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Abiyan

At Tech4gamers, I cover all sorts of gaming news. Whether it’s a leak of any upcoming game or an update, an announcement, or a rumour, I like to write about it all. Over the weekend, I sit and write features where I talk about games that I miss or want to see return.

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Naughty Dog introduced the Uncharted franchise in 2007. The first game was claimed to be a rip-off of the Tomb Raider franchise. However, the game was successful and proved that it was influenced by Tomb Raider at best and had many unique elements.

The franchise continued its journey of success, and here we are discussing the Uncharted movie. There are plenty of reasons why the Uncharted movie didn’t succeed as much as the games.

The Vibe Of The Movie Didn’t Match The Games

The movie does well as an action-adventure movie but isn’t a good uncharted movie. From the start, the vibe of the movie felt so off. The build-up to the characters didn’t leave a good impression.

The flashback scenes of Nathan’s childhood were the only thing that added something to the character development. The adult version of Nathan just felt like a regular guy with some athleticism.

The personality that Tom Holland portrayed needed more work to be accurate to the original Nate’s. Nate’s passion for treasure hunting and willingness to take risks and cross the line in tough situations felt missing from this version of him.

Bad Casting

One of the reasons behind this can be the inaccurate casting. Choosing Tom Holland to play a young Nathan Drake wasn’t a terrible decision, but it also was a good one, as the actor couldn’t deliver the exact vibe.

Moreover, some good acting could have improved things, but we also didn’t see much effort from Tom. But no matter how bad of a decision casting Tom Holland for the role of Nathan Drake can be, it can’t be worse than the director’s decision when casting Mark Wahlberg as Sully. I mean, look at the guy. Does he look anything similar to the Sully we saw in Uncharted games?

Sully was nowhere near as young as Wahlberg is in the movie, at least not when Nathan was an adult. Moreover, Sully’s personality was also way off compared to the game version of him.

I understand the director tried to use a different approach to the characters and decrease their age difference, but this approach ruined things instead of providing fresh air. One of the reasons why the chemistry between Nate and Slikableso is likable is the age difference.

The Movie Ruined The Relationship Between Sully And Nate

In the games’ story, Sully meets Nathan, a young boy eager to hunt and steal antique ornaments. The two don’t get along at first, but they become more than just friends as time passes.

Sully was a father figure to Nate. The age difference between Nate and Sully has decreased considerably in the movie’s side of the franchise; we will never get to witness their bond as it was portrayed in the games. Fans of the franchise would know how big of a deal it is, and we also saw it negatively affect the movie.

Not Enough Run Time

Another factor that negatively affected the game was the lower run time. Video games are 10-12; compressing that lengthy content into a small size isn’t always a good idea.

Yes, the movie had its own story and wasn’t entirely based on the story from one of the Uncharted games, but as someone used to 12-hour-long Uncharted campaigns, I felt that the movie felt rushed. The story barely got any time to develop itself.

The characters were already less recognizable in terms of personality than the original ones, and the bad character development due to less screen time made me care even less about them. Most of the movie is filled with action scenes, and that’s the only good thing about the movie.

How The Uncharted Games Are Different Than The Movie

The Uncharted games are mostly full of action sequences and are the franchise’s highlights. But that’s not everything they offer. They also have interesting, likable characters, wholesome moments, emotional touches, and much more attached to them, which I couldn’t find in the movie.

These details make the Uncharted Games better than the movie. I hope they redeem themselves with the sequel by developing Sam Drake’s character, Nathan’s brother, better than the first movie.

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Obaid Ur Rehman

At Tech4Gamers, I mainly cover new gaming news, leaks, and rumours. Aside from that, I love to write features about my favourite games while inserting my opinion about their different aspects. 

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In the genre of creature collecting games, very few have left a mark as Pokémon. Pokémon became such a big thing that when Palworld was announced people labeled it as a mere Pokémon clone. 

However, despite the accusations on a deeper look Palworld is much different. The game offers features and experiences that distinguish itself significantly from its predecessor and is available on Steam.

A Unique Blend of Genres Unlike Pokémon

One of the major differences between the games is the blend of genres in Palworld. Pokémon is primarily a turn-based RPG focused on collecting and battling creatures. Palworld on the other hand uses elements of survival games, crafting and even third person shooting.

In the game players can equip weapons to fight pals and other players which is not seen in Pokémon. This genre fusion sets the game apart from Pokémon allowing it to appeal to a bigger audience. 

Dark and Mature Themes

Another reason why Palworld is not a rip-off of Pokemon is that it dives into themes that Pokémon typically avoids. The game provides a world where players can exploit their Pals.

