Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3)

[Extra Terrestrial]

After playing for 10 hours 45 minutes - judging by the time shown on my save file - my (second) journey with Nathan Drake came to a close.

C’ has reflected my feeling as good as anybody on here.

Uncharted 2 for me now ranks in my all time top ten games along with the (common and 'Captain Obvious') choices such as Final Fantasy VII, Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Halo, Metroid Prime and Shadow of the Colossus.

From the opening chapter to the final showdown with

->Open Spoiler<-

Lazerevic

I was so immersive with the experience to the point of saying, ‘just one more chapter, just one more chapter, just one mor…’ and that is exactly what I did; I had to force myself to stop playing the game many, many times.

The visuals are stupendously sublime and is easily the best tour de force in animation, graphics and (arguably) art design this generation so far. I am the less fussed person about all this HD-malarkey but when something like this comes along, it can change my fussiness about HD technology.

I loved every single character for being individuals in their own right with character, humour and grand personality - this is something that so many developers seem to forget (and lack) with most story driven games. Naughty Dog are simply the best in the business at this.

I would love to ramble on and on about the game but most people seem to have said the same things as I would like to say as well as keeping the game fresh in my mind to myself for the time being. I absolutely and utterly envy anyone who is going through the experience for their first time and I have not had that feeling since Shadow of the Colossus and that itself is a sign of a very good game.

This is without a shadow of doubt an easily handed out 10/10 experience.

‘You brought a hooker to church?’

‘…Yeah, why not?’

[Eight Rooks]

Oh, and much as I hate playing oneupmanship - no, really, I do - the only way I could see anyone preferring Arkham Asylum to this is if they were blindly devoted Batgeeks or simply didn't like shooting. There was no part in AA that's come even close to the almost continual sense of awe this game evokes. Batman essentially isn't human, for all the is-he-nuts-or-isn't-he backstory, none of the other characters are people, there's no big wow moments...

AA was a very good game but I have no desire to ever play it again. I simply didn't care what happened, ultimately, and I was only really playing it for the mechanics and how well Rocksteady had handled the license. Uncharted 2's brought a lump to my throat, had me laughing out loud, had me heart in mouth, practically unable to watch the goddamned screen... no, it's not Shakespeare, and it's the kind of thing videogames should have been doing for years now, but I do think some of the reviews did it a disservice by saying it's still only a videogame, it'd be laughed out of the cinema, etc., etc. Among Thieves is easily up there with the best popcorn action films I've ever seen - better than most in many respects.

I know the ending's supposedly not that great - still not quite finished it! - but I hardly care after what I've been through so far. Absolutely stunning.

[Largo]

if its like the first uncharted then you wont be able to use all the unlimited ammo's etc on the first playthrough of crushing.

aye youre right you have to clear the game mode before you can enable cheats, dohhh

[Riskbreaker]

Utterly fantastic game. At chapter 22 I'm both anticipating and dreading reach the end. I need to finish it though as it's already given me two stupidly late night stints and I really don't need a third. Sitting here thinking about it, so few games have a solo experience that reaches this level of craft. In fact it's almost frustrating that the game drags you through by the short and curlies because more often than not I simply want to stop and stare. But there is always a feeling that as the player you need to be surging forwards.

Better than that, the gameplay actually matches the momentum. There is nowhere near the levels of frustration encountered in the original. Everything flows so smoothly, not just cuts between playing the game and story telling, which Naughty Dog deserve an award for on it's own. But also, moving through the game, always having an idea of where to go, what to do and when you don't a gently nudge points you in the right direction.

Kudos also for removing the sixaxis grenade throw, which was easily the most stupid inclusion in the original.

My one criticism is that I really, really, really don't want to play through any more super acrobatic archeologist sections in any game again. It's getting harder and harder to suspend my sense of disbelief. But even in these moments, the game flows and plays so well it's hard not to forgive them.

For me, easily game of the year (I just don't see anything else touching it) and now on my top ten list.

->Open Spoiler<-

"Marco..."

[Tobal]

Loving it so far(up to ch9 or 10 i think), pretty much uncharted 1 tightened up (apart from grenade controls) and so far without the annoying crap driving sections from the 1st game. Graphics didn't get me at first as it looked no different from 1 until you get into the city, which was great set piece after set piece.

My only other niggle with it has been the steath mechanic's, its seems the game will only let you go so far sneaking around snapping necks before they games script takes over and magicialy pops an enemy in the way that won't move and is only looking in the only direction you came from or will make the last few enemies around all face in one direction without turning, felt like it was punishing me for sneaking around like ninja.

[MonkeyJuggleDX]

Anyone else done the stealth kill where you vault or run over an object and volley them right in the chops? Favourite move in any game!!!

