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Forums - Sony - Unchared 2 final thoughts (before I send a review to the magazine)

bugrimmar said:

Just played through it twice now, and I'm about to send my review to the magazine where I work (in case you're wondering, I'm in the Philippines now, and this is a small local magazine. Around here, games get reviewed 1 month after a game releases). Some thoughts though before I write it up.

1.) I still can't get over how gorgeous the game is. I believe the color scheme is the main factor that's making this game so beautiful. It just appears so lush, colorful, and vibrant. I also don't understand how the developer was able to get all of this out of the PS3 in just a couple of years. The resolution seems unbelievably high (though I know it's just 720p), and the attention to detail (snow tracks and empty clips stay forever, every single texture looks and feels different from the others, even on the same wall) is unlike anything I've ever seen before.

2.) The seamless transition between scripted events (like a ledge giving way, or the train falling) and actual gameplay is nothing short of spectacular. It keeps the gamer involved with the action, with surprise moments that come completely out of nowhere, and avoids the cliche cutscene where the player can put down the controller. Action is made 10x more intense when the bridge you're running on is collapsing everywhere and you need to make snap decisions to avoid dying.

3.) Stealth mode is ok, but it needs a lot of work. The biggest thing is that the enemies don't seem to notice sound at all, so you can basically walk up to any enemy and snap their neck without fear of them finding out (unless of course someone else sees you do it). Also, their field of vision is extremely limited. They don't notice things like your hands creeping out from a ledge, and you can approach them from any angle except directly in front. Aside from that, they normally tend to just stare at one direction permanently. Basically they feel like the guards in MGS1. It is designed to appeal to gamers who are more used to action games, and just meant to fit in there, and I think it is incorporated well. It is not meant to be a proper stealth game, but simply an addition to the gameplay, and to that extent it works very well. Now, there is certainly room for improvement, but I think they have done a great job using it to shake up the gameplay, and help you thin the numbers, and is pretty esential on crushing

4.) Enemy variety has improved vastly from the first Uncharted, and having to fight a tank and a helicopter was very exciting. I still can't shake the feeling, however, that Drake seems to be far too good a shooter for his job description. He's a treasure hunter and not some Navy Seal, but through one playthrough, he kills hundreds of professional soldiers and in the end all he ever takes is one bullet in the stomach. I find that very unsettling, that the enemies are either really stupid or Drake is some kind of superhuman. Do you also not like the fact that he can jump really far? Or when he dies, he magically comes back to life? It is a game!!!!! Of course it is not realistic, he discovers the fountain of youth!!

5.) The story is impressive, with a lot of twists and turns to keep one guessing. However, a lot of locales aren't explained properly and one would tend to forget "where did I get this thing" because after the level is done, the dialogue never mentions them again. Also, the love triangle thing could've been played much deeper. Aside from that, the ending was very poorly done in my opinion. It was far too short and didn't hint anything towards the future. As always, Nathan Drake is extremely likeable. Even in the midst of a firefight he's still witty and funny with his remarks. Which thing are you talking about, the locales are explained properly, and what do you call the ending

6.) The game (I'm talking about the single-player story mode here), though an extremely moving experience, is just far too short. You get the feeling that you just got a taste of the best chocolate ice cream in the world, but you spend the rest of the day watching someone else eat it through a glass window. The online multiplayer justifies the purchase though. No, it is not too short, that is just wrong. The longer you stretch the story, the more it will suffer, and it felt just the right length. It can be finished in about 8 hours properly, but most will take 10-12 hours.

I'd give it a 9.2/10. This is the only game thus far that delivers truly cinema-level action and storytelling. Just wish the stealth gameplay was made better and the story made longer.. *Applause to Naughty Dog*

If you are wondering about my thoughts:

http://www.vgchartz.com/games/gamereviewdisp.php?id=28733&reviewid=732



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Wow, I somewhat expected you to give a blind 10, like most reviews did.

Honestly speaking your justification is alright. Games get shorter and it seems people ignore it.

Secondly I think that while it isn't possible for Drake to do what he does, this is a video game. The realm of reality does not exist.



 

hes not just some treasure thief, hes more like Indiana Jones - tough guy who knows how handle himself in tough situations



bugrimmar said:
^ you misunderstand what i'm saying.

what i'm saying is that from the bare bones personality we know of drake, he's not Supposed to be able to kill so many soldiers the way he does. the storyline doesn't tell us anything that might suggest that he's superbly adeptly trained in weapons.

so all i'm saying is that i find it strange that he can kill so many professional soldiers when his profile is basically a fortune hunter.

