The Freedom Itinerary

My work as a developer is on hold for two weeks. After practically swimming in controllers on my living room floor after my last day of work with my friends, I’m beginning a quest. A quest to finish the games I started, to start the games I intend to finish, complete the games that I abandoned and catch up with a select choice of the ones I missed, old and new. This quest is called The Freedom Itinerary.

Aftermath

First on the list was Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. I started this months ago, and while on the whole the game is excellent and mostly enjoyable, I have two main gripes with it. One: In their developer videos (which might I add are a wonderful addition to the game, please make more developers do this),  I quote the words, “We didn’t want to have the same gritty, dark corridors that so many of these games have you running around shooting aliens and fighting monsters in”.

For about 90% of the game, this is commendably true. Most of Uncharted is comprised of glistening water, lush, vibrant jungle environments, and crumbling historic structures. Unfortunately there is one section that precisely matches the above description of ‘gritty, dark corridors, where you run around shooting aliens and fighting monsters in’. Yes, technically speaking they are not aliens, but they might as well be. Regardless, that was one small, weak area, which unfortunately sticks out in my head because unlike the rest of the game, which is often reminiscent of Crash Bandicoot’s crazy boulder runs and jetski sections, it was small and weak.

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

My second gripe was the final boss, and the very reason Uncharted was removed from my PS3 in exchange for a number of other titles, and not returned to for some time.

The boss shoots at me. I can shoot him, but he cannot actually be wounded for about 4 ’rounds’ of spawning goons that run at me, destroying any crates I wish to stand behind. But the game only told me this through the terrific number of failures I endured before realising that some other ordinary bloke with a gun (the ‘boss’) will remain invulnerable until the game decides I am allowed to attack him with any sort of consequence (death). Of course I have to kill each wave of enemies before I’m allowed to attack him. Of course he will kill me in one shot. Of course the game will switch suddenly between QTE’s and gameplay without warning. Of course I will learn how to kill him through trial and error. Of course it was not enjoyable.

Chloe Frazer Once that nugget of pain was dealt with, I began Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, the second title on The Freedom Itinerary. It’s perfect so far, exactly as my trusted friends had me believe.

I must also confirm that Claudia Black is in fact a female David Hayter. As Chloe Frazer, she has the sexiest, huskiest female voice that’s ever reached my ears, surpassing the criminally underused voice of Fran in FFXII. If Chloe so much as conversed with Solid Snake I’d probably faint; so there’s my request to Kojima Productions and Naughty Dog for some sort of collaboration allowing these two characters to cross paths. Make it happen!

The Freedom Itinerary:

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves – The antics of beautiful men and women in their quest to collect shiny objects simply cannot be avoided any longer.

Fallout 3 – I believe I left the game just before undergoing the final mission in the story, but I don’t want it to end.

Valkyria Chronicles – Trusted sources have led me to believe it’s fantastic. And the game is just sitting there on my shelf, beckoning me.

Army of Tutu – It’s not  “Army of Two: The 40th day”, not really. It’s Army of Tutu, where macho blokes don tutus together in an attempt to irritate enemy soldiers.

Heavy Rain – Sadly, I already know who the Origami Killer is, but I still want a go at analogue-stick waggling and sixaxis-tilting to open car doors and apply make-up.

The Secret Armory of General Knoxx – Borderlands DLC that introduced me to a whole new level of disappointment and anger. But I paid for it, and I will finish it. And if I still hate it, you are damn well going to know about it.

Final Fantasy XIII – I’m still sticking my fingers in my ears and ignoring comment on this game until I’ve been there and done it myself. I want to make up my own mind, but unlike every other game on my list, FFXIII is not intriguing or exciting me in any way, so for that reason it’s sitting at the bottom of the Freedom Itinerary.

Comments

3 responses to “The Freedom Itinerary”

  1. The Rook avatar
    The Rook

    Fallout 3 doesn’t have to end with the final mission if you get The Brotherhood Of Steel DLC. It’ll allow you to continue with many more quests while also increasing the level cap. Then there’s Operation Anchorage, The Pitt, Point Lookout and Mothership Zeta. Plenty more Fallout 3 to play.

  2. Andy T avatar
    Andy T

    I have a similar problem…In days gone by I was massively guilty of buying too many games at once and half playing all of them. Now I’m trying to go back and finish everything one game at a time.

  3. markB0SS avatar
    markB0SS

    good luck with FFXIII
    Im prob gonna sell my signed copy!

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