Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (Video Game 2007)

Treasure hunter Nathan Drake discovers a 400-year-old clue in the coffin of Sir Francis Drake that sets the fortune hunter on an exploration for the fabled treasure of El Dorado. The adventure leads them to the discovery of a forgotten island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The search turns deadly when Drake becomes stranded on the island and hunted by mercenaries. Outnumbered and outgunned, Drake and his companions must fight to survive as they begin to unravel the terrible secrets hidden on the Island. Released back in 2007, this marked the first entry in the Uncharted franchise that has become widely beloved in the gaming community. I personally played the remastered edition part of The Nathan Drake Collection of 2015 and will be reviewing it as such as I never played the original copy made for the PlayStation 3. Besides a couple of changes, the main upgrade is in the visuals with a comparison video linked below. Drake's Fortune is a brilliant starting point for the franchise that whilst may have a few issues, it is still an incredible heap of fun. It feels like a modern-day Indiana Jones (which had a great influence on this product) full of the action-packed, puzzle-solving, tomb-raiding, treasure-hunting escapades we all know and love. The best part about it is that you are at the centre of the adventure. The greatest aspect of the game is certainly the characters and story. You play as the legendary Nathan Drake and control him during sequences involving fighting, shooting, traversal and solving puzzles. Nathan makes for a strong, charming and delightful protagonist with his witty dialogue, care and duty to his friends and show of perseverance when faced with danger, which he is extremely lucky in frequently surviving. He is accompanied by beautiful American Journalist Elena Fisher, who steps up during the opening sequence when the two are attacked by pirates at sea. She later joins the mission continuing to take charge in situations. As well as Elena, Nathan is joined by another deuteragonist, Victor Sullivan, a long-time business partner of Nate's who equally lends a hand in the search for The Lost City of Gold. I particularly liked the rainforest setting for the adventure, navigating around the trees and climbing on old structures and ruins. Although we don't do a lot of globetrotting in this adventure, I quite enjoyed the confinement to a singular location as it upped the ante, especially considering Drake and Elena's plane was shot down, leaving them with no way of escaping the island. This island is covered in teams of highly-trained South American mercenaries led by Atoq Navarro, who is in league with other antagonists Eddy Raja and Gabriel Roman. The main villain of the story ends up being Navarro, who betrays Roman and even gets a place as the final boss, which is a phenomenal cinematic experience. Another enemy Drake encounters is the terrifying Descendants who bring a level of horror to the story that comes out of nowhere, attacking in waves that almost feel never-ending. Their design is extremely frightening and their origin makes for a shocking revelation that becomes a daring mission to stop the others from acquiring the statue. Naturally, the most important feature in any video game is the gameplay and in the case of this Uncharted, it is pretty good with some slight nitpick issues. The main one I found annoying was the traversal which is quite an essential piece of this game yet it was a bit clunky to control. I would find myself being launched into the abyss after my input was not carried out properly. On the other hand, some mechanics like the jet ski had me almost raging after repeatedly blowing up. When it comes to combat it can be extremely engaging and exhilarating, however after a while it becomes quite repetitive although I still had a blast with it. Overall, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune is a staple in the gaming world that is undoubtedly worthy of all its praise. It is full of exciting combat, an enthralling story and compelling characters suitable for anyone looking for an energetic adventure story. Also, continue the crusade in the sequel Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Video Game 2009).

Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4

Developer: Naughty Dog

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Genre: Action / Adventure / Fantasy / Horror / Mystery / Thriller

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Original vs Remastered Comparison:

The Black Hole (1979)