[spagmasterswift]

This game is excellent.

[JP]

Just got to the end and I have to admit that I didn't really enjoy it at all, what a disappointment!

Nah, I'm only joking, absolutely loved it. I honestly can't remember a single game that has wowed me so much on so many occasions for so many different reasons as this has. Like other people I just feel there's so much I want to say about it but everybody seems to be saying the same things I want to say.

The actual gameplay isn't that different to the first game which was spot on for me anyway but in so many ways it just feels a step ahead of other games.

I absolutely love the graphics in the game and along with Super Mario Galaxy it has my favourite graphics so far this generation. It certainly doesn't compete in terms of looking realistic with what seems to be possible using CryEngine 3 on a top end PC if the latest videos are anything to go by but for me at least, this more stylised look is far more interesting and far more attractive.

Like the first game the audio was nigh on perfect, the surround sound mix really bought the game to life and some of the music really stood out for me.




I was a little worried about a few things before I started playing due to twhat I'd read & seen about the game. I wasn't looking forward to the train sections as I've played similar in other games and I've usually found them to be either be annoying due to controls that weren't really designed for moving levels or annoying as they may as well just have been set in a long corridor.

It worked really well in this and it felt like I was always in control and also that I was also an inch away from death if I didn't pay attention.

The second thing I was worried about was the completion length that people were giving for the game. It took me 11 hours and 28 minutes to finish it but I think as the pace of the game was non stop it actually felt quite a bit longer. I think I did spend around 4 hours of that diving around in the snow and water as it looked so bloody good.

The first game wasn't exactly long but I do feel that both were exactly the right length. As much as I feel that I wanted more of each game I also know that if either of them were much longer then I probably spend as much time playing them, I've played through the original what must 5 or 6 times by now and that's partly because it doesn't take weeks to play through.

I can honestly say that I don't feel that there is any filler content in the game though, what's in the game works well and it needs to be in there.

More than anything I was worried about the stealthier areas as I'd read in a couple of places that people found it clumsy. I thought it was pretty much spot and after I done a couple of stealth kills everything was simple enough.

I think one of the big advantages that this game has had is that there's obviously been a lot of time spent play testing it and adjust things until it's exactly as it should be. This is something that not enough games get this but from what I'd read a while ago the game itself was pretty much ready to sell about 3 months ago but they spent the time just testing it again and again until they got everything right.

Two areas in the game really stood out for me, I felt that there was just something really special about [Chapter 21]

->Open Spoiler<-

the Tibetan village when I woke up there. Just walking around while people went about their daily tasks, the game Drake played with the kids, the animals in the village all built up a fantastic atmosphere.

The second area was [Chapter 24]

->Open Spoiler<-

Shambala/Shangri-La itself, what an fantastic looking place and I think I could have just spend hours climbing around and exploring it. It's a shame I had to break the place though and all I really got to do there was run away from some stuff and shoot other stuff in the face.

Actually, that's a complete lie. I could pretty much list every area as being a bit special now I'm thinking about it.

With the first game the more play throughs I did the more I enjoyed the game as with a little help from the trophy list I learnt different ways of playing it and I wouldn't be surprised if the same happened with this one.

When it comes to the new characters of

->Open Spoiler<-

Chloe & Flynn

, I didn't really like them and given the choice I would have probably shot both their idiot faces off as soon I got the chance too if I was Drake.

I'm not sure if anybody noticed it with Elena at the end of the game but she'd taken on Drake's

->Open Spoiler<-

half-tuck shirt look which I thought was a nice touch.

Did anybody else notice that there was a thank you from Naughty Dog to Bungie in the credits? There was quite a few in-jokes in some of the quips for people who had played the first game too which I enjoyed.

Has anybody had a go with the machinima mode yet? I can't wait to have a proper play with it, there's a few early videos out at the moment.




Not exactly good but I'm looking forward to see what can be done by people who really know what they're doing with this stuff.

Anyway, back to the game. I've really enjoyed playing through it and I'm looking forward to my second play through, I can't recommend the game enough. Even you're not sure whether you'll enjoy it then at least rent it or you could be missing out on something that you may find to be pretty special for you.

So when's Uncharted 3 out then?

[rmoxon]

I didnt even know there was a Machinima mode...

Eh?

[Eight Rooks]

I'm letting my housemate play catchup (too nice for my own good, me ), so I still haven't finished it - just preparing to (late game spoilers!)

->Open Spoiler<-

assault the mercenaries around the entrance to Shambala

. God, I just want to keep playing, and playing, and playing, and playing...

