[E3 2009] Uncharted 2 Eyes-On
No, they wouldn't let us play it (and slapped our hand away when we tried), but Naughty Dog showed us something new to make up for it.
Published: June 5, 2009
By now, you've hopefully seen the absolutely mind-blowing presentation of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves that was shown during Sony's press conference. If you haven't, feel free to scroll up, click the video link and download it for yourself in all its glory. There's a reason, though, why Uncharted 2 was unequivocally our Game of the Show this year, and it's not entirely because of that on-stage presentation. Yes, that's half of it, but the other half came in the form of a mission we were treated to in Sony's little VIP area at their booth.
Up until now, the return of the first Uncharted's other main players besides Nathan Drake, Sully and Elena, was really only hinted at in the game's multiplayer that we gushed about a while back and that you'll be able to play starting... well, technically last night if you got in on the Uncharted 2 Multiplayer Beta. Luckily, we saw at least half of that missing pair when we were shown a new mission that had Elena and her camera man stuck in a tight spot.
See, Drake and Elena parted ways after the first game (interesting considering their happy ending and chemistry as the credits rolled), and by way of random circumstance, both end up arriving in Tibet separately. Elena's broken into the big time, and as a reporter, she and her camera man are tracking the movements of Lazaverec, a war criminal with some serious facial scars that look to be caused by major burns. Drake and old fling Chloe are searching for the fabled Cintamani Stone -- fractions of which have been held by people of great importance throughout history, the whole of which is said to grant any wish, though it's hidden in the lost city of Shangri-La. The pair's treasure seeking leads, in a round-about way, to Lazaverec, who is seeking the Stone in what appears to be a re-tread of what the Nazis were searching for decades ago.
The four meet up, and while Drake and Chloe search a temple, Elena and Jeff, the camera man, stay put at the entrance. While the treasure hunters explore the innards of the temple, Lazaverec shows up and Jeff catches a stray bullet to the gut. When Drake returns, he discovers the injured camera man and the four of them try to make their way to a place where Jeff can get some much-needed medical attention. Chloe, it would seem, has developed quite the icy heart over the years, and claims the three should leave Jeff to die. Nate disagrees (the big softie) and slings the injured man over his shoulder and shuffles on to find help.
Not surprisingly, Lazaverec has other plans, and begins heading off the group as they make their way (slowly) through the bombed-out ruins of the city. Though Nate isn't entirely defenseless (he can still use his pistol), Jeff is obviously slowing him down, and though Chloe and Elena do their best to hold back the enemies, it's not enough to repel a mounted turret that boxes them in at the end of a long alleyway. Ducking into the crumbling innards of a house, the foursome make their way up to a room, bar the door -- and then Chloe pulls a gun on Nate, telling him to leave Jeff or they'll all be dead.
And that's where the demo ended.
It was a painful end to a demonstration that was packed with jaw-droppingly gorgeous moments. The Uncharted 2 engine may well be responsible for the best visuals the PlayStation 3 has ever seen -- and may ever see until there's an Uncharted 3. Naughty Dog has done, frankly, a stunning job in building a city that's more open, more organic and more believable in every way; the scarred and bombed-out city is teeming with blown-out walls, areas to clamber (and show off Drake's new Assassin's Creed-style free climbing controls where his hands and feet seek out hand and footholds naturally) and splayed with rich colors.
The animation, already amazing in the first game, is even more natural and impressive this time around. When Drake is carrying Jeff, his sluggish walk is interrupted from time to time by him hiking the injured man's arm and shoulder up to better carry him, while Jeff's feet lazily slap the ground under him. Sliding into cover, climbing over objects, leaping over pits -- all of it just feels right (at least from what we've played of the multiplayer) and looks incredible to boot.
At this point, we're ready to give Naughty Dog our money (and probably a Game of the Year nod along with it), so we're just keeping our fingers crossed that the game's nebulous "Fall" release date gets narrowed a little. One thing's for sure, though: the second any more information about the game hits -- or, even better, we're allowed to actually play the game -- we'll make sure to update you.
Up until now, the return of the first Uncharted's other main players besides Nathan Drake, Sully and Elena, was really only hinted at in the game's multiplayer that we gushed about a while back and that you'll be able to play starting... well, technically last night if you got in on the Uncharted 2 Multiplayer Beta. Luckily, we saw at least half of that missing pair when we were shown a new mission that had Elena and her camera man stuck in a tight spot.
See, Drake and Elena parted ways after the first game (interesting considering their happy ending and chemistry as the credits rolled), and by way of random circumstance, both end up arriving in Tibet separately. Elena's broken into the big time, and as a reporter, she and her camera man are tracking the movements of Lazaverec, a war criminal with some serious facial scars that look to be caused by major burns. Drake and old fling Chloe are searching for the fabled Cintamani Stone -- fractions of which have been held by people of great importance throughout history, the whole of which is said to grant any wish, though it's hidden in the lost city of Shangri-La. The pair's treasure seeking leads, in a round-about way, to Lazaverec, who is seeking the Stone in what appears to be a re-tread of what the Nazis were searching for decades ago.
The four meet up, and while Drake and Chloe search a temple, Elena and Jeff, the camera man, stay put at the entrance. While the treasure hunters explore the innards of the temple, Lazaverec shows up and Jeff catches a stray bullet to the gut. When Drake returns, he discovers the injured camera man and the four of them try to make their way to a place where Jeff can get some much-needed medical attention. Chloe, it would seem, has developed quite the icy heart over the years, and claims the three should leave Jeff to die. Nate disagrees (the big softie) and slings the injured man over his shoulder and shuffles on to find help.
Not surprisingly, Lazaverec has other plans, and begins heading off the group as they make their way (slowly) through the bombed-out ruins of the city. Though Nate isn't entirely defenseless (he can still use his pistol), Jeff is obviously slowing him down, and though Chloe and Elena do their best to hold back the enemies, it's not enough to repel a mounted turret that boxes them in at the end of a long alleyway. Ducking into the crumbling innards of a house, the foursome make their way up to a room, bar the door -- and then Chloe pulls a gun on Nate, telling him to leave Jeff or they'll all be dead.
And that's where the demo ended.
It was a painful end to a demonstration that was packed with jaw-droppingly gorgeous moments. The Uncharted 2 engine may well be responsible for the best visuals the PlayStation 3 has ever seen -- and may ever see until there's an Uncharted 3. Naughty Dog has done, frankly, a stunning job in building a city that's more open, more organic and more believable in every way; the scarred and bombed-out city is teeming with blown-out walls, areas to clamber (and show off Drake's new Assassin's Creed-style free climbing controls where his hands and feet seek out hand and footholds naturally) and splayed with rich colors.
The animation, already amazing in the first game, is even more natural and impressive this time around. When Drake is carrying Jeff, his sluggish walk is interrupted from time to time by him hiking the injured man's arm and shoulder up to better carry him, while Jeff's feet lazily slap the ground under him. Sliding into cover, climbing over objects, leaping over pits -- all of it just feels right (at least from what we've played of the multiplayer) and looks incredible to boot.
At this point, we're ready to give Naughty Dog our money (and probably a Game of the Year nod along with it), so we're just keeping our fingers crossed that the game's nebulous "Fall" release date gets narrowed a little. One thing's for sure, though: the second any more information about the game hits -- or, even better, we're allowed to actually play the game -- we'll make sure to update you.
