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Why Uncharted is One of the Best Video Game Series Ever

Posted in Entertainment, Video Games by

And not just because Nathan Drake is a fox, either.

I have recently played through the entire Uncharted series – I’m still technically playing it if you include Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End extremely fun multiplayer mode, which I will delve into later – and I can safely say that this is probably one of the best game series I’ve ever played through.

All four PlayStation exclusive games are in the action-adventure genre with elements of platforming and third-person shooter. All of those elements are blended into captivating storylines that really tugs at your heart strings.

I’m going to get into the most appealing part of the series, and the main reason why I decided to start playing it in the first place: Nathan Drake. Not even from a physical perspective – because the character himself is one good looking fella – but from an overall standpoint, Nathan Drake is a great character. The game designers did what most others can’t do; they made him human. Nathan is flawed: he stresses out, and he isn’t that morally clean as most other standard male protagonists in action-adventure games. But that’s what makes him great. He isn’t unreal. On top of being human, he is really funny with stellar comedic timing, adventurous, fearless, brave and someone you can really get behind because you want to see someone this likeable succeed.

Deadset fox, isn’t he?

The supporting characters in the series also supply some great moments. My personal favourite secondary character is Chloe Frazer, a feisty Australian jewel thief and fast-and-furious car driver who is so confident in her femininity and sexuality that you can’t help but love her. Along with Chloe is the old-timer Victor “Sully” Sullivan, Nathan’s long-time confidante, friend and father-figure who travels with Nate on his extraordinary historic adventures, and really comes in handy because he smokes.

The flexibility of the playability between casual gamers and the more extreme kind also makes this series one of the best. I’d like to think I’m a good gamer, but truth of the matter is my hand-eye co-ordination is pretty slow, and I have a naturally slow reaction time to things, so unfortunately I’d rank in the above-average casual gamer. In saying that, this game is great because no matter how unco you may be, this game is quite easy to navigate. The storyline is generally linear, and the gameplay is easy to understand and quick to master. On top of that, the platforming and puzzles in the game brought a real sense of enjoyment to me because it was fun, yet also challenging. And if you’re like me and you keep dying because you thought that ledge was much closer than you thought, or you didn’t see the gang of cronies behind you violently shooting at you with an AK-47, don’t fret, because you can just restart from a checkpoint and correct your errors. It’s like Run Lola Run except more adventure, and less red hair.

The visuals in all four games are stunning – which they would have to be considering all the places and lost cities Nate visits – and they all look so realisitic and aesthetically pleasing. There’s a cool little Easter egg in the fourth game, but when Nate says “These graphics are pretty good”, that would definitely apply to his own game series. The only issue I would have with the graphics – or appearances, more likely – is Chloe’s damn low ponytail. Urgh. So atrocious.

In some areas of the game – you MOSTLY control Nate, but I won’t spoil anything for you – you will have a partner character or partners following you and fighting with you, but majority of the time, you’ll be by yourself, and the isolation from safety will really ignite your adrenaline. The struggles Nate faces in all four games just reiterates the statement I made beforehand: you really want to see Nate succeed. And the challenging storyline and gameplay will leave you in your video-game-playing-groove for hours on end.

Probably my most favourite feature of Uncharted – Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End to be precise – is the multiplayer feature (which should be played after finishing the main campaign, otherwise you might spoil the story for yourself). It compares elements of first-person shooter games like the Call of Duty series, with a third-person perspective shooter like Resident Evil 5, and mixes it together. If you suck at COD like I do, then you’d be pleased to hear that Uncharted multiplayer is much easier to get. It’s so pleasing to note that I don’t actually suck at this kind of multiplayer. Plus, you get to play as your favourite characters – Nate, Chloe, Rafe for me – and dress them up in cute outfits with cute bunny ears and you can make them twerk over your fallen opponent.

