'Uncharted' territory

The latest Indiana Jones movie has nothing on "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves." That a video game could out-swashbuckle a big-budget Hollywood movie says as much about filmmakers George Lucas and Steven Spielberg's recent output as it does about the resources devoted to today's major releases for home consoles such as the PlayStation 3. In a year when the blockbuster game "Modern Warfare 2" grabbed all of the headlines and set a record for first-week sales in any medium, "Uncharted 2" quietly garnered the most critical acclaim -- and this fan's heart -- to become the best video game of 2009.

"Uncharted 2" makes a stunning first impression, with truly cinematic graphics that capitalize on the PlayStation 3's powerful engine. TV commercials showing the uninitiated grabbing popcorn in anticipation of "watching" another night of Nathan Drake's treasure-hunting adventures are only a slight exaggeration.

But many games, including "Modern Warfare 2," offer eye candy. "Uncharted 2" seals the deal with engaging voice-over work and a compelling, thoughtful plot that sends Drake and friends (and enemies) on a mystical quest to find the lost city of Shambhala, or Shangri-La.

Throw in pitch-perfect game play, and you have what amounts to an interactive movie in which you control the main character. Other games offer incredible visuals during cut scenes, then transition to less-elaborate graphics for the actual game. But "Uncharted 2" blends the two seamlessly with no drop-off in quality. In fact, sometimes it's not even clear when to control Drake until he stops in his tracks during the scripted action, waiting for you to help him make a move.

In addition to a single-player mode that lasts much longer than the four Indiana Jones movies played back to back, "Uncharted 2" scores with a rich multiplayer mode on the free PlayStation Network in which up to 10 players can fight it out using weapons and settings from the game.

It isn't as realistic as the genre-busting multiplayer combat of "Modern Warfare 2," but it's nearly as fun. On the other hand, the single-player version of "Modern Warfare 2" is far inferior to that of "Uncharted 2."

The Nathan Drake juggernaut played a large role in making the PlayStation 3 the game system of the year. Other exclusive titles helped, too -- the shooter "Killzone 2," the romp "Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time," the high-def makeover "God of War Collection" and the game show "Buzz! Quiz World." The PS3 also sparked the recent discounting among consoles, prompting the Xbox 360 and Wii to follow suit, and it has given a boost to the Blu-ray format.

Besides the previously mentioned titles, other favorite games this year included:

"The Beatles: Rock Band" (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii): The Fab Four get loving treatment in this self-contained offshoot of "Rock Band," with sumptuous visuals that evoke the band's heyday.

"Batman: Arkham Asylum" (Xbox 360, PS3): Yes, it's derivative, the plot is lame and the hand-to-hand combat grows tiresome. But the Caped Crusader has never fared better in video games -- nor has any other superhero.

"Borderlands" (Xbox 360, PS3): Call this post-apocalyptic shooter a poor man's version of "Fallout 3." Hey, emulating the 2008 game of the year isn't such a bad thing.

"Scribblenauts" (DS): This wildly addictive gem is the portable game of the year. Increasingly maddening puzzles call on you to retrieve a star from hard-to-reach places. The solution? Whatever you can conjure. Type in the name of just about any everyday object, and there it appears on your screen to help you -- or not. Not even cagey controls can mire this highly innovative title.

"Rock Band" downloads (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii): Every Tuesday, new songs come out to download for the addictive music game, including -- finally! -- a Queen 10-pack. I just can't help myself. I must have well over 400 of the more than 1,000 available in my Xbox 360 library.

Randy A. Salas • 612-673-4542