The graphics... okay, you can see the joins and the limitations of the PS3 (I raised an eyebrow at I think the Eurogamer review saying the shadows don't pixellate - uh, yes they clearly do). Still, overall, the obvious technical excellence and the quality of the art design has wowed me far more consistently than Crytek have ever done. Much as I enjoy them, Crysis and Warhead both don't have especially brilliant aesthetics. Plus Naughty Dog obviously know a few tricks - okay, it may not be real-time, but Christ, the facial modelling for several characters in the cutscenes strikes me as far more impressive than anything Crytek have managed (even the brief facial shots from the Cryengine 3 videos, maybe). Lazarevic in particular is terrifyingly detailed. They also, even in the gameplay, have some startlingly good skin shader work going on; it's still not 'realistic' per se but it's far more convincing in some respects than Crytek - I thought it felt far more alive - and far, far ahead of the plastic/clay look everyone else seems to go with.

I would still argue there's filler - the (later level spoilers)

->Open Spoiler<-

village fight

is very, very long and could easily have been trimmed, for starters. The train does go on for a while, too. Still, when the gameplay mechanics are this good, it's nitpicking at best.

While I haven't seen the ending yet... Flynn's okay, but he is just comedy English guy for the most part, with all that entails in Hollywood. Chloe... I don't like her, though I do like Claudia Black's performance (wandering accent aside ). I find her an interesting character, and even though

->Open Spoiler<-

she's basically not a nice person

I still do feel some degree of sympathy for her.

So much more I could say (join the club, right?), but I need sleep again. Maybe I'll just get another hour in. Almost there. Just one more go...

EDIT: Moxon - machinima mode is for multiplayer games. Like Halo's. I haven't played with it yet, but it is supposed to be pretty good.

[Tig]

For a player who likes to carefully explore a game's environments - examining every art asset along the way - this game is almost panic-inducing. There is actually too much detail to take in. I can't look at all of it. It's bloody everywhere.



And there's stuff exploding/falling apart behind me!! aaaaaaaaah

I'm letting my housemate play catchup (too nice for my own good, me ), so I still haven't finished it - just preparing to (late game spoilers!)

->Open Spoiler<-

assault the mercenaries around the entrance to Shambala

. God, I just want to keep playing, and playing, and playing, and playing...

The graphics... okay, you can see the joins and the limitations of the PS3 (I raised an eyebrow at I think the Eurogamer review saying the shadows don't pixellate - uh, yes they clearly do). Still, overall, the obvious technical excellence and the quality of the art design has wowed me far more consistently than Crytek have ever done. Much as I enjoy them, Crysis and Warhead both don't have especially brilliant aesthetics. Plus Naughty Dog obviously know a few tricks - okay, it may not be real-time, but Christ, the facial modelling for several characters in the cutscenes strikes me as far more impressive than anything Crytek have managed (even the brief facial shots from the Cryengine 3 videos, maybe). Lazarevic in particular is terrifyingly detailed. They also, even in the gameplay, have some startlingly good skin shader work going on; it's still not 'realistic' per se but it's far more convincing in some respects than Crytek - I thought it felt far more alive - and far, far ahead of the plastic/clay look everyone else seems to go with.

I would still argue there's filler - the (later level spoilers)

->Open Spoiler<-

village fight

is very, very long and could easily have been trimmed, for starters. The train does go on for a while, too. Still, when the gameplay mechanics are this good, it's nitpicking at best.

While I haven't seen the ending yet... Flynn's okay, but he is just comedy English guy for the most part, with all that entails in Hollywood. Chloe... I don't like her, though I do like Claudia Black's performance (wandering accent aside ). I find her an interesting character, and even though

->Open Spoiler<-

she's basically not a nice person

I still do feel some degree of sympathy for her.

So much more I could say (join the club, right?), but I need sleep again. Maybe I'll just get another hour in. Almost there. Just one more go...

EDIT: Moxon - machinima mode is for multiplayer games. Like Halo's. I haven't played with it yet, but it is supposed to be pretty good.

quoted because I just bottom-paged it with my own crappy post

[JP]

I didnt even know there was a Machinima mode...

Eh?

There's a video feature on machinima.com.


There are quite a few out at the moment which give you an idea of what can be done but it'll really come to life when people like the ones who do the Red vs Blue videos start producing stuff.

[mugetsu]

anyone went through drake's journal yet?
there's some cool and funny entries in it.

[squidman]

Had to stop playing an impromptu all night session because my pad ran out of juice and the recharging cable is so very, very short. Says it all about the game.

Thanks for the insight, JEFF.

[Brad]

Longest shadow draw distance in a game ever!

I did manage to get caught in a barrel blast and get blown through the scenery at one point. I took some photos that I'll post later.

Up to ch 15 and at 2:30 am finally went to bed. Amazing game.