If you haven’t already, I suggest you buy these games and see what all the fuss is about. And if you’re an XBox user… well…

PS4 currently has Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection which features the first three games on the one disc, which you can then follow up with Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. The trilogy is quite cheap considering, while the fourth and final installment is a bit more pricey considering its recent release – and the fact that it’s a bloody good game.

Happy adventuring, fam!

– by The Black Widow

#NKinNA16: Part 5 – All Good Things

Posted in Lifestyle, Travel by

“Flames to dust, lovers to friends, why do all good things come to an end?”

Yaaassss Nelly Furtado, speak the truth.

Welcome back to #NKinNA16, and we’ve unfortunately reached the end of the tunnel. That’s right; my six week journey is winding down and reaching the end of the track, and I am not the slightest bit happy about it. But the show must go on, so let’s continue.

After leaving Kanab the place we do not speak of, we were headed to probably the pinnacle of this tour, especially for those who joined us in Chicago: Las Vegas, Nevada. Now, if you haven’t been to Sin City before, it might surprise you that Las Vegas – the world’s busiest 24/7 city – is literally just placed in the middle of a desert. You’ll be driving through sand and road, and you’ll sneeze and all of a sudden see all the bright lights of Vegas.

After all of the sightseeing, national parks, and unforgiven hotel room parties, the crew were excited to be in civilization again, let alone Sin City. It was a bittersweet moment forever: this was the stop everyone was waiting for, but it was also the last stop, but let’s not dwell on the latter just yet…

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We got to Harrah’s Las Vegas (our hotel for the next three nights), and after getting settled in our rooms, we got ready for our included dinner at Planet Hollywood. I’ve been here before and knew what was coming – a delicious blue alcoholic concoction served to you in a bloody fishbowl – but because the restaurant weren’t expecting so many fishbowl orders, they had run out of fishbowls. So we had two normally-huge-sized cocktail glasses full of this delicious blue drink, and here’s the picture to prove it.

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Afterwards, we were taken to the Grand Norther Contiki SURPRISE optional. Just in case anyone is reading this and is thinking of doing this tour, I won’t spoil it mention what the surprise is, but I will say that you will enjoy it.

What soon followed was a trip to the Old School Vegas, AKA Fremont Street, which featured a pretty awesome Imagine Dragons light show. I love my Imagine Dragons, so I really got into it. Oh, and Fremont Street also played host to some giant ass alcoholic slushies, so seeing the size of them, Jacko and I decided to share one. I still don’t know how we managed to finish it. It was neverending.

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Our first night out in Vegas soon followed, and we hit up a place called Ghost Bar. Now, I enjoy my nights out just like every other Joe Blow does, but what I really don’t like about partying in Vegas is the long, painful process to simply get into a nightclub. We had VIP treatment thanks to these two wanky douchebags who don’t look like they’ve done a proper day’s work in their life VIP club promoter guys, and we were still waiting in line for like half an hour. Also, the sexism in Vegas is so real.

After some dancing, drinks, and all around fun with the crew, I finished my night a bit early and returned back to the hotel. Not without some excitement and drama at 2am in a hotel corridor, but whatever.

The following day – after Kate and some others were denied entry to the Chainsmokers Pool Party because the tickets they rightfully purchased weren’t sent to them on time like it bloody should have – Kate and I decided to walk around Vegas and hit the Fashion Show mall. We also looked around the Strip to see what else it had to offer, which is pretty much everything.

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Dinner was fend-for-yourself, so Kate, Angela, Russell and I caught up with our Grand Canadian friends Courtney, Georgia and Ashley and had dinner at Hard Rock Cafe. I stan portabello mushroom burgers so much, and boy do Hard Rock Cafe do a mean ass portabello mushroom burger.

My year-long goal was about to be accomplished, because JJ, Tarni, Veegz, Angela and I waltzed on over to the Excalibur where we would attend our first Thunder from Down Under show. If you have no idea what that is, just picture Magic Mike but with Aussie men (so basically sexier, less mannequiny looking men).

