October 30, 2009
Filed under PS3, featured
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Written by Jason | Contact this author
It’s hard to write about Uncharted 2 without coming across like a crazy fanboy, so let me preface this review by letting it be known that I have so far chosen to purchase three games for my PS3: Motorstorm, Little Big Planet, and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. I must also point out, that between LBP, and Uncharted 2, I still consider the PS3 a worthwhile purchase. So, there’s that. Now, moving on…
BELIEVE THE HYPE!
Uncharted 2 is probably the most polished game I’ve ever played. Every single aspect seems to have been a labor of love for the team at Naughty Dog. Apparently at least one crew member spent the production period (somewhere around 2 years) working on the amazing train sequence, a small part of which can be seen below. HINT: It was totally worth it!
Watch ’til the end, it finishes nicely.
This game absolutely DESTROYS any action/adventure movies from recent memory–both action, and plot-wise. Uncharted 2 is epic, to the epicth (?) degree. The characters are all so well written, animated, and voiced that starting up the game was like having a reunion with old friends. That might sound cheesy, but it’s true. Nolan North as Nathan Drake is especially entertaining, randomly spouting off lines like “I will kick you to sleep!”
Naughty Dog couldn’t have done very much better. The dialogue is hilarious, sound effects are all spot-on, and the graphics look amazing, with little details and animations everywhere While a screenshot like the one below does look great, it really needs to be seen in motion to be fully appreciated.
I never noticed even the slightest dip in frame rate, even when extra amounts of madness were happening–such as shooting guys while running through a collapsing building before jumping out of a window at the last second (yeah, it’s as awesome as it sounds). The pacing is spot on; you’re not going to get bored, and with around 90 minutes of cinematics, and 10-12 hours of gameplay, Uncharted 2 is considerably longer than the first. Naughty Dog has also seen fit to add a surprisingly deep multiplayer experience that should serve to add plenty of life to a game that is definitely worth playing through more than once.
My only complaints involve certain sections where it wasn’t entirely obvious where I was supposed to be going. A couple times I could see where I needed to get to, but it wasn’t clear which path to take–which can lead to initially interesting puzzle solving, but would sometimes dissolve into me being frustrated by not being able to climb on things it seemed like I should be able to. Other than that, I have nothing but praise for this game, and hope we get several more games in the Uncharted franchise.
I recently just started this game right off the heals of the first, I played that one last week. My main problem with the first is there wasn’t enough exploration, which the second has more than made up for so far. (I’m at the part in the ice caverns)
Anyway, the biggest problem I have with this game is that the beauty of the game causes invisible walls to stick out like a sore thumb. Maybe I have just played too much Assassins Creed, but for a guy who climbs up practically anything, I have a hard time understanding why he can not jump over 2 inch spikes or go though a doorway with a small pipe laying on the bottom. He can’t even walk between train cars that are spaced 8 feet apart, but can fit though a one foot crevice in a mountain, weird. For all the polish the developer could have put in something blocking these areas, like fire… or even had Nathan say, “I don’t want to go this way.” The only reason I rant about this, is that I get so sucked into the game to be pulled back out by these. It feels like the game is telling me, “Wake up, this is a reminder. YOU are playing a video game!!”
For the most beautiful game I have played this generation, other than Prince of Persia and Tales of Vesperia, I love it so far.
I have one other problem with the game. for the first time in a long time the fear of completing the game has come on. I do not want this game to end, with every step I know the end is getting closer and I want more. Though I have not completed it yet and do not know which way the story will twist, though I have some good ideas, I think this game is ideal for an Epilogue DLC. Or better yet, DLC of mini Drake stories. He could do short 2 hour treasure hunts. I would have no problem shelling out a few bucks to play more.
Oh by the way. Good review Jason.
My favorite line thus far in the game is;
“Great, power’s out, and a girl’s trapped. I swear to God, if there’s a Zombie around the next corner… “
Oh, man! I know what you’re saying! I started worrying almost as soon as it started. It’s just THAT good. I was like 10 minutes in, and I thought “oh shit, this game is going to end sometime”. Haha. It sounds ridiculous, but the story and characters are just that good. And yeah, I had the same problem with the “invisible walls” as mentioned, but that’s seriously the only negative point for me. I think the mini-adventure DLC thing would be amazing.
Haha yes! Classic line. I also really like that by the end of the game *NOT A SPOILER* Nate has commented on every character’s ass (including his own, and Sully’s).