Genre: Action-AdventureSystems: PlayStation 3
Release Date: October 13, 2009
Publisher/Developer: Sony Computer Entertainment/Naughty Dog
Publisher is known for: Gran Turismo series, God of War series, Killzone series, Little Big Planet series, Ratchet and Clank series, inFamous, inFamous 2
Developer is known for: Crash Bandicoot, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Jak II, Jak III
Photo Credit: gamespot.com
I was very excited to play Uncharted 2 judging by all the hype and review scores. I know I'm very late on this review but better late than never I suppose. I guess you could say I was expecting a lot out of this game, which is something I know I shouldn't do, but with a game like this it's hard not to. Even with my high expectations it still completely delivered. Without further ado, here's the review:
Gameplay: 10/10
The parkour flows so well it's hard not to compare it to assassin's creed, which is saying something. Scaling landscapes is super fun and difficult at times. The gunplay is fantastic. I'm always skeptical of gunplay on the ps3 and third person perspectives but Naughty Dog pulled it off very well. I was impressed with the huge gun selection. You never felt like you were confined to one type of weapon. It's got a unlocked camera most of the time. My only complaint is the times where you couldn't control the camera were quite annoying, but at the same time it made those scenes a little more dramatic.
Story: 10/10
You, Nathan Drake, along with some friends are trying to find the Cintamani Stone in the lost city of Shambhala before Zoran Lazarevic, a Serbian war criminal bent on using the power of the Cintamani Stone for personal gain. You fight along side Chloe Frazer most of the time and are reintroduced to Elana Fisher, character from Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. Victor "Sully" Sullivan makes appearances in this iteration as well but isn't as involved this time around. It's a story of adventure, love, betrayal, and drama.
Graphics: 10/10
What stood out to me most about the graphics was the detail on the environments, simply amazing! Facial animation is among the best even during gameplay. Cut scenes flow ridiculously well and almost unnoticeably to gameplay. Guns look great, explosions and fire look fantastic, and animation is top notch.
Sound: 9.5/10
It's a little harder to give the sound a score. There isn't anything in particular that's amazing about it, with the exception of the voice acting which is incredible. Explosions, gun fire, grunts of pain, and cries of joy, all sound great.
Replay Value: High
With online multiplayer, a few different difficulty levels, and plenty of incentives to replay the game this scores a high replay value. There are treasures scattered throughout each level to find, and with the option to replay the level of your choosing it makes it easier than ever to do. You also earn money for performing a certain amount of headshots, hanging shot kills, etc. most of which are trophies. You then spend that money on things like infinite ammo and guns that you can equip as you start a new level, an example would be infinite ammo with the RPG-7.
I really enjoyed playing Uncharted 2 and would recommend at least a playthrough for all action-adventure fans. It's worth a playthrough for the cinematics alone, it's like watching a movie. This game deserves the hype and review scores it's getting. So go play it already!
If you like this game you might also enjoy: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (releases November 1, 2011), Tomb Raider Series, Indiana Jones movies (LOL but seriously), Resident Evil 4 and 5
Video Credit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUPAyGWKd6c
Video Credit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIrCA17rIkE