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It was definitely an experience to be had, and it was also marginally better than the traumatising experience I had in the Montreal strip club with the “shake shake shake” girl. The dancing wasn’t too crash hot – or maybe that’s because I have a dance background and am judgmental about it – but the guys were nice to look at… at least from afar. Once they got close and started gyrating their genitals in my face, my mind changed. And they took that as a challenge.

This picture accurately shows you what I saw…

thunder

Anywho, after our successful second night out in Vegas, JJ and I played a couple of games downstairs in Harrah’s before calling it a night and heading to bed.

Our third day was full of shopping – like, full of it. Thinking I would be able to fend off everything and not spend a cent, I ended up leaving with MORE Harley Quinn merchandise, some clothes for my niece and nephew, and this wicked ass Jordan’s that I only really bought because Nikki Bella would wear them. They’re pretty cute, I guess.

As it was our last night together as a family, we went out to the XS Nightclub after an included limo ride down the strip with free terrible, terrible tasting champagne. XS Nightclub is a bit fancy… and by a bit, I mean a lot. It was a bit too uptight for my liking, so I didn’t last long there. (What’s with my hating the nightlife in Vegas?) I did befriend these really lovely Samoan gentlemen though. All around the world, right?

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Not wanting to end my last night in Vegas on a sour note, a few of us went back to the casino in Harrah’s and played some roulette and table blackjack. I’ve never played blackjack at a table before, so I’m glad I got to break that virginity in Sin City. Also, I lost all of the money I stole borrowed from Hayden and Big Red. Oops.

The following morning – after a stellar buffet breakfast in Harrah’s – we went back onto the coach for our last trip together forever. We farewelled Hayden and Shaun, who were staying in Vegas for the remainder of their trip, and boarded the coach to Los Angeles, California. Despite desperately needing sleep, I wasn’t going to sleep on our last journey ever.

The coach trip was spent sharing favourite memories, talking among our new family members, and all-around general banter. Near the end of our ride, we were allowed to dedicate songs to other people on tour, so of course I got up and dedicated All In My Head (Flex) by Fifth Harmony to Kate. She knows what’s up.

We arrived at our destination in LA – where we were surprised by four of our former Contiki friends – and the goodbyes soon followed. I cried. A lot. I loved my Contiki Grand Northern family so much. I couldn’t have asked for a better group… but I’m getting too ahead of myself. That’s what part five is for. I’m going to miss my banter with Philip as well; one of the few men who can call me a slut and live to tell the tale.

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After saying our goodbyes, Kate and I headed on over to Burbank (a cute suburb of LA) to join our Contiki tour manager from last year Serena, who hosted us for the last three nights of our American trip. After dinner and some quick grocery shopping, we settled for an innocent girl’s night with second-attempt popcorn, Harry Potter, and chats catching each other up over the last year.

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Our first proper day in LA was standard: we went to Disneyland! Serena, who wasn’t even “on duty” as they say, was the best tour guide around Disneyland, and told us where everything was, showed us where we could buy what, and made sure we went on every ride and show possible.

Story time: so I wanted to crack one of the Disney actors and make them break character, so my first target was Gaston. Serena asked him for a selfie, and in perfect Gaston character, he turned her down. After this, I asked him if he wanted to make out later, to which he swiftly replied “I’m taken!” Disney – 1, Nikki – 0. We went to go see the Princesses afterwards (Cinderella, Snow White and Ariel), and I tried each of them. Told Ariel I was going to dress up as Nicki Minaj for Halloween, to which she says “Is she a Princess?” Although when I said “Waddup Ariel”, she did reply “Waddup”, so that’s like half a point to me. Disney – 2, Nikki – 0.5. When Snow White asked what kind of pie she should make the dwarves, I said “Apple pie, although you don’t really have a good track record with apples, do you?” She giggled and shook her head, and suggested some other form of pie. Disney – 3, Nikki – 0.5. Said “Sup Cindy” to Cinderella, and she says in her sick, sweetly voice “Oh hello there!” Not only that, but when I mentioned the plane ride from hell from Australia, she said “Did you fly by pumpkin carriage?” Disney – 4, Nikki – 0.5. Winner: Disney.

