| Platform | OVERALL |
|---|---|
| PlayStation 3 | 9.70 |
| Overall | 9.70 |
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You know those legendary sequels, the ones that are so good that every game that came after it was destined to be considered a disappointment when compared. When I think of greatest sequels in gaming history games like Mega Man 2 come to mind. Or Sonic 2, Resident Evil 2, Street Fighter 2, God of War 2. Sequels that took everything the first game did and raised it to the highest level. I believe Uncharted 2 can now be added to that list. I look at the Uncharted formula and feel like U2 has pushed it to it’s limit. For the next title they should try some new gameplay ideas because there is no way Naughty Dog can top what they accomplished in Uncharted 2. Uncharted 2 is basically the first game; in reality the core gameplay is identical with maybe a few melee tweaks. The gun play has not changed and the platforming is handled in the same manner it was in the previous title. There are no new gameplay additions in terms of the abilities of your character. This game is the first Uncharted with far improved level design and pacing. If there was ever an argument for how important level design is in games this is it. The combat areas in this title blend the platforming and melee/stealth aspects of the gameplay perfectly resulting in a third person shooter that allows you to approach a situation in a variety of ways. In the first title there was usually a clear distinction between combat areas and platforming areas. There were almost no opportunities for the stealth approach. The levels were usually flat and consisted of wave after wave of enemies coming from two different sides. U2 makes sure that nearly every combat area allows you to have an opportunity for a stealth approach. Each area has vertical components, no longer are you just restricted to hiding behind the closest cover. Now you can climb up walls, get on rooftops, gain the high ground, and use ledges as cover all while in a combat situation. Nathan Drake can now pull off enemies from ledges dropping them to their death, this one melee addition adds to the stealth elements as now you can climb across the side of a building, reach a window and pull an enemy through it without them noticing you were even there before it is too late. These small tweaks to the levels change the combat dramatically. What was once a decent cover and pop shooter is now this sort of open ended “create your own” strategy shooter/stealth game. It’s not to the level of MGS but it’s kind of the next closest thing. Do realize that this is still a VERY scripted game, so there are many times where you will be forced to approach a situation one way, but not nearly as much as the first game. On top of making the combat levels more engaging Naughty Dog went into the GoW book on how to make everything EPIC. We see that word thrown around a lot, this game deserves it. This game is one “OMG!!!” moment after another. You know all those clichés reviewers use on fun summer movies, stuff like “a rollercoaster ride from start to finish”, “non-stop action!”, “your heart will explode from the awesome!” ok I made up that last one. All those can be applied to Uncharted 2. It is a beautifully paced title, effortlessly mixing gameplay scenarios at the right moments. When you want action there is action, right when the player might be getting burned out from the action a large platforming section comes in. Drake is thrown into a multitude of different scenarios that take him all over the globe; if Uncharted were a movie the first one would be that low budget film that was filmed in one location cause they has no money. Uncharted 2 is the $300 million mega sequel that takes you all over the place and blows everything up in the process. The best example of this is the train level; those who have played the game know what I am talking about. Minor spoilers ahead, skip to the next paragraph if you want to know nothing. Right smack in the middle of this game is a one hour long action segment that takes place on a moving train. This one hour of gameplay perfection melds every single gameplay element in Uncharted 2 into this concentrated amazingly laid out section. It has gunplay, platforming, stealth, multiple boss fights, during what has to be the most visually stunning segment of the entire game. A level for the ages. Up to this point this review has been a love fest but there are negatives as with all games. Here is a simple assumption for me to throw out, if you did not like the first game you won’t like the second game. The core gameplay is identical so if anyone had issues with the semi automated platforming it is still there. Yes it would be nice if there wasn’t so much hand holding when it came to platforming. I understand that the developers were going for that simple everyone can play type of platforming; in that regard this system works fine. To go the Tomb Raider route would force the game off of its constant forward pacing. There are puzzles but once again they are as basic as they come. Like the first game the answers are found in Drake’s journal, all it takes is some elementary school reasoning skills and you will do fine. They might as well scrap puzzles if that is all they are going to do with them. Above all the