You can make your pals do factory work and such introducing a darker and more dystopian element to the game. While this may not appeal to most players, it adds a layer of depth and complexity that Pokémon games lack. 

In an interview with Game File’s Stephen Totilo, McGowan Pokémon’s Ex lawyer referred to Palworld as “the usual ripoff nonsense.” Furthermore, he implied that he was surprised that the game made it this far. 

Ex Pokémon legal chief is surprised Palworld has made it as far as it has.

He states, "looks like the usual ripoff nonsense that I would see a thousand times a year when I was chief legal officer of Pokémon."

Do you think Palworld is too similar to Pokémon? pic.twitter.com/d9iP6uCAaI

— Controller 🕹 (@ControllerByRap) January 24, 2024

This, however, is not true as the game allows for players to be trainers, builders, explorers, and combatants at the same time leading Palworld to become a major success at release with 370K players.

Open World Exploration

Palworld offers a more open-world experience compared to the structured, region-based exploration of Pokémon. In the game players can explore different biomes, each with its own unique challenges and creatures. 

This open world approach encourages exploration and discovery, providing a sense of freedom and immersion for players. Players can venture into the open world and can uncover hidden secrets.  

Cooperative and Competitive Multiplayer

Pokémon has ventured into multiplayer with trading and battling but Palworld takes it a step further by using cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes. Players can team up with friends to explore the world and tackle challenges.  

Furthermore, players can also engage in battles against each other. This aspect significantly increases the replayability of the game and offers a range of different interactions that differ from the single player focus of Pokémon.

One additional thing that puts Palworld ahead of Pokémon and not a rip-off is that it is available on different platforms. The success of Palworld show that Pokémon should go multi-platform.

Advanced Crafting and Building Systems

Palworld is not a rip-off because crafting and building are integral parts of Palworlds gameplay which are not in Pokémon. Players of the game can construct factories, shelters and other structures to aid in their survival and progression in the game.

The focus on crafting and building in the game adds a layer of strategy and creativity. This gives players more control over their environment and resources. 

Recent Updates

The player counts for Palworld were already very high but after a recent update the player count has increased 700%. A new island was introduced called Sakurajima which comes with new pals, enemies and items. 

Updates such as this continue to peak the interest of gamers ana fans alike. Recently Palworld has beat the famous game Counterstrike with around 1.86 million concurrent players and is rising to greater heights.

Final Thoughts

Undoubtedly, Palworld takes inspiration from the Pokemon series, but it manages to differentiate itself. Using a blend of genres, darker more mature themes and open world exploration set it apart from other similar games including Pokémon. 

The game is not just a mere clone of Pokémon, not in the slightest, it continues to expand the boundaries of what creature collecting games can be. Regardless, Palworld offers a unique experience similar to everyone’s favorite Pokémon but yet so much different.

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Moiz Banoori

At Tech4Gamers, he is recognized for his insightful features and opinion pieces, where he blends his passion for gaming with a keen understanding of technological trends. His work, marked by depth and accessibility, makes him a respected voice in the tech and gaming community.

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While games focus on creating standalone games with their own identity, even if they’re action-packed PvP like XDefiant, however, Ubisoft didn’t shy away from breaking the norms and combined all of its other games’ elements to form an excellent game. 

Ubisoft Is A Genius

Ubisoft has created an ultimate game by using parts of its other games. This has created a sense of familiarity, and the game doesn’t feel like another branch of Ubisoft. Instead, it feels like you’ve been playing this game for years. 

This concept is both refreshing and entertaining.  We’ve seen other games like Jump Force and Super Smash Bro Ultimate, where there are so many characters used from various games and animes. 

These games do well because they appeal to and attract a wider audience.

Faction Based On Popular Franchise

Coming back to XDefiant, we see that it is bombarded with items used in Ubisoft’s other games. Starting from the factions, we get all the agents from each of Ubisoft’s games. 

Phantom

They are based on Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon and focus on advanced military technology. They are equipped Meg barrier where they place a shield and they can shoot without getting shot at by the enemies.

Their second ability is the Blitz shield where they can use a huge shield as a boulder to sweep the enemies away. Their ultra ability allows them to shoot electro-scatterguns with the protection of a huge shield around them.

Echelon

They are based on Tom Clancy’s infamous Splinter Cell series, these agents are none other than the spies of the team. One of their ability gathers intel and spots the enemies on their map for a brief moment. 

The second ability that they have is a ghillie suit which makes them partially invisible so they can be discrete in their approach. Their ultra ability initiates their sonar goggles and grants them Sam Fisher’s 5.7 pistol used in the Splinter Cell game.

