FA+
Shop
Uncharted 2
16 years ago
I completed Uncharted 2 last night and really enjoyed it. It's one of those games that's so good, I'm tempted to buy another PS3 controller and invite Bonk over to co-op some missions. I'm rarely impressed with games, and I've always wondered how much longer I can be entertained and surprised by games with linear plots and action sequences you can't really deviate from. Well, I guess if they're very well done, if they're developing some neat characters and telling a good action story, they can easily grab me for that "interactive movie" sensation. For such a thing, a sandbox game isn't really appropriate. So far, Uncharted 2 is the best 2009 release I've played.
First off, the characters are a bit more developed in this game, than in the previous game. They've got hints of history and surprisingly enough, you sort of begin to give a damn about the game's main characters. This is a rare experience for me. The main villain is fairly one-dimensional. He's a cruel, ambitious, callous Russian war criminal commanding a personal army of Russian bad-asses. That's right, the swarthy hordes from the first game are gone. They present some very entertaining challenges. I've always said that Uncharted took the Gears of War cover system and perfected it, adding in melee elements to combat and making the enemy AI better. When you hide, they get annoyed and flush you out with grenades. They move to flank you, lay down covering fire, while soldiers wearing heavy ballistic armor move in for the kill with devastating shotguns. You rarely get the time to camp in one spot and pick off soldiers at your leisure. They've added more diverse ways of handle combat areas. There's a greater emphasis on action-stealth as an option in many areas, and there are battle areas that have pathways up and over obstacles as an option for flanking fortified opponents. And it wouldn't be an Uncharted game if the enemies didn't just keep coming out in huge numbers. Just when you think you've taken care of things and you're collecting ammo from dead bodies, their buddies show up in squad strength, pouring out of doorways and alleys, often with grenade launchers and GAU mini-guns.
The graphics are really outstanding. The combat controls are some of the most natural and easy to master I've ever felt in a video game, especially the grenade controls. Grenades are now a handy, appreciated tool in your firefight tool box in Uncharted 2. They aren't the difficult-to-master, hard-to-aim, maybe-you'll-get-lucky pains in the ass they are in most games. The pacing feels just right, and the character tension feels pretty natural for a video game. There's a palpable fear when you're climbing something that's slowly falling apart, dangling over a cliff. There's a real sense of terror and hopelessness in being chased by a T-72 through a Nepalese village, and the tank isn't acting like a boss in a boss fight in a video game. It's acting like it has a crew that has the full intention of _killing you_. Other than that, I think I appreciate this game because I can relate to a wise-cracking Nathan Drake, who seems to like the female ass as much as I do. There are several references to this peppered throughout the game, and they only served to draw me closer to the hero as the kind of person I'd like to kill a few beers with.
There are only a few gripes. They are quite minor. I'd like to see Drake with some more appropriate hand-wear, if he's going to be climbing by the tips of his fingernails on some of the least hospitable terrain on Earth. I don't ever want to see another visible laser beam on a gun in any video game or movie, ever again, for as long as I live. They are the stupidest things I can imagine, and only a shoulder-biting retard would ever put a visible laser beam on his gun. I would be content with seeing red dots appear around my character when I'm being targeted, and leave it up to ME to determine where they are coming from, as best as I can. That is, as long as you insist on giving "snipers" laser target systems, which are usually only fixed to weapons for short-range fighting. That sort of thoughtlessness makes me want to roll up a newspaper and bop the game developer on the nose, while saying "No!" repeatedly.
Otherwise, if you have a PS3, and you like third person action games, this game is your thing. Get it.
First off, the characters are a bit more developed in this game, than in the previous game. They've got hints of history and surprisingly enough, you sort of begin to give a damn about the game's main characters. This is a rare experience for me. The main villain is fairly one-dimensional. He's a cruel, ambitious, callous Russian war criminal commanding a personal army of Russian bad-asses. That's right, the swarthy hordes from the first game are gone. They present some very entertaining challenges. I've always said that Uncharted took the Gears of War cover system and perfected it, adding in melee elements to combat and making the enemy AI better. When you hide, they get annoyed and flush you out with grenades. They move to flank you, lay down covering fire, while soldiers wearing heavy ballistic armor move in for the kill with devastating shotguns. You rarely get the time to camp in one spot and pick off soldiers at your leisure. They've added more diverse ways of handle combat areas. There's a greater emphasis on action-stealth as an option in many areas, and there are battle areas that have pathways up and over obstacles as an option for flanking fortified opponents. And it wouldn't be an Uncharted game if the enemies didn't just keep coming out in huge numbers. Just when you think you've taken care of things and you're collecting ammo from dead bodies, their buddies show up in squad strength, pouring out of doorways and alleys, often with grenade launchers and GAU mini-guns.