gunplay might be the largest issue for some. This game isn’t the most fast paced, lighting reflex shooter out there. It is not that the shooting mechanics are off, where you aim is where you will shoot, it is more about how damage is handles. Enemies are bullet sponges and they don’t seem to react to being shot in specific areas. It is not like RE4 where if you shoot them in the leg they will drop, or if you shoot them in the shoulder they will spin. You kind of just pump bullets into enemies until they die. The guns don’t have the pop that the best shooters have, they feel like borderline pea shooters. Again it is exactly the same as the first game, I had these same complaints with that title. The difference is this game creates set pieces that fit all the gameplay elements rather than just the shooting or just the platforming. Personally I am still not a big fan of the cover shooters, pop and shoot is no where near as interesting as gunplay in a game like RE4 for me. So I was thrilled that U2 opened up the combat to encompass more than just pop and shoot. Not only is Uncharted 2 fun to play it genuinely has a fun story with excellent characters. So many games try to be cinematic; some go about it by having hour long cutscenes which I feel is not the way. A game must meld the story with the gameplay perfectly while presenting the action in a movie like fashion, then it is cinematic. I believe there is about an hour and a half of cutscenes in Uncharted 2 but you would never realize it as these scenes are scattered throughout the game. Whenever there is a major moment in the action you are playing it, not watching it. The acting is superb; I dare you to find a better voice and motion capture cast from this entire generation. Each cutscene has this Hollywood movie feel to it, I can actually see the actors acting through their game personas. Nathan Drake continues to be the best new hero of this generation. Elena, Sully and the rest of the cast all have the perfect supporting roles. The overall plot is a basic rip-off of Indiana Jones; you won’t find any deep philosophical meaning in here. It is your basic summer movie in game form. Essentially that means the story is there to provide entertainment. You will laugh, it will be really hard not to like the heroes, and you will love to hate the villains. Classic summer movie presentation, no game does it better. Look at how much I have written and I haven’t even mentioned multiplayer. The single player alone is one of the best campaigns I have played this gen, the multiplayer is what pushes the game into GOTY status. I prefer third person shooters to the first person kind, and that applies especially to online play. For whatever reason I find third person combat to be more engaging and to allow a bit more freedom. Sadly most third person shooters just don’t translate well online, thankfully this is not the case. The gunplay, melee, and platforming hybrid gameplay surprisingly works great in competitive multiplayer and offers an online mode unlike any out there. ND did not skimp out on features, it has a full online mode that can rival most FPSs. All the usual game types are there, there are ranked and unranked matches, and a whole level up system complete with perks to buy. If that wasn’t enough you got a slew of cooperative modes, none better than three levels that play like 3 player co-op sessions of the single player mode. The story mode is easier in U2 than the first game, thankfully the co-op mode is crazy hard to compensate. If you want your hardcore difficulty fix play this mode on crushing. I wish there were more levels to play in co-op, the other two modes are still great but nothing can match playing a campaign co-op level. The online features in Uncharted 2 are as good as any game; it will compete for best multiplayer of the year and probably win many awards. Do I even need to mention the graphics? Look at the game, its gorgeous! It might not have the most polygon pushing graphics, nor the most photorealistic, but no game is this easy on the eyes. There are certain vistas where I stood to stare in awe for minutes. The music is all orchestrated with no real catchy tunes outside of the main theme though. While it might not be memorable it does fit the mood of every scene. The sound quality is high throughout; again maybe the gun sounds could have used a bit more oomph. Uncharted 2 is a technical marvel, it is a benchmark game for the PS3. I won’t say that Uncharted 2 has the best single player campaign or that it is perfect or anything like that. This is a game that improves on the first games formula and takes it to the limit. I honestly can’t see how they can top this title without changing the gameplay in a major way. This is one of those games that excel in every aspect; you got the production values, the excellent gameplay and incredible replay value. |
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Posted by Dvader Sat, 31 Oct 2009 01:43:23
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*crickets*
The hand-to-hand combat is greatly improved in UC2, but you are right about the enemies being bullet sponges.
What did you give the original, and how did you figure the -.30? I'm going to short it for some technical glitches I found, again not sure of the final score until I replay the original.