An Earth exploratory ship, the U.S.S. Palomino, discovers a black hole with a lost ship, the U.S.S. Cygnus, just outside its event horizon, which has been missing for the past twenty years. Once aboard, they find the ship manned by robots. Its only human inhabitant is Dr. Hans Reinhardt, an eminent scientist. He plans to enter the Black Hole. Whether Dr. Reinhardt is a genius or a madman, one thing is for sure he will not be denied his life's dream. What lies beyond the Black Hole? Immortality or, Oblivion? I love this forgotten classic. Being a huge sci-fi enthusiast certainly made this ideal viewing, especially since films like Star Wars (1977) and Alien (1979) were favourites of mine and obvious inspirations. Whilst I adore the science fiction genre, I also find older ones to be even more enjoyable, and this Disney film was no exception. One of my favourite scenarios in any space-age product involves a mysterious spaceship being discovered adrift or abandoned that's boarded by a crew who tries to ascertain what has occurred. Although it doesn't follow this exact style of premise, it certainly takes a similar direction. We follow Captain Dan Holland, his First Officer Lieutenant Charlie Pizer, journalist Harry Booth, scientist and ESP-sensitive Dr. Kate McCrae (whose father was the Cygnus's First Officer), Dr. Alex Durant, the expedition's civilian leader and the robot known as V.I.N.CENT., who board the mystery vessel. Each member is unique, with the highlights being Captain Hollan, Lieutenant Pizer and V.I.N.CENT., who shone from their action-based sequences, to their interesting dialogue. V.I.N.CENT. is really cool with many gadgets and gizmos that come in handy in the many perilous situations of the mission. He is also equipped with weapons, which he uses expertly to battle against the attacking robots of the Cygnus saving his friends. Speaking of friends, he meets a fellow robot of the same make but an older model known as B.O.B., who unfortunately has been seriously battered and mistreated. B.O.B. still holds his own in a fight despite his physical state and without his help, the Palomino crew wouldn't know of the horrifying goings on of the Cygnus. During their stop on the craft, they find many questionable happenings that put some members of the group on edge. Discovering a lone man in this massive ship was certainly unusual but as we see more of the robots operating the mechanics, signs become extremely noticeable that there is more to them. From conducting a human-style funeral even though there are no 'living' people left and another one limping in a later scene. The reveal of their true nature was surprisingly creepy and included some frightening imagery. Dr. Hans Reinhardt is equally chilling as the villainous captain of the phenomenon vessel. However, he is overshadowed by the frighteningly ominous Maximilian, whose design is seriously awesome and sinister. Not only does he look the part, but has one of the most iconic scenes when he kills one of the crew in what was the most graphic and gruesome deaths in a Disney production. On my initial viewing, that scene made my jaw drop as it was the last thing I expected, from a production of this kind. The music by John Barry amplified all these suspenseful and eerie moments with his phenomenal score. My favourite was the main title, which set the tone perfectly and was excitingly foreboding. He added a whole manner of emotions through his exquisite pieces that I like to revisit. Visual effects were a bit hit-and-miss throughout but mainly looked outstanding from the interior and exterior of the grandiose ship to the laser firing and the distant black hole. The story is very engaging. I can easily overlook all the issues and lack of reality in particular elements for the immense fun I had. That said, the ending is beyond trippy and bizarre, which left me puzzled mainly due to how unbelievable it is with no explanation given. Overall, I adore this extremely underrated cult classic. It ticks all my sci-fi criteria and delivers a thrilling adventure full of explosive action and dangers. While not without its flaws, this is still a brilliant piece of entertainment worth examining for any and all sci-fi lovers. 

Runtime: 1h 31m

Director: Gary Nelson

Genre: Action / Sci-fi

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Movie Trailer:

My DVD Copy:

V (TV Series 1984-1985)

A year after Liberation Day, courtesy of the red-dust bacteria, the humanoid-like aliens develop a resistance to the micro-organism. Nathan Bates, the industrialist who manufactures the biological weapon used to defeat the aliens, wants to get his hands on the aliens' technology. He aims to profit from it, making a deal with Diana. Rebel leaders Mike Donovan, Ham Tyler, and Julie Parish know that Diana can't be trusted, so they are constantly trying to figure out what Diana is up to and will do anything to stop her. Following on from the successful series V (TV Mini Series 1983) and V: The Final Battle (TV Mini Series 1984), we are once again brought back to the conflict between the human race and the ruthless Visitors. Despite the somewhat conclusive ending of The Final Battle, there was enough left up in the air to warrant more stories to be told, which ultimately resulted in this series that had a more episodic style approach. There are many notable differences between this product and the previous two, with some main ones being: the drop in quality compared to the movie-like visuals of both mini-series and the Visitor's altered vocals being completely dropped with them now sounding like regular humans, which is never brought up, despite being a prevalent aspect of the other shows. On the plus side, however, all the original cast returned to continue this next exciting chapter in the series, which easily made it all the more entertaining seeing their lives at the beginning, just doing their own thing, being free. Donovan goes back to being a reporter with Martin as his cameraman, Julie continues her work now as a scientist for Science Frontiers, Elias opens a bar with some help from Willie, and Robin looks after her daughter, Elizabeth (the Star Child) with the help of her father, Robert. Unfortunately, this cannot last as the previously captured Diana escapes her trial and swiftly returns to her ship, which has been hiding behind the moon along with the other vessels of the original occupation. Now with the red dust that helped win the war slowly dissipating in some areas of the world, the Visitors begin their invasion once again in the areas free of the dust. Nathan Bates, however, has a trick up his sleeve (literally) as he carries a device that should he die or it be removed and the red dust will be re-released into the atmosphere. Therefore, there was a coalition put in place with Los Angeles becoming an Open City for both humans and Visitors. Regrettably, things go downhill as the war, once again, continues with each member returning to the fight as the resistance, including Ham Tyler (the best character in the series) with new additions like Kyle Bates (Nathan's son). Star Child, Elizabeth, being half human and Visitor, undergoes a peculiar change from a young girl to an 18-year-old in a matter of hours. Her telekinetic powers make her a formidable asset to the team in their fight. Diana continues to be a highlight, now donning a wild 80s hairdo, who constantly battles with new character, Lydia. The two equally try to out bitch the other in many hilarious ways. One aspect of this show I found most questionable and disappointing, was the killing off of multiple original cast out of nowhere. I won't name people but from episode one to later down the line, they just get rid of some of the coolest characters depressingly and unnecessarily that felt like a betrayal. Another addition to the series was the focus on the Visitor's way of life by bringing in traditions and religions that felt like they were making it up as they went, especially considering what had already been shown. I even noticed some plot holes with some important facts coming into play that would later be forgotten, despite being detrimental to the story. Now I'm not hating on the show, my Dad and I continued to have a great time with this instalment in the V collection, but our main gripe was that the show had no conclusion, being cancelled. Overall, V the series is another fantastic addition to the franchise that offers more explosive action and sci-fi fun for viewers. Whilst not being anywhere near the standard of the last two, this one offers enough to be enjoyable to fans, mainly thanks to the entertaining cast. 