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Anywho… the rides were great. Disneyland isn’t as great as Disneyworld in Orlando, but it did the job. Splash Mountain was my favourite, and not just because of Kate’s face in this mid-ride shot.

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Serena had to leave to go to a hockey game, so we met up with our Contiki friends who were also at Disneyland and spent the rest of the day with them, including a nice Italian dinner in Downtown Disney. Being drained from all of the walking around Disney that day, Kate and I were out like a light that evening.

The next day, we were fortunate enough to get a free walking tour around the Warner Bros lot thanks to Serena’s beautiful mother. We got to ride a broomstick from Harry Potter, see the Suicide Squad costumes up close in the WB Museum, sit on the sofa from Friends and pretend to drink some form of coffee, and I also got to walk around Rosewood from Pretty Little Liars. All in all, I’d say it was a great experience.

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Serena then took us to Hollywood Boulevard, to which she warned me to “lower my expectations”. I did, and luckily I did, because Hollywood Boulevard is kinda underwhelming. Besides the long ass Walk of Fame and some other little tidbits, it wasn’t great, so we left Hollywood and took a scenic drive through LA, including Mulholland Drive where we happened to run into my pole goddess Hayley and her husband. WHAT ARE THE ODDS, RIGHT?

We dropped Kate off at Russell and Ange’s hotel, and Serena and I took off to do our own thang, which included Girls Night Part Two. With more snacks and more Harry Potter to watch, I’d say I spent my last night in LA very well. Oh, and we also had facial masks and more hair dye, so for about ten minutes, I looked like this.

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My last day in LA was spent in Santa Monica with my favourite people. Serena and I went on a walk along the pier, went on the rollercoaster (which GTA replica’d to a damn tee), and sat down on a swing and watched a very muscular, shirtless, attractive man work out the scenery at Mini Muscle Beach. As we were saying our goodbyes, we ran into Kate and our other Contiki friends, so Serena and I bid farewell to each other and I re-joined Kate, all the while tugging my luggage behind me up and down Santa Monica.

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Now, I’d rather not talk about the goodbyes and the journey home, so let me just leave you with this group shot of us before Kate, Russell, Ange and I headed to the airport for our loooooong flight home.

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What made the wait at the airport bearable was that us four also ran into Bree and Sasha, so all six of us sat around eating Panda Express and sharing our favourite (and unfavourite) moments of Contiki.

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And thus ends my #NKinNA16 trip. Six weeks, two countries, too many cities to count, all the amazing friends one could ask for, and the best travelling partner I could have. America and Canada 2016, you were the best, and I can’t wait to travel you once again in the future.

You might think my #NKinNA16 travel blog finishes here, but I’m not done. Not just yet. I’ve reserved part six for the most important part of any travel blog: the shoutouts. Because this trip wouldn’t have been so amazing without the awesome people who made it. For me, it’s not about the sights or the journey or trip, it’s about the people. The people really make your trip, and my new family certainly did.

Until then…

– by The Black Widow

Review: You

Posted in Books, Entertainment by

Who knew one three-letter word could be so impactful?

You by Caroline Kepnes could very well be the most powerful novel of this year (besides The Heart Wants What It Wants, of course). You details the life of one Joe Goldberg… well, no it doesn’t really. It actually details the life of one Guinevere Beck, through the eyes of Joe Goldberg. You see, Joe Goldberg has an infatuation with Miss Beck… well, no he doesn’t really. He’s obsessed with Guinevere Beck, and you live out his adoration for her in this book.

It’s a refreshing change from all the romance novels I review, right?

YOU!

YOU!

If the book synopsis isn’t enough for you to pick this book up, I don’t know what is. You was amaaaaaazing. If you ever wanted to get in the shoes of a obsessive stalker, then this is the closest you’re ever going to get. The way Kepnes has brought the characters of Joe and Beck to life through her words is incredible, and I cannot praise her any more for the narrative she has told in this book.

