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So I just finished Uncharted 2......thats it?

M

MYE

Member
Before I get ravaged by ND-GAF let me put this thread title into context. Uncharted 2 is one of the best reviewed, most reveared games this gen, and oftenly mentioned as a title that represents gaming at its finest.
It was NeoGAF's GOTY, many peoples GOTG and won perfect scores all over the place. Its a sacred cow and with that title I had certain expectations before I started playing.

This is the game I played:
The production values on this game are through the fucking roof. I was floored by what they could pull off from PS3 hardware and the voice-work, animation and sound design are really a testament to how well Naughty Dog can reproduce the movie-like feel out of their titles without making us cringe at janky animations or failed attempts at emotions we see in so many other "Hollywood" games.
As far as story, characters and setpiece variety, I have absolutely no complaints. Good shit all around. These guys clearly put a TON of effort in making the presentation of this game look like a million dollars.

BUT....the game beneath all that graphical tour de force is...not all that fun?
I mean, it does absolutely nothing above average in terms of gunplay, enemy AI, level design, gameplay mechanics, puzzle design, platforming controls...or basically anything gameplay related really.
Enemies are bullet sponges that come in waves that have to be endured (due to weak and wonky shooting) more than dealt with, with any kind of enjoyment. Jumping and grabbing on stuff is just there as shooting gallery breaks, and are a chore to go through because they require no skill and more often than not make you fall to your death due to the frankly shitty combination of loose controls and the automated grabbing mechanics that even ND didnt have too much faith in, considering how you "respawn" in the spot after every failed jump. The brain-dead puzzles that are clearly meant to be "solved" as quickly as possible just to throw you to the next set-piece, and the level/layout design that is shockingly simple once you see past the ultra detailed rooms and corridors.

This is an amazing looking game that rests on a frankly boring, average-at-best gameplay foundation. One that is obviously masked by the superficial polish of everything you look at or listen to, and the ultra-fast-holy-fuck-in-my-face rollercoaster pacing that wont let you think too much about the gamey aspect of it.
Its NOT a bad game. I'm not saying that. Its a simple, linear hollywood set-piece ride with serviceable gameplay. I enjoyed going through it but it completely failed to be any generation or even genre defining masterpiece. Not even close. It was just a 'good' game. A 8/10 game mainly due to top of the line presentation.

Am I wrong in thinking that the production values are kinda blinding people to everything else? I really dont see retrogamers replaying this in the future when its technically dated as a fossil. Not when the formula was already dated at release.
I'm I alone in this? I feel like I'm missing something here :/

NOTE: If it matters, I didnt touch the multiplayer.

PS: The final boss fight was SHIIIIT

2262045-FlameShield.jpg
 
I'll agree that it's a pretty average TPS, disregarding the verticality of combat. As an experience though, it is amazing. It isn't innovative gameplay, but that doesn't make it bad.

Pacing, enemy variety, combat zones are all considerable factors other than the core gameplay mechanics.
 
Looking back on it, I kind of feel the same way about the game. On it's own merits - it's a pretty incredible experience the first-time through, great cinematic set-pieces, fairly good length for a shooter, lots of beautiful environments, but mechanically-speaking, there's not much meat there that warrants a replay, simply because of how "average" everything is from a mechanics perspective, the shooting isn't as tight as say RE4 or Gears.. and the platforming is way too automated compared to something like the old Tomb Raider games.
 
I agree with you. I've always found Uncharted very generic in terms of plot, characters, gameplay...the presentation is its selling point. I would rather watch someone else play Uncharted than play it myself. Loads of my friends love the series to death so I never say anything, cause what's the point tearing down something someone loves? But yeah, Uncharted is definitely not my thing.
 
Probably one of my favorite games from current gen...and I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Nintendo fan.

Loved every minute of that game.
 
We weren't this jaded on shooters in 2009, and UC2 has great moments and a great story.
There has been 4 COD campaigns since UC2 came out and everyone's had their fill of Michael Bay gaming.
 
Naughty Dog don't make fun games. They never have. Their thing is tech, and making the console look good. In exchange they are well reviewed.
 
Uncharted 2 does a few things really, really well in terms of cinematic storytelling and setpiece design, but overall I think it's one of the prime examples of "greater than the sum of its parts."

And yeah the final boss is just dogshite. Worst by far imo of the three console games. Golden Abyss' is worse, somehow.

It remains one of my favourite games of the gen, but yeah, I totally see where you're coming from.
 
I enjoyed Uncharted because it was a good old fashioned Indiana Jones type adventure. The gameplay isn't bad but man, the pacing and scenes are fantastically directed.
 
As an experience? Wonderful.
As a game? It's "good" at best. Average at the most.

Actually, having played The Last of Us, that sums up Naughty Dog perfectly this generation. =/
 
MYE said:
This is the game I played:
The production values on this game are through the fucking roof. I was floored by what they could pull off from PS3 hardware and the voice-work, animation and sound design are really a testament to how well Naughty Dog can reproduce the movie-like feel out of their titles without making us cringe at janky animations or failed attempts at emotions we see in so many other "Hollywood" games.
As far as story, characters and setpiece variety, I have absolutely no complaints. Good shit all around. These guys clearly put a TON of effort in making the presentation of this game look like a million dollars.
Click to expand...

You answered your own question right here.
Its Uncharted 1's gameplay(better aiming too) with this.
 
I think the game is overrated on GAF, but it looks incredible, gameplay is really solid and fun, and the sense of spectacle and set pieces are great. I'm not a fan at all of the auto-platforming and bullet-sponge enemies though.
 
