Uncharted 2 preview (of the preview)

by James Ransom-Wiley { Dec 11th 2008 at 12:15PM }

Uncharted 2 is the Game Informer cover story of the month -- and the internet info dump of the day! A condensed version of the preview (credit "MaDogNik96") has been making the rounds across forums telling the story of Nathan Drake's latest adventure to thieve the lost ships of Marco Polo. Well, not the whole story. Not even close.

What we can glean from the secondhand knowledge is a new love interest-slash-sidekick: Chloe Frazer, voiced by Claudia Black (Stargate SG-1) and fond of rocket launchers. And fresh off his stint as the new Prince of Persia, Nolan North returns as the voice of Drake, who's learned a thing or two since the first game. As previously revealed, Naughty Dog is creating new free climbing and stealth gameplay, but we'll also see improved combat; "more dynamic" fights, ditched SixAxis controls, and abilities to move while aiming behind cover and gunning from any stance, reports MaDog. QTEs (think: Drake's Fortune's final boss) will apparently be reworked to give more control to the player, and, in general, characters will interact better with the environments.

On the tech side, there are some ambiguous numbers being thrown around: Did you know Drake's Fortune only used 30 percent of PS3's power? Uncharted 2 promises to tap "nearly 100 percent." No way! Our guess: it's gonna look better and load faster (in fact, there won't be any load screens once you start playing, reportedly). What else? Uh ... a score by Greg Edmonson and an icy train level ... (clearly, we've exhausted this news already).

Source - Uncharted 2: Among Thieves [GameFAQs]
Source - OMG first Uncharted 2 Scan [GameTrailers.com]
Source - New Uncharted 2 INFO -- GI [NeoGAF]

Tags: claudia-black, naughty-dog, uncharted, uncharted-2, uncharted-2-among-thieves

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

nightmare452 @ Dec 11th 2008 12:21PM

Looks nice. Loved Uncharted 1. One of the best games on PS3 (sadly one of its only unique true gems).

Can't wait to get the mag (which was free) on the mail.

tmacairjordan87 @ Dec 11th 2008 12:21PM

"ditched SixAxis controls"

Thank you baby jesus. I can't stand all the gimmicky motion controls that are put in a lot of these games and it was a pain in the ass with uncharted 1 too.

xFenixKnightx @ Dec 11th 2008 12:23PM

Agreed 100%. It's just useless.

The Aggie CEO @ Dec 11th 2008 1:00PM

I'm glad at that too.......got irritating trying to line up where to throw the grenade.........especially when laying down.........

Vidikron @ Dec 11th 2008 1:00PM

I saw nothing wrong with its use in the first Uncharted. You used it for balance when walking across narrow beams and for aiming with throwing grenades. Both worked well, especially the latter.

tmacairjordan87 @ Dec 11th 2008 1:16PM

The grenade tossing was terrible. Both of those could have been done much better with buttons, but they were too busy trying to do wii stuff. Stick with what works.

Hyams @ Dec 11th 2008 1:24PM

I really love the sixaxis grenade aiming. It worked so well for me. So well, in fact, that it now feels weird aiming a grenade in other games without it.

Vidikron @ Dec 11th 2008 1:32PM

Well, OK... I had absolutely zero issue throwing grenades. It was quite easy. I suppose they could have used the sticks and used a system similar to Gears of War. I really don't have problems with motion controls if they don't beat you over the head with it and they make some sort of sense... which is the opposite of most Wii games. But the very light usage in a game like Uncharted I'm fine with.

Hyams @ Dec 11th 2008 2:21PM

I wish they at least left us the *option* to use the sixaxis. Nobody can complain about options.

Vidikron @ Dec 11th 2008 2:29PM

I'm fine with options. But I'm honestly confused why anyone would think the grenade throwing in Uncharted was terrible. It was absurdly easy (sorry, tmac). I've even found myself tilting the controller in Gears of War a few times trying to aim grenades.

J @ Dec 11th 2008 5:54PM

@tmac

when i finally unlocked unlimited ammo I loved messing around with the grenades. maybe you over concentrate when you try to use the grenade, but the first time i held down the aim button with the grenade out and just started tilting the controller forward on and back, it just clicked. You do NOT tilt to control the DIRECTION, but the DISTANCE. It's also very responsive.