The graphics are really outstanding. The combat controls are some of the most natural and easy to master I've ever felt in a video game, especially the grenade controls. Grenades are now a handy, appreciated tool in your firefight tool box in Uncharted 2. They aren't the difficult-to-master, hard-to-aim, maybe-you'll-get-lucky pains in the ass they are in most games. The pacing feels just right, and the character tension feels pretty natural for a video game. There's a palpable fear when you're climbing something that's slowly falling apart, dangling over a cliff. There's a real sense of terror and hopelessness in being chased by a T-72 through a Nepalese village, and the tank isn't acting like a boss in a boss fight in a video game. It's acting like it has a crew that has the full intention of _killing you_. Other than that, I think I appreciate this game because I can relate to a wise-cracking Nathan Drake, who seems to like the female ass as much as I do. There are several references to this peppered throughout the game, and they only served to draw me closer to the hero as the kind of person I'd like to kill a few beers with.
There are only a few gripes. They are quite minor. I'd like to see Drake with some more appropriate hand-wear, if he's going to be climbing by the tips of his fingernails on some of the least hospitable terrain on Earth. I don't ever want to see another visible laser beam on a gun in any video game or movie, ever again, for as long as I live. They are the stupidest things I can imagine, and only a shoulder-biting retard would ever put a visible laser beam on his gun. I would be content with seeing red dots appear around my character when I'm being targeted, and leave it up to ME to determine where they are coming from, as best as I can. That is, as long as you insist on giving "snipers" laser target systems, which are usually only fixed to weapons for short-range fighting. That sort of thoughtlessness makes me want to roll up a newspaper and bop the game developer on the nose, while saying "No!" repeatedly.
Otherwise, if you have a PS3, and you like third person action games, this game is your thing. Get it.
Also I think he must be superhuman with being able to climb over so many walls, buildings etc with ease and all the punishment his body takes.
Anyway, my next wad of cash, if any, will be spent on upgrading my PC to more modern standards before I even think of a new gaming system. when I get around to finally picking up a PS3 (perhaps in a year or so), I'll definitely grab this game.
I rarely play video games now, but Continent of the Ninth has my attention. Damn Koreans.
I dunno, it looks awesome but I'm a mouse FPS shooter. I've never done well aiming with a controller analog stick. Think I might try and rent this one before I buy it.
And yeah I'm not saying I'm waiting for him to tell me what to love or hate, but I'm waiting to hear his take on it and have a laugh.
Though he did manage to find a glitch pretty early in the game- He got himself stuck in a wall. Jumping didn't get you high enough, running didn't get you anywhere... He ended up having to reboot. Was a good thing he saved about 5 minutes before that, at least ._.
Also, Loved the bonk doll in original life! ^^
P.S. I'm also an advid reader to oyur webcomic series. and I just found out you have an accout here so finally I can tell you how I enjoyed your work!
He finally finished it and proclaimed that Uncharted 2 was a game worthy enough to buy a PS3 just to play it. So, yeah.
Also, the lines the enemies say when you die get to be very funny. I don't think I ever heard the same thing more than twice, and never the same thing in a day.
Uncharted 2 is indeed a pretty nice game, the single player is so fun, but the puzzles could be harder, I find some of them pretty easy. The graphics are pretty good, and it's a very realistic game, except for the climbing part of course (what a monkey man).
Playing online is fun, some game modes more fun then others, I like the co-op survival mode, except when I'm playing with idiots, who don't understand we have to actually work together instead of trying to find a sniper spot while the other players die (I haven't played that much, I'm only in level/rank/whatever 27).
The problem with the multiplayer is finding a match, what system is this, sometimes I have to wait forever to find some people to play with, and when I finally do, they they just leave, and then the rest leave after the match? I wish they had the same system as metal gear solid 4, when the game become less popular, it will take so long to find a good match online.
Tell me Jay Naylor, do you play online?
It would be fun to play with you.
No internet connection or personal reasons?
However, what if I have an Xbox 360? Should I not play the game? Or did you only say PS3 simply because you don't want to give an opinion of the game on a system you didn't play it for?