Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves trailer

Pre-E3 2009 Preview

Arguably (considering that the developer and publisher has not shown off everything coming down the pike in the coming year), SCEA saved the best for last during the pre-E3 event held in mid-April at the Andaz Hotel in West Hollywood. But not only is there speculation about what might be lurking (including more hands on with God of War III), but what the company showed was only the multiplayer and co-op portions of the upcoming Naughty Dog title, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.

However, from a purely visceral standpoint, what was shown was clearly the crowning jewel of the day. Uncharted 2 marks the first time that the title has moved into the multiplayer arena, but though the modes of play were nothing truly new – there was the team deathmatch and a version of capture the flag entitled Plunder – what was remarkable was how the game played out. The graphics were not dumbed down for multiplayer. Rather, the multiplayer elements sported the same detailed environments and same smoothness that players will experience in the single-player portion of the game.

A representative for Naughty Dog gave a very brief presentation to the game, stating that the development team was pushing the technology of the PlayStation 3 with the game and that players would experience a new style of gameplay than what they were used to.Uncharted is very much an action-adventure built within the same style of treasure-oriented missions that set the Tomb Raider franchise apart from other titles, but rather than copying the Lara Croft game, Uncharted has taken its own course with a cast of recurring characters that give the game personality. 

Nathan Drake is the central protagonist of the game. As the storyline goes:

“Down on his luck, Drake is lured back into the treacherous world of thieves and mercenary treasure-seekers he had sought to leave behind. When a mysterious artifact propels Drake on an expedition to find the legendary Himalayan valley of Shambhala, he finds himself embroiled in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse against a fugitive war criminal who’s after more than just the fabled riches of the lost city.”

But that’s central to the single-player element … which was not available for play at the pre-E3 event. The multiplayer was fast-paced, a graphical treat and a whole lot of fun to play.

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