Daimon's Lair

First Impressions:
I've heard so many good things about this game, I came in with high expectations. First impressions were mixed. Adventure games have left me with a bad taste before--and I really haven't tried one since the early days of the Tomb Raider franchies. Yes, I know, things have gone a long way since then. But the deeper I got into the game, the more I realized that this is truly a hybrid title. The balance between third-person shooter and puzzle-solver/platformer/adventure is well-forged.

Pacing:
There are elements of the game that strive for a cinematic, 'Indiana Jones'-esque feel, especially the opening cut-scenes. And then the game settles down into a more linear, solve a few puzzles, shoot some bad guys, and then get a cut-scene pace. I was starting to become a little disappointed with the game when it threw a HUGE twist. And, wow, is it huge. Suddenly I went from feeling like I had it all figured out (though frequently challenged by combat layouts) to stressed, on-the-run, trying to desperately survive.

I don't want to ruin anything for those who haven't played it (even though I know this is a 'back catalog' game) but the game's big twist makes the story all come together.

Game Mechanics:
There are things to love and hate here. I loved the combat system--which is no surprise, because anyone who's played Gears of War will feel right at home. In fact, the similarity is uncanny. Everything from the cover system and aiming to the way you have to bend down to pick up ammo and/or swap weapons is straight out of Epic's shooter. The fact that Uncharted came out a year later makes me wonder if it was cloned, but I don't care. The Gears system is quite simply one of the best (if not THE best) third-person shooter out there.

I also liked the climbing and movement system which at times almost felt like a parcour simulator. The platforming sequences could sometimes be frustrating, but that had more to do with the auto-save system. I have nothing against auto-saves per se, but some of the checkpoints were spaces too far apart. One particular one required successfully nailing easily 50 jumps (any of which would have you falling to your death) before it gave you another checkpoint. So, yes, the platforming was a hate--but the hate had more to do with where Naughty Dog placed the checkpoints.

Balancing:
So far I've only done one playthrough, so I can't speak to the difficulty progression, but the default level was (for me) spot-on for a first playthrough. There could have been more (and harder puzzles) but, frankly, I'm glad there wasn't. The combat presented some interesting challenges at times, especially where tactics actually came into play. I wish there were more branching paths. In fact, sometimes the puzzles were solvable strictly because I knew X path was the ONLY way to go.

Would I Do It All Again?
Hell yes! In fact, my wife just got me the sequel for Christmas. If you haven't played it and you have a Playstation 3, go buy it! I'm not sure if it's a long enough experience to be called a system-seller, but it's shaping up to be a great franchise--and a great exclusive for the PS3.