Uncharted 2 is enjoying stellar reviews, riding high with a 96 average on Metacritic and standing tall as the critical darling of 2009. In fact, the lowest score a critic could muster was an impressive 9, meaning Uncharted 2 must be damn-near perfect in every way. Unfortunately, my experience with Uncharted 2, which I played to completion, was not that of a 9-10 rated game. Quite the contrary.

Before I launch an attack on Uncharted 2, allow me to proclaim some praise where it is due.

Lush, Detailed Graphics

Uncharted 2 is one of the most beautiful-looking games you’ve ever seen. The attention to detail, set design, and tons of little touches all conspire to push the PS3 to its maximum capability. The artists and level designers truly delivered something fantastic.

Great Voice-Acting

99% of videogames have horrendous voice-acting by 5th-rate talent that would be better served by abandoning the acting and relying solely on subtitles. Not so with Uncharted 2. Here the acting is solid and lines are delivered with something akin to emotion, which is nice to hear.

That’s pretty much it for my positives. Now on with the show.

Great Graphics Do Not Make a Great Game
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When a new trailer appears for a horror-based game, there’s one thing you can count on: static and interference. You’ll notice it at the start of the trailer for Dead Rising 2, the breakup of transmission that hearkens back to the 1970s when no one had cable yet and had to fiddle with antennas atop their television. In this digital age, we don’t really see static and interference much, unless you’re watching a trailer for a horror game or horror movie.

How static and interference became the calling card of horror is beyond me. That’s an investigation for another day. In the meantime, here’s the trailer for Dead Rising 2, which looks a lot like Dead Rising 1, only this time set in Las Vegas.