Seasons & Episodes: 1 Season - 19 Episodes

Creator: Kenneth Johnson

Genre: Action / Adventure / Sci-fi / Thriller

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Series Intro:

Series Trailer:

My DVD Boxset:

V: The Final Battle (TV Mini Series 1984)

The Battle begun in V (TV Mini Series 1983) continues as small groups of human resistance fighters fight a desperate guerilla war against the genocidal extra-terrestrials who dominate Earth. The war is told from the viewpoint of the resistance group based in Los Angeles, CA as they struggle to find weaknesses of the aliens they can exploit. Following directly on from the original V mini-series, this show bridges over all the plot points and character stories into one explosive adventure. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the original mini-series with my Dad and we enjoyed this one just as much (maybe even more). Whilst carrying forward all the elements of the previous story, this one offers more individual plot threads and new characters who instantly rose to a favourite status between us. Set four months after the Visitors first arrived on Earth, we still follow the resistance group led by Julie and Donovan as they concoct new methods to prove to the population of the unsettling truth about the Visitors. From exposing Supreme Commander John in front of a worldwide broadcast, trying to spring Julie from Visitor captivity, disrupting Visitor control of water supplies and a final stand aboard one of the Visitor's Motherships. With each attempt, the stakes only grew higher with the dangers rising and casualties building up to match. Seeing characters from the first series, unfortunately, die or be killed was very upsetting, especially when some of them went out under tragic circumstances or heroic sacrifices. However, that is the risk with war and this show doesn't shy away from delving into the consequences of it. Both sides feature exceptional actors who elevate the story with their outstanding performances. New addition, Ham Tyler, played by Michael Ironside, brings a serious yet comedic side to the group with his quick quips and a great amount of eruptive action. He doesn't make the best impression on other members of the resistance with his abrupt and determined manner when it comes to ridding the world of Visitors. He has a 'somewhat' steady relationship with Donovan and even gives him the nickname Gooder because of their very different morals. Tyler has no love lost for the Visitors, which even stretches to members of the Fifth Column (Visitors on our side) like Martin or the friendly Willie. I loved seeing more of Martin's relationship with Donovan grow in this series as the two work closely to bring an end to the war. During the show, Donovan is captured and receives truth drugs from Diana to uncover members of the Fifth Column, which he gives away Martin, who was in the room with them. Seeing him instantly fight back and rescue Donovan was incredible and displayed their friendship perfectly. Willie continues to be hilarious with mixing up words but also gets time to shine by helping the resistance. Julie is a brilliant leader who is respected and trusted by everyone, even after undergoing many traumas with torture from Diana. Diana is easily the highlight of any scene involving the Visitors. Her presence in every scene is elevated thanks to her cold demeanour and ruthless behaviour. Other notable villains include Daniel, who has fully turned into a real piece of work who does truly unjustifiable things and gets his just reward for it in the end. Another significant plot point is Robin's pregnancy with Visitor Brian. She experiences a great deal of stress but eventually has her child, Elizabeth, known as the Star Child, who possesses unique abilities left quite ambiguous and felt very convenient to wrap up the story. The series has a decent conclusion that ties everything neatly together whilst leaving some elements up in the air that would be continued in yet another series, despite this being the 'final battle'. Overall, The Final Battle is a worthy follow-up to the original V mini-series that brings forward new ideas and characters whilst bridging over all the stories started in the last one. The effects still hold up and match the level of quality as the previous instalment. Whilst not being the end so to speak, this made for a decent finale that can be enjoyed as such or as a second segment in the adventure. This series certainly merits a watch. Also, check out V (TV Series 1984-1985) for more.

Seasons & Episodes: 1 Season - 3 Episodes (4h 32m)

Creator: Kenneth Johnson

Genre: Action / Adventure / Sci-fi

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Series Intro:

Series Trailer:

My DVD Boxset: