Uncharted 2: E3 Hands On.
By Joseph Tresca
As a 3D Artist, I’m not easily impressed with todays console graphics, so when you read about me exclaiming how graphically good Drake’s Fortune 2 is, take note. I’m not kidding here when I say I wasn’t expecting the game to look this much better than the first iteration.
For starters the amount of texture detail and normal mapping is absolutely staggering. I have this issue where as an industry insider I have a problem seeing games for what they are meant to be. Visually I’ll instantly break down the look of what I’m seeing in a somewhat emotionless manner. With most games I’ll immediately take note of the polygon culling, improper lighting, low sampled shadows or badly drawn specular maps. That is unless the game’s art is intrinsically so beautiful that I see it as the creator intended instead of finding myself distracted by the production work. God of War 3 and Killzone 2 are the only other games I’ve ever perceived as art first and then production later.
So what else stood out? A lot. First and foremost the animation has been given a major upgrade. I feel that Naughty Dog have fully implemented their animation system this time around. Animations blend into one another so seamlessly that you cannot help but be sucked into Drake’s world.
The portion of the game that we played, multiplayer co-operative, worked very well. Three of us teamed together covering all sides as enemies showed a decent intelligence in their attempts to flank us.
I also liked the idea that often one person would need to go in a different direction to unlock or reveal pathways to level progression for the other players. The mini puzzles serve as a reminder that you are playing an adventure game instead of simply a third person action game.
Uncharted 2 will be available exclusively on the PS3 this November. I know after my short time with the game I’ll be picking it up on the day it releases.