It's an example of this generations 360/PS3 where games are over-hyped and developers/publishers have starting making games that bleed too much into film/movies...
 
I totally agree. The Uncharted series will not age well at all. It only stands out for it's production and graphics. It won't be fun to play in 10 years
 
It was very pretty, and mechanically sound for the most part.

Cutscenes looked fantastic.

Some of the platforming (ice caves) was fun.

I'm about out of nice things to say. The good news is The Last of Us is better in every conceivable way.
 
Glorified G said:
Yet you love Skyward freakin Sword?

To each there own.
Click to expand...

I'm not quite understanding. Skyward Sword is a masterpiece of level design, gameplay mechanics, puzzle design, controls imo.

but its doesn't have this part
The production values on this game are through the fucking roof. I was floored by what they could pull off from PS3 hardware and the voice-work, animation and sound design are really a testament to how well Naughty Dog can reproduce the movie-like feel out of their titles without making us cringe at janky animations or failed attempts at emotions we see in so many other "Hollywood" games.
Click to expand...
 
I can't think of another game that combines platforming and shooting the way Uncharted has. It's why I'm always down for more Uncharted, and why I'm confused as fuck whenever someone says it's like other AAA third person shooters.

I rarely come across an action game that offers large arenas that you can tackle any which way like this series does. It's bliss, yo.
 
In ten years, when the overall quality of production values increases in video games, UC2 is going to lose most of its appeal. From a gameplay standpoint, UC in general is standing on the shoulders of giants.

That said, I still think its an important game if only because it proved video games can be just as effective as the standard Hollywood spectacle. It deserved all the accolades it got.
 
Infamous was the best new IP from Sony this generation, hands down.

Everything but the gameplay in Uncharted is excellent. And in the end, gameplay is all that really matters.
 
The variety of settings combined with the graphical quality makes this game and the franchise for me. I found most of the locations in UC2 incredibly fresh.
 
MYE said:
PS: The final boss fight was SHIIIIT
Click to expand...

So freaking true. No one's gonna disagree with you here.

I hated this game. I started it at noon on a Saturday expecting a massive gaming orgasm of an experience; instead, I was just hating it even more as the hours went. I then hit my boiling point and that was it, man. Safety belts were off, gloves cast aside, stripper moved out of the way, ohlawd has had freaking enough.

I didn't want to spend another second with this game so I switched the difficulty to easy to get this shit over with. Finished it before 5 o'clock.

Went back to school on Monday and threw this shit back at my friend's face. I was like "bro this shit was wack homie you be playin' with my feelings. That ain't cool."

But if people did dig this game, props to them. That's cool, too.
 
That's fine. You can take the most critically acclaimed game, or movie, or book ever, and there's still going to be people that don't like it.

For me, this is one the greatest games I've ever played, both in presentation AND gameplay.
 
Yeah, I stopped buying into the ND hypetrain after UC2. Supposedly one of the best games of the generation to many, but fairly average in my eyes. It wasn't bad by any means, and I had fun getting a platinum trophy for it, but everything about it that was a game was completely unremarkable.

Presentation and flair was top notch, but that ends up amounting to little. The shooting was fine and the platforming was infantile, being nearly completely automated. Eventually I just see enough fabricated near misses with jutting bricks giving way just as you let go that it means nothing.
 
zychi said:
You answered your own question right here.
Its Uncharted 1's gameplay(better aiming too) with this.
Click to expand...

The good doesn't outweigh the bad. Not when all of its flaws are in the gameplay part.

This is a multiple GOTY winner here and stakes are a bit higher because of that.
Gameplay polish was basically downplayed to celebrate money spent in good looking things.
 
As far as gameplay goes, I disagree. I feel that due to the map design, the mobility you're afforded, and the enemy AI, fights feel extremely dynamic. Enemies are always trying to outflank you so you need to stay mobile, unlike most cover shooters where you can just pop up from behind a wall every few seconds.

That being said, the later section of the game is terrible, as is the final boss.
 
I miss the days of having third person shooters that didn't have waist high cover. I always thought that was much better and have only found that waist high barrier combat only shines on something like gears of war multiplayer.

In a single player experience though? Yuck.

I'll be happy when developers stop using a room full of waist high barriers as a crutch in making satisfying gameplay.
 
Yeah, Uncharted has always impressed me, but I've never really loved it. And the impressiveness of it fades over time. In retrospect, I think Arkham Asylum and Assassin's Creed 2 would both rank above it in my 2009 GOTY.
 
I just finished this game yesterday. I feel it's a good experience with proper cinematics and cutscene, gameplay really isn't a fucus in this game and I do not want too much gameplay because it will ruin the movie experience. It's a good relax after your played too much gameplay focus game. But yeah... I cannot understand why this game get this much praise.
 
Kintaro said:
As an experience? Wonderful.
As a game? It's "good" at best. Average at the most.

Actually, having played The Last of Us, that sums up Naughty Dog perfectly this generation. =/
Click to expand...

Dont fucking say this. I have really high hopes for TLoU

:(

I hope Amazon delivers my order tomorrow
 
It was a "cinematic tour de force" that improved upon Uncharted 1 in almost every way possible.

Sure, it does have some of the problems you mentioned... including a horrible final boss encounter... but once you play Uncharted 3, you'll come to appreciate all the things that Uncharted 2 did right.
 
I found the manoeuvrability of Drake within combat levels and setpiece moments differentiated it from all other shooters at the time (and since, maybe). The train level being the prime example.

After Uncharted 2 it became very apparent to me how flat and static most levels are in similar games. I really can't think of another game that achieves the same environmental dynamism.
 
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