I hated using sixaxis in motorstorm, but balancing (uncharted and mirror's edge) and controlling the DISTANCE/ARC of the grenade throw is its most intuitive use. And soon, holding it steady to snipe more accurately in killzone.

It isn't even a matter of fun or not like wii games. Perhaps you just suck? Please keep in mind that i enjoy most of your posts. But really, maybe you just suck at the game.

xFenixKnightx @ Dec 11th 2008 12:21PM

"Did you know Drake's Fortune only used 30 percent of PS3's power? Uncharted 2 promises to tap "nearly 100 percent." No way!"

*gets all giddy

I'm sorry, its just the graphics whore in me :) Naughty Dog > Insomniac I love Naughty Dog. Now thats a real dev that *always delivers!

Heyyou27 @ Dec 11th 2008 1:14PM

I love the first Uncharted, but Naughty Dog is just spouting BS when they say "Drake's Fortune only used 30% of the PS3's power". It's not like when they're creating the game they set out to only use so much of a console's power. I'm betting that at most, the improvement will be about the same as the difference between Gears and Gears 2, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Haggard @ Dec 11th 2008 1:24PM

I struggle to imagine the PS3 running three copies of Uncharted at once with no slowdown whatsoever, and with 10% remaining to calculate PR bullshit.

Hyams @ Dec 11th 2008 1:26PM

You have to keep in mind, these are probably peak usages they're talking about. So at its most intense, Uncharted 1 only used a third of the available SPEs, whereas Uncharted 2 will apparently use all of them.

Basically, this means they'll be able to have more happening in the game at any one moment.

Assuming it's not all PR BS, of course.

xGeneral DEATHx (Mr ESC Welcome Back Party Ultimate Mega Action Force) @ Dec 11th 2008 2:24PM

SO PSYCHED!!!! I suppose now would be a good time to finish the first one.

AwesomeTown @ Dec 11th 2008 12:24PM

I loved the first one, and I'll love this one too, but I've just never been a fan of stealth games. But I'm pretty sure it won't be too focused on that.

Daniel @ Dec 11th 2008 1:41PM

I hope that by "stealth elements" they mean that you'll actually be able to sneak up on enemies. I can't believe most action/shooter games still have AI where the enemies instantly know exactly where you are at all times. I'd hope that ALL action games in this "next generation" would implement _stealth elements_

Vyse SOA @ Dec 11th 2008 12:32PM

also i would like others to know that they added the ability for Drake to hang on ledges and pull people and throw them down to their death. :) ... cant wait.

WRE @ Dec 11th 2008 12:47PM

I love throwing people to their death!!! That was the main appeal of Assassin's Creed, for me at least.

ryan @ Dec 11th 2008 1:53PM

I LOVED doing both of those YEARS ago with God of War on the PS2!

Vyse SOA @ Dec 11th 2008 12:33PM

actual quote "If there is an enemy patrolling a rooftop you're climbing a wall to, you can pull him off the roof while hanging on the wall."

TG @ Dec 11th 2008 12:39PM

Is anyone else disappointed they have seemingly ditched Elena? I thought she was one of the more interesting female characters I've ever seen in a game. The writing and character dialogue was one of the high points of a pretty great game.

Squirtforce @ Dec 11th 2008 12:41PM

Yeah but he already tapped that, so he had to cap that. KNWOWHATIMSAYIN?!

TG @ Dec 11th 2008 12:45PM

If only Joystiq commentary was as well written.

ill trooper @ Dec 11th 2008 12:52PM

I'm sure there will be a Kate Capshaw character (a la 'Temple of Doom') in this one or something like Elena swooping in 2/3s of the way through to help you out.

Either way, I'm definitely looking forward to this.

TheBrainninja @ Dec 11th 2008 1:00PM

That was my first thought when I read it. I hate it when sequels ditch the previous love interest, because it seems like an excuse for copping out on character exposition; they don't have to worry about developing characters/relationships further, because they can just do it all over again! Yaaaaaaaaaayyy...not.