Cleaners

Based on Tom Clancy’s The Division, these agents are equipped with the ability to throw a Molotov to cause damage to a radical. All of their bullets also inflict extra burn damage. Their second ability is a drone that burns everything in the path it’s thrown towards.

Their ultimate ability lets them equip a huge flamethrower which they can use to burn their enemies swiftly.  

Other Similarities

Maps From Ubisoft Universe

• Liberty & Midtown: This map is based on the post-pandemic New York City, inspired by Tom Clancy’s The Division.
• Echelon HQ & Attica Heights: These maps are inspired by the Splinter Cell.
• Shooter House & Emporium: These are based on and influenced by the places from the Far Cry Series. 

Map Design & Environment

Similar to the atmosphere and settings used in other Ubisoft titles, XDefiant also utilizes a mix of open spaces, tight corridors, and interactive environments. It also uses elements from Rainbow Six by including destructible environments.

Fast-Paced Multiplayer 

The first-person action-packed and fast-paced gameplay appears to be inspired by Call Of Duty’s addictive multiplayer mode. The swift movements and fluid gunplay are also inspired by the COD franchise. 

Despite the closer resemblance to COD, some even speculate that Ubisoft might become Call Of Duty’s competition with the extremely fast-paced gameplay. It is one of the games you pick and enjoy with quick and shorter rounds but with intense gaming sessions. 

Free-To-Play

Apart from using so many elements of its other games, Ubisoft thankfully didn’t take the biggest element that they keep in all of their games. Fortunately, they’ve made this game free-to-play and this is one of the reasons why it had the biggest Ubisoft launch in history.

Resemblance From Other Game?

Apart from Ubisoft’s own games, XDefiant is also based on another game that looks and feels the same. It is based on another game called Shatterline. It features the same agent’s abilities, fast-paced FPS action, and even has a similar HUD style.

It’s as if Ubisoft sneakily copied this game, and no one noticed, or nobody cares. Before playing, when I first saw its gameplay, I saw the same red and blue names at the kill feed and thought it was Shatterline.

Despite the similarities, XDefiant is way better, and I’d always choose it over Shatterline or any other game in this category. 

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Abiyan

At Tech4gamers, I cover all sorts of gaming news. Whether it’s a leak of any upcoming game or an update, an announcement, or a rumour, I like to write about it all. Over the weekend, I sit and write features where I talk about games that I miss or want to see return.

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Dark & gritty games have been missing in the gaming industry. The games that are still present are still appreciated for their serious plot. But why do games do this? Let’s find out.

Common Examples

People often admire the dark and broody atmosphere in games because it represents depression, a catastrophe, or something negative. This effect is the same in games as it is in movies.

However, games are transitioning to fun and vibrant colors with a playful and lighthearted tone instead of a dark and gritty atmosphere with a serious plot. This transition is removing the element of darkness and seriousness from most games, which is creating a void.

GTA IV To GTA V

Some common examples are the transition from GTA IV to GTA V and the upcoming GTA VI. We can clearly see how gritty GTA IV was with its dull, desaturated colors, dark, twisted plot, and serious protagonist. 

Compared to GTA V, which uses vibrant colors and depicts a fun, playful, and lighthearted plot most of the time, This seems to be the same case for the upcoming GTA VI, as we can judge from the trailer how colorful and playful the game will be.

Watch Dogs To Watch Dogs 2

Watch Dogs and Watch Dogs 2 are also victims of this transition. Watch Dogs has a pensive and serious protagonist who is in constant pain throughout the game because he has lost his niece, who was killed.

The protagonist has flashbacks at particular locations where the murder of her niece took place. This dark plot is reinforced by the somewhat gritty colors and earthy tones used in the game, which are missing in Watch Dogs 2.

Watch Dogs 2 took a completely different approach. The protagonist is an unsure teen with no spine who uses humor to appeal to a younger audience. The game also added much saturation and color to depict a playful atmosphere. 

Compare this to Watch Dogs Legion which lacked proper anotogonist and felt like a clutter which became a reason for the downfall of the franchise. 

What Do Fans Prefer?

In the two examples, we still see that Watch Dogs 1 and GTA IV are more appreciated even though they were released 10 and 16 years ago, respectively.

People enjoyed both games’ serious plots and gritty atmospheres, especially GTA IV, because they brought depth to the characters. Yes, the newer releases have perfect physics, graphics, textures, and other things, but they lack grit.

But Why Do Games Do This? 

Using dark & gritty colors means there should be elements of darkness involved in the narrative. Most often dark games reveal the truth, which seems to have become a problem in recent times.

Cancel Culture

Cancel or call-out culture began to take its place in the late 2010s, and it was to stop people from going overboard with truth. This movement meant that games that were way too honest were not accepted, and it became stronger as the years passed.