Drake could be SAS-trained, we don't know. His past life is never explored, so how do you know he isn't ex-Army? Why do you think he can fire a gun so well?



(Former) Lead Moderator and (Eternal) VGC Detective

^ that's the point.

i don't know why he can fire a gun so well because.. we don't know him very well. and because we don't, i feel unsettled and strange as to why he can kill so many soldiers when the only thing i know about him is he's a fortune hunter.

basically, the issue here is that the whole thing wasn't explained in the storyline.



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I'm not going to argue back and forth over details.  I always like your discussions, Bug.

A few observations, from where I'm sitting:

(hope they're helpful.)

10-12 hours just isn't short for this type of game. That's factually incorrect, I believe. (Then again, what type of game is this? Shooter, Platformer, uneven stealth game with awesome graphics?) Genre aside, any non-rpg game this linear with this level of production values is doing well if it can hit ten hours (most don't).

I think there are plenty of flaws to Uncharted 2, but the vast majority of them are conceptual. I'd really like to design a movie-like game with characters as real as Uncharted 2's that doesn't involve shooting an unrealistic number of people, too -- but maybe this game had to be made first to get there. Or, maybe there never will be a game like that. But Uncharted has moved things in that direction, by making an incredibly well-executed game that isn't about a military man carrying out a mission. Killing stops seeming like a job and starts seeming like a choice you make. (Personally, I played through every part of the game I could, which was most of it, by stealthing around, so I didn't have to feel like I was killing people.) The fact that you even think about the number of people you're shooting puts the game in a different space from R6Vegas, Gears, Killzone, Halo, and even COD. (And so many more.) The fact that our imaginations immediately jump another step beyond what they were able to do differently in the game is arguably a trait of an inspiringly new game world, rather than a design flaw or lack of back-story.


And to anyone mystified by the game's number of perfect scores (not saying it's wrong to give the game a 92, either): If something as well executed as Uncharted 2 should never get the highest score, what kind of game should?




 

CGI-Quality said:
Acevil said:
Wow, I somewhat expected you to give a blind 10, like most reviews did.

Honestly speaking your justification is alright. Games get shorter and it seems people ignore it.

Secondly I think that while it isn't possible for Drake to do what he does, this is a video game. The realm of reality does not exist.

They did? What makes you call them "blind 10s"? I mean, you may not agree with them, no harm there. I don't get how the reviewers are "blind" though. They played the game, liked it A LOT, and thought it deserved that. How is that blind?

To me 10 is perfection. Meaning a game has no fault what so ever, and in most cases reviews point out flaws. I consider it blind because the content may not much the score. Even if 10 isn't perfection, it should be held in high regard and not given out to almost every game that really should be 90 or a 95.



 

Acevil said:
CGI-Quality said:
Acevil said:
Wow, I somewhat expected you to give a blind 10, like most reviews did.

Honestly speaking your justification is alright. Games get shorter and it seems people ignore it.

Secondly I think that while it isn't possible for Drake to do what he does, this is a video game. The realm of reality does not exist.

They did? What makes you call them "blind 10s"? I mean, you may not agree with them, no harm there. I don't get how the reviewers are "blind" though. They played the game, liked it A LOT, and thought it deserved that. How is that blind?

To me 10 is perfection. Meaning a game has no fault what so ever, and in most cases reviews point out flaws. I consider it blind because the content may not much the score. Even if 10 isn't perfection, it should be held in high regard and not given out to almost every game that really should be 90 or a 95.

10 =/= 100% always, it is just better than a 9, so the perfect score depends on the site



Munkeh111 said:
Acevil said:
CGI-Quality said:
Acevil said:
Wow, I somewhat expected you to give a blind 10, like most reviews did.

Honestly speaking your justification is alright. Games get shorter and it seems people ignore it.

Secondly I think that while it isn't possible for Drake to do what he does, this is a video game. The realm of reality does not exist.

They did? What makes you call them "blind 10s"? I mean, you may not agree with them, no harm there. I don't get how the reviewers are "blind" though. They played the game, liked it A LOT, and thought it deserved that. How is that blind?

To me 10 is perfection. Meaning a game has no fault what so ever, and in most cases reviews point out flaws. I consider it blind because the content may not much the score. Even if 10 isn't perfection, it should be held in high regard and not given out to almost every game that really should be 90 or a 95.

10 =/= 100% always, it is just better than a 9, so the perfect score depends on the site

With many sites being able to give two degit review, they can give higher than 9 but lower the 10.  Yes I know my argument sucks against those who use 5 star system.



 

i thought you gave it an 8/10 in another thread but hey i could be seeing things