I liked their dynamic from the first game, and really wanted to see where they'd go with it. Looks like they didn't go anywhere. What's wrong with making character development span a couple of games? I would argue that having a story arc of some kind is better than having episodic adventures.

I mean...I'm sure the new character will be good, and that it'll be an entertaining story/game. I'm just sad to see her go, and that they copped out on further character exposition.

/rant

Other than that, I'm just glad to see more of this franchise.

Tez @ Dec 11th 2008 1:08PM

Claudia Black is a worthy successor.

Ubiqutous Oxymoron @ Dec 11th 2008 1:21PM

kate capsham and Claudia Black lesbo love interest?
Chloe (cladia Black) love of rocket launhers, is that a metaphor for a 'strap-on'?

oh god please let it be true.

p.s, I would let Cladia Black nail me with a strap-on.

DemiurgicSoul @ Dec 11th 2008 1:22PM

I hope that they at least address her in some way. Let us know what happened to her, although I do hope that she still shows up in the game and Naughty Dog are going to surprise us! But I have a feeling that they are going the Indy/Bond route with the franchise and will have a different love interest in each game.

Hyams @ Dec 11th 2008 1:27PM

They haven't said they've ditched her. ND just refused to give a straight answer when asked if Elena and Sully will be making an appearance in the game.

So don't count them out just yet.

Haggard @ Dec 11th 2008 3:14PM

fapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfap

why not the LS2LS7? @ Dec 11th 2008 5:52PM

I liked Elena. It'll be interesting to see what happens with her.

Claudia Black has a great voice, how could someone possibly complain about her being in the game?

Miguel @ Dec 11th 2008 12:41PM

Holly sweetness! Can't wait

baby sea tuna @ Dec 11th 2008 12:50PM

Awesome! Uncharted is one of the 2 PS3 games I liked enough to actually buy, so this is a definite must-have for me.

Also, please tell me that's a shadow on Drake's lip and jaw and not a, ugh, goatee.

baby sea tuna @ Dec 11th 2008 12:53PM

Oh, and I didn't realize that the guy that voiced Drake was the same guy that did the new PoP. I guess it makes sense since both characters have the "LOLworthy-witty-banter-in-the-face-of-overwhelming-odds" down pat.

xFenixKnightx @ Dec 11th 2008 12:53PM

I think it makes him look hot...

Wait, what?

:P

ill trooper @ Dec 11th 2008 1:00PM

Jesus, it does look like a goatee... Oh no. He clearly had some style with the half tucked-in shirt in the first game, but pushing a perfectly trimmed goatee? Please tell someone this is 'Uncharted' and not 'Clerks/Clerks2'.

baby sea tuna @ Dec 11th 2008 1:04PM

Haha, if work hadn't blocked Photobucket you'd have been seeing an awesome "I'm not even supposed to be here today!" pic instead of this comment.

xGeneral DEATHx (Mr ESC Welcome Back Party Ultimate Mega Action Force) @ Dec 11th 2008 2:27PM

Cursed web filters...the Admins shall pay for this trespass!!!!

daniel @ Dec 11th 2008 12:55PM

Damn, uncharted only used 30% of the PS3 power. Thats just unbelievable.
I'm just trying to think what a game will look like that actually uses almost 100%.
(other than Killzone, which honestly i don't think uses 100% and it doesn't look that good to me due to the lack of color)

TheBrainninja @ Dec 11th 2008 1:04PM

As far as color in Killzone 2 goes, I like the screen-coloring effects when you get close to death...that's pretty cool, I think. I agree, though, that the color palette is pretty monotonous. Personally still interested in the game, and its graphics, but its colors are pretty bland.

Tez @ Dec 11th 2008 1:09PM

Killzone supposedly uses 60%.

Shagittarius @ Dec 11th 2008 1:37PM

Wake me up when we get to 200% power used.

baby sea tuna @ Dec 11th 2008 1:10PM

I'm glad they're addressing that final boss battle. I've played too many games lately that have tried and failed to break the tried and true final-boss-battle mold. Uncharted, The Darkness, MGS4, Lost Planet, Gears 2, and Dead Space all sort of stand out in that respect. That isn't to say that I didn't enjoy some of those battles, they just seemed kind of "off" to me.