GAMES 09: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Hands-on Preview

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune was only a single player extravaganza. Naughty dog know that fans would want a single player campaign which was deeper, better and hell more fun than the original.

I had a chance to play the first two missions from Uncharted 2 at Sony’s booth at GAMES 09. And it’s a beauty. The first thing you notice are the visuals. Uncharted: Drake’s fortune was and still is hailed as a visual feast. Everything was polished and perfect looking. The developers have upped the ante here with much better visuals, facial expressions and top-notch presentation. The menu itself is beautiful, with birds flying on the background and their shadows moving with the gleaming sunlight.

Then comes the soundtrack. The main theme from the first game returns and it suits the scenario completely. There is a new addition to the main menu, which is multiplayer. We could not take a peek at that as there was no internet connection in the area.

The first level reveals the artistic side of the new Uncharted. Nate’s train carriage is hanging from a cliff with Nate still in there. Named ‘A rock and a hard place’ Nate, all battered and bruised, must escape before the carriage falls into the abyss in the wintery mountains. I won’t spoil much. This is for you to enjoy.

The next chapter, ‘Breaking and Entering’, shows a different gameplay style. Nate is in a museum, and he has to steal Marco Polo’s lamp, without being detected. Stealth is something new in Uncharted, with none in the original. Here we get to explore some of Nate’s new stealth moves. It is a little difficult at first, but, is nonetheless very exciting. Supporting Nate would be his old buddy, Flynn. The AI in the game has vastly improved as he will not stand in your way and actually be faster than you. Sony says, that an AI buddy will be there with you for most of the game.

The two chapters clearly setup a stage for the rest on Uncharted 2’s single player missions. If you are a fan of the original, like me, then you won’t have to wait long to get your hands on the game, as it is releasing this month on the 16th.

So in brief:
What’s Hot:
•    Gorgeous graphics
•    Top-notch Presentation
•    Amazing soundtrack
•    Better control options

What’s Not:
•    Trial and error method for some swinging and puzzle areas.
•    Long load times.
•    There was no multiplayer!!! [at GAMES 09]

We will have our review up shortly, so be sure to keep checking!