This is why all the older games, such as GTA San Andreas and Bully, had references and jokes that would easily get canceled if released in this period. This is one of the reasons why Bully 2 might be canceled.  

Appeal To The Younglings

The gaming industry’s biggest customers are children; to appeal to children, games must be vibrant and playful. This way, the game appears fun to the youth, who buy more of it.

The chart by Exploding Topics reveals that the number of people under 18 is the second highest after teenagers, young adults, and adults. Most people in this age bracket don’t think much before purchasing a game.

Light humor, young protagonists, and a lighthearted plot all appeal to the teens who became frequent customers of these games. Additionally, if all the games appear to have vivid colors, the children will feel familiar, so they’ll buy more of them.

This is why games like Fortnite are common among kids. It has extremely saturated colors, easy-going lore, and action-figure-like characters that click among the children. 

Why Does It Suck?

Other than being an insinuation of a dark narrative, a gritty atmosphere also serves as an art style. It sucks because these types of games are missing due to the saturation of vibrant games.

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Asad Kashif

At Tech4Gamers, I work as a guides expert. My role involves writing about solving different gaming and tech-related topics that pique my interest and that I believe more people should know about. This position allows me to share my insights and discoveries with a broader audience, enriching their gaming experiences with the unique perspectives I bring.

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I’ve always been a huge TCG enthusiast. My obsession for the longest time had been Legenda of Runeterra, but I thought it was about time I needed a new one after Riot’s statement about no longer focusing on Runeterra’s PvP side of things.

Despite Marvel Snap already being infamous for its Pay-to-Win gameplay and its abysmal card drop rates, I gave it a try. To my surprise, the initial experience was insanely good, and I didn’t feel like the game was nearly as stingy as people thought.

After returning to the game after a break that lasted a few months, I can quite confidently say that yeah, it might be too late to get into Marvel Snap.

Early Days: A Stream of Shiny Rewards

The initial stages of Marvel Snap are undeniably rewarding. The collection system is unlike what I’ve seen in most other games. The game rewards you for getting prismatics by giving you more cards for doing so.

This is because of the Collection system. As you play matches, you get boosters. You can then use these boosters to level up the aesthetics of your cards and gain Collection Points. Reaching certain Collection Point milestones rewards you with various items, including new cards!

From Cards to Clutter

This honeymoon phase, however, abruptly ends around Collection Level 1000. The once-plentiful card pool becomes inundated with “junk” – titles, avatars, and even in-game currency that upgrades your collection (an odd choice, if you ask me).

This dilution becomes a significant hurdle for beginners, especially since these caches include items irrelevant to their early deck-building needs.

The Scarcity Struggle: New Cards vs. Limited Acquisition Methods

Collection Levels are not the only way to get cards, however. The two other main ways of acquiring cards include the Spotlight Cache, a box that contains one of three featured cards, and the shop.

Spotlight Caches offer a glimmer of hope for new card acquisition. However, the system remains heavily reliant on random chance – a mere 1/3 to get a card you’ve saved up months for. This is because to open a Spotlight Cache, you have to get a Spotlight Key.

Another problem with these is that if you missed the Spotlight Cache of a certain card, say goodbye to any chance of fetching them any time soon.

The TCG Curse

Okay, I get that most Trading Card Games have a certain level of luck involved. Magic: The Gathering, the supposed mother of all TCGs, is entirely dependent on your luck at getting certain cards.

However, most other present-day TCGs have other ways of getting cards as well. Runeterra and Hearthstone both let you craft them using in-game currency, whereas Yu-Gi-Oh lets you buy specific cards.

With Marvel Snap, the only way for you to get a card for sure if they’re not on the Spotlight is to pay for it.

The Endgame: Gated by Essential Cards and Missed Opportunities

Certain cards are fundamental for constructing optimal decks. A Destroy deck needs Knull. Collector/Dino/Loki decks hinge on Quinjet. Building any ongoing deck without Mystique is just axing your foot off.

Despite reaching a Collection Level of 2,000, I haven’t had the fortune of getting them– and they’re not even new releases! This lack of access effectively renders any exciting new cards irrelevant.

Breaking the Cycle: A Path to Improvement

Marvel Snap could implement a simple yet effective solution: adjusting the odds within Collector’s Caches. For example, you could have a higher chance of getting cards if your overall card collection is lacking!

This could help players who missed past opportunities while maintaining the incentive to invest in a complete collection.

Is it too late to get into Marvel Snap?

Not necessarily. However, be prepared for a potentially frustrating uphill climb towards a competitive collection, especially if you haven’t been actively playing since launch.

The game’s still insanely fun, but getting a competitive deck might take longer than other card games.