices can be a bit mumbled, but that's not a problem. Even the enemies of the levels make their own realistic animal noises. It's almost a little scary to have that chasing you. Really, the quality of this sound is like heaven.
Handling: 8.6 -- Well, the game plays well, but I found a few problems. The camera was very easy to control and manage, and it only has problems in crammed areas. The controls, not so much. They're all useful and easy to use, but it can be a pain to press multiple buttons to use the more complex moves. This isn't necessarily a problem, as you don't come across those obstacles often; it's just annoying. Also, the control feels a bit too slow and short after awhile. And I had a few problems with the jumps. Sometimes you can't go far enough, and other times the double-jump feature doesn't respond. Luckily, there are a few tricks to dominating this problem. Then there's that health system. The enemy attacks are pretty infrequent and hardly provide problems, but it only takes three hits to die, and you take damage just from touching an enemy. But the healing system is the problem. You have to collect 50 pieces of this energy called Eco just to restore one point, and that really messes you up if you're in a situation with lots of enemies and aren't getting enough Eco out of it. But if you collect 50 Eco pieces when you are full on health, you get an extra health point, which comes in quite handy. On a rare occasion (or if you desperately need health) you can find a big piece of Eco that fully restores one point on its own (or gives you an extra point), and there are a few vents that restore all your health, including one extra point. As for the level design, I'm not completely satisfied. Just simple platforming rarely provides problems, but it has a tendancy to become to distant. The more skillful obstacles (such as scaling a huge structure or completing a gymnastics-type course) are a bit of a pain. They're not hard or anything; they're actually pretty easy. It's just that they tend to cause blind spots if you're not careful. The good news is that this game actually gets becomes increasingly challenging at a good pace. Most games just move so slowly and are too easy, while others are constantly hair-pulling. Some games start out easy and instantly get difficult, while others become easier and harder during random parts of the game. But this game is perfect. It's easy in the beginning and hard at the end, which is blended at the perfect pace. And the variety of difficulties with each level is a nice touch. The individual levels themselves also become increasingly difficult as you move further, which I've never seen in other games. This game may have its flaws, but it's easy to get past them.
Entertainment: 9.4 -- When I first got this game, I couldn't stop playing it! The feel of the game is enough to keep you hooked. Sure, it's kind of lame during the tutorial level, but it's a real good time once you get onto the real levels. Exploring new areas for the first time is always exciting, and the levels are so huge that it's hard to get bored. Even though combat tends to be a problem in exploration titles, this one works well. The enemies can be found throughout the level, and there is a slight strategy behind each enemy type. There's always a challenge to complete; I'd say it's around 100! And getting even one challenge done is well worth every bit of effort. Even if you beat the game there's always something you can do. But if you do complete every challenge, it's still fun just to explore the levels. Sadly, this game's appeal only lasts so long if you leave yourself with nothing to do. Just try to make it last. And trust me--this game can suck your life away if you're not careful.
Features: 9.5 -- I found quite a variety in this game. Like I mentioned before, there is this element of the game called Eco, which comes in five varieties and is basically a power-up. Green Eco restores your health. Blue Eco temporarily increases your speed, activates certain equipment, and makes you attract more Eco from a distance. Red Eco temporarily increases your strength, and Yellow Eco allows you to shoot fire balls. This Eco appears as a basketball sized glowing ball of energy, and it plays a very important role in this game, and I always loved to use it. But then there's Dark Eco, which is basically a thick black poison goo that can do all kinds of bad stuff. As you already know, there are TONS of challenges to complete. And the best part is that you don't have to do them all; just enough to acquire a certain number of Power Cells to activate some machinery, the 'key' to progressing further. And there are plenty of these challenges to choose from. If you're a speed demon, you can race against the clock to win a Power Cell. If you're more of a fighter, you can defeat a number of enemies, called Lurkers, for people to get your reward, including a short variety of boss enemies. Or, for you explorers, you can make your way through a somewhat difficult course to find a Power Cell at the end. With all these different missions (about 100 of them, to be exact), you'll need a lot of places to go. And this game offers over fifteen large levels to explore. Sadly, gameplay variety is the only thing you'll find in this game. Well, there is a special reward for finding all 100 Power Cells in the game. Is it worth it? That's up to you. But with all these amazing challenges and large levels to explore, are unlockables really necessary? I would say not.
Replay Value: Moderately High
Overall: 9.3-- As you can probably imagine, this is one heck of a game. It has visuals that would make Da Vinci blush, audio that matches reality, and some awesome gameplay. And you'll always have something to do. I highly recommend it.
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