Not only does she get into the head of a stalker, but she also writes it in a way that makes the reader understand and empathise why he thinks the way he does. Despite knowing that what Joe is doing is, well, unusual, Kepnes makes it out to be completely logical and at times throughout the novel where *RELATIVELY SMALL SPOILER* it seems he may get caught, you’ll be on Team Joe, waving your flag, chanting “Come on Joe! Don’t get caught! Get out of it!”, and then you will be sitting there wondering why you are advocating the work of a “passionate” man like Joe.

The way that this book is written is not only unique and interesting, it’s super refreshing. While the reader takes on the persona of Joe in first person, it’s also actually kinda written in second person, as the pages detail the actions and events in Beck’s life using the titular word “You”. You did this. You did that. You blinked. It’s really quite fascinating how she has written this.

Wid-o-meter
Storyline: 8.8/10
Style of writing: 9.2/10
Overall: 9.0/10

This book was just great. Everything. Great. I highly recommend that those who are fans of thriller novels – or even those of you who aren’t (I’m a self-confessed romance novel lover, and I LOVED this book) – pick this book up and read it. It’s just one of those books that you can’t for the life of you put down. And I don’t blame you.

– by The Black Widow

Review: Cartel

Posted in Books, Entertainment by

A book I picked up willy nilly in a cheap bookstore turned out to be one of the most confronting pieces of literature I have ever read.

I present to you: Cartel by Lili St. Germain, the first in a series of novels that isn’t for the faint-hearted. It is important that I note that this is first novel of St. Germain’s that I have read, and I have not delved into the Gypsy Brother series yet.

Cartel is a dark romance novel that follows a young 19-year-old Colombian girl Mariana Rodriguez who, despite having big plans for herself, is the daughter of a selfish drug lord. After her father loses an expensive shipment of cocaine, Mariana offers herself to his boss as payment for the lost drugs, and Mariana’s life changes dramatically. She expects the worst – forced prostitution, drug trafficking, even death – but what she doesn’t expect is to fall in love with the wrong guy, Dornan Ross.

This dark cover reflects the contents of the book. Be warned

This dark cover reflects the contents of the book. Be warned

I like to consider myself as pretty open-minded; you can tell me any extraordinary or odd thing you have done, and I won’t bat an eyelid or judge you. This book, however, was really confronting and I found myself quite scared of the darkness contained in this book. I had even ,contemplated putting it down and not finishing it because of its contents, but alas, I finished it. St. Germain did her research into the world of drug dealing, drug lords and everything drug related, because this novel unfolded as if it was happening right in front of me.

The amount of sexual violence and just general physical violence in this novel made me cringe, not because of the detail in which it was described, but because I know that somewhere out there, this kind of thing is real, while I sit in my double bed in a modest suburban house in east Australia.

The character of Mariana was brave, strong-willed and fearless when it mattered most, but deep down she was afraid and true to her young age. It was because she was fabulously flawed that I really liked her. I liked how her internal, insecure thoughts juxtaposed her strong demeanour, and that in the face of death (literally), she wasn’t scared. While I acknowledge how the character of Dornan Ross could be book boyfriend worthy, the darkness and malice in him turned me off, as it should have. He has some inner demons that he needs to deal with and until he does so, the dark relationship between him and Mariana cannot have a happy ending, which is where this series is heading, I imagine.

St. Germain writes with such a gritty attention to detail that yes, I repeat, I was considering putting this book down. I read this book cover-to-cover in one day because I was so enthralled with the storyline and couldn’t wait to find out what happened next, how Mariana and Dornan’s relationship evolved, and whether or not she would survive until the end.

Wid-o-meter
Storyline: 8.2/10
Style of writing: 7.4/10
Overall: 7.8/10

A compelling start to a promising book series, Cartel is a book that you should read, only if you have a strong stomach. I look forward to reading the rest of the series, along with other St. Germain novels.

– by The Black Widow