Hands-on: Uncharted 2 single player
I'm not sure what accolades we've yet to place upon the already ornamented crown of Uncharted 2. We've all seen the trailers and gameplay demos, we've played in the multiplayer beta and we've briefly tried the game's co-op mode. All of it was incredible, and our writeups have heaped praise upon praise onto Naughty Dog's upcoming treasure hunting sim.
After playing the first single-player segment made available to the public, I'm unsure what else I can add to the conversation. If my observations mimic those of our former writeups for Uncharted 2, I apologize — but when a game exhibits this kind of polish, it's difficult to conjure up any kind of dissenting opinion.
It's really good.
You've likely seen the short segment I got to get my hands on in one of the first Uncharted 2 gameplay videos to ever hit the internets — In it, Nathan Drake encounters enemies working for main antagonist Zorin Lazarevic, whom he must skillfully dispatch while navigating the urban environment. En route to this encounter, Nathan's car gets smashed by an enemy assault vehicle, which our hero has to run away from in a narrow alleyway, shooting over his shoulder to postpone his gooey demise.
The best method I have to describe how Nate Drake handles in his latest iteration is fairly crude — "Like Uncharted, only better." The tuck-shirted protagonist moves much more fluidly, whether said movement involves creeping around corners to stealthily dispatch an enemy, or climbing over crumbling buildings and dilapitated billboards. The slight ambiguity present in Drake's Fortune's acrobatic feats isn't present this time around — jumping between ledges is effortless and decisive.
One of my biggest hang-ups with the combat in the first Uncharted was the apparent kevlar skin of your mercenarial adversaries. In Among Thieves, this problem is allieviated by introducing different classes of thugs — those wearing lighter colored shirts are easily dispatched with a few bullets or a well-executed melee combo. Enemies wearing darker shirts retain the resilience of Uncharted's goons — but their numbers are much fewer than their pale-clothed lackeys.
You probably don't need me to tell you that the game's received a sizable graphical boost as well — that much was evident from the jaw-dropping E3 debut trailer. However, seeing it in motion with your own hand on the rudder really enhances the experience. Sadly, the din which arose from nearby booths blocked out the musical accompaniment of Firefly (not to mention Drake's Fortune) composer Greg Edmonson. His dynamic score really made the first game stand out, and I'm eagerly anticipating a chance to take a stab at the game under more audio-friendly conditions.
Who am I kidding — I'm looking forward to playing the game under any circumstances. Much like it's predecessor, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is one of the most polished video games I've ever played — and I've only played five minutes of it. Sure, it may not break any action genre molds, but it doesn't really need to. It's got impressive visuals, fun combat and environment exploration, and writing and voice acting that would put every other game involving human speech to shame.
However, the writing provided my only qualm with the demo — a flirtatious conversation between Nathan Drake and his new, sultry companion, Chloe. Watch it, mister. You are spoken for.