It doesn’t feel like long ago at all I was talking of Uncharted, speaking of its high qualities and hoping it would be the start of a long and beautiful series. I really liked that game – not spectacularly original, but well implemented across the board, nicely plotted and bursting with charm. It seems like about a week later, and here’s the sequel, and man, it’s really, really good. Everyone’s saying that – finally a reason to own a PS3 and yada, yada.
But it really is good. Really good.
There’s the same mixture of exploration and rapid-fire gunplay, of mystery and quality voice acting, but this time around the game is literally packed out with special moments – with collapsing bridges and exploding jeeps, with crawls across speeding trains and climbs up dangling railway carriages. There’s constantly stuff going on. The level of detail on characters and environments throughout is breathtaking, I don’t think I’ve seen anything as good graphically, but you’re not bludgeoned with it, it’s used cleverly to enhance the experience. The interplay between the characters – the cheeky one liners and the humourous asides as you play, are a joy. It’s a thrill ride and a half, and the fusion between storytelling and gameplay, the feeling of flow and involvement, is a cut above anything I’ve ever played before.
One could make criticisms if one was feeling mean (and I usually am). The plot was a bit more of a mess than last time around, and it didn’t feel quite so bursting with personality, perhaps because there were more characters involved. The villain was a bit by-the-yardy bullet-headed balkan mercenary from bullet-headed balkan mercenaries-r-us and it all wrapped up rather quickly, with a final boss fight that would probably have been satisfying enough on another game but felt a tad pedestrian after all the amazing sequences packed into the rest of this one. But overall, where the first Uncharted felt like stuff you’d mostly seen before, just very cleverly polished and implemented, this feels like a true leap forward.
10/10
12 comments so far
I was very pleasantly surprised by the characterization in this game and how it was done chiefly through on-the-fly banter.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the addition of multiplayer. Get it going, son.
I will mess you up.
Have you given Dead Space a shot, Joe? A Resident evil fan should love it…
It is a really good game no? I've been playing it pretty intensely since it came out. One thing that stood out for me was the animation. The movement in the characters is really incredible.
I picked up Dragon Age Origins today, I had the need to induldge in my dark fantasy cravings. I've been told good things.
Uncharted has never really had that edge for me. I just find it among other adventure games that are of high quality, but really don't present me with anything special. I spent the first 10 years of my life observing my Brother play through them, so I've seen it all.
On Dragon Age: Origins, I think it's the closest thing to a The First Law game that's ever been published (though still a hundred degrees away; even the Qunari who murdered an entire family who was kind to him has nothing on even Collem West)
I'd suggest it for the big Joe; if you happen to have 100 hours on your hands…
Hey Joe you should see how much Bioware would pay you to wright the story for some downloadable content for dragon age. As others have said the flavor of the world is right up your ally and it would be amazing to play a scenario written by you.
This is off subject, but I have been wondering since reading Best Served Cold and now since reading about your up and coming book The Heroes, WHAT IS NEXT?! Is it on to the Gurkish? Then what? An epic battle of the Magi? I apologize, I can't help myself the suspense is killing me and none too softly. I will find out in due time. But in the mean time, a round of applause for the twist at the end of BSC.(definately not referring to Monza and Benna) I haven't been surprised like that since I watched the sixth sense! Kudos
Joe, I'd love to hear your thoughts on Dragon Age: Origins. It reminds one of your dark fantasy world, so it should be right up your alley!
To Dav: About your comparison to the Qunari and Collem West. Just my opinion but I think it would be more appropriate to make that comparison to the Black Dow or The Bloody Nine or Monza Mercatto even than to West. I'm sorry but slapping your sister around and murdering a self righteous rapist who was responsible for the deaths of thousands don't hold a candle to murdering a decent caring family.
Joe, I have just read the post about the ridiculous review you received.
First: I don't understand why she is so surprised that your book was dark violent and twisted, it clearly says so on the cover!
Second: I thought the book had a good twist at the end. Shenkt being revealed as the bone thief and then to find out he is out for his own revenge against Bayaz left me with hope that I may soon be reading of the bald bastards downfall! That was a good payoff for me.
Third: People DO NOT change! And why would they? Nobody no matter how shitty of a person they are sees themselves as being a bad or evil person, they always justify their actions or make excuses to themselves.
Lastly: Why couldn't she have simply said: While she isn't a fan of dark violent and twisted stories she still thought that the book was beautifully written and full of dynamic and interesting characters? (because who can deny that?) She seems to live in a fantasy world of her own and maybe she should stick to writing her own happy endings instead of criticising more realistic endings!
PS: Some writers seem to model characters in their books after themselves or who they want to be. I was thinking to myself which of your characters you might have written similiar to yourself. Then it hit me. Sand dan Glokta; as skilled with torture tools as Picasso with a paint brush. It has to be him because your are skillfully torturing your readers with this Feb 2010 business!
@ Mrs Dogman:
Meh, still. Collem can be a coward at times, and his real courage comes from his anger. Sten is honourable, and courageous, being albeit slightly ruthless. But he just hasn't got the developed flaws of Collem West.
Don't get me wrong, I love West to the bottom of my heart. A Soldier's Hero. But he's human and created by J. abercrombie, and therefore, heavily flawed.
Monza murders everyone and everybody happily, and then justifies herself while bringing everybody down. Bloody Nine goes into berserks regularly where he kills anyone and everyone, and Black Dow kills because it saves time.
Sten, we know, killed the family after thinking he lost, essentially, his connection to his World. Doesn't justify it, but it definitely ain't killing someone because they looked at you funny.
To Dav: I agree with you about West getting his courage from anger and yes I am aware he is created by Joe and that he is flawed as is everyone.
I think Black Dow kills not to save time but because that is who he is and he feels no remorse for it.
Logen and the Bloody Nine are essentially two people. The Bloody Nine doesn't go into beserks, Logen does and The Bloody Nine is the result.
And if you can remember Monza was not happy when Morveer murdered everyone in the bank "just to be sure." And Benna was responsible for alot of the murder she was blamed for. She is still pretty cold and ruthless, but not as much as she pretends to be.
Demon's Souls…..
hmmmmm…..souls