GDC09: Leaked Uncharted 2 gameplay shows urban gunplay, acrobatics

by Griffin McElroy { Mar 28th 2009 at 12:15PM }

You might want to stop reading this now, and check out the video posted after the break. You see, when dealing with leaked gameplay footage posted on content-removal-friendly YouTube, time is seriously of the essence -- particularly when that footage was shamelessly yoinked (no, not by us) from a closed-doors GDC panel showing off the highly anticipated Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.

In case it gets pulled before you can lay eyes upon it, here's a brief recap: The footage shows the familiar gunplay and monkey-esque environment navigation from the original, though this particular clip eschews the jungles and tombs of Uncharted the First in favor of a war-torn urban locale. The series' sleek animations are even sleeker, and the gunshootery looks a bit more responsive. Also, Nate's apparently developed the ability to survive point-blank explosions. We can't wait to see how this invulnerability factors in to the game's story.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Tags: footage, gameplay, gdc-2009, leaked, naughty-dog, uncharted-2, uncharted-2-among-thieves

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

Residentevil72501 @ Mar 28th 2009 12:20PM

Looks amazing! Loved the first Uncharted sooooo much!

atrimus @ Mar 28th 2009 4:16PM

between this and Call of Du...ahem, Modern Warfare 2, fall '09 is shaping up to be the best season in this seventh generation so far. at this point, ME2 and God of War 3 in fall '09 would've just made my head explode.

JoeTheBlow @ Mar 29th 2009 7:40AM

INSTABUY!
I feel like pre-ordering two copies, just in case one gets lost in the mail.

Professor Lario @ Mar 29th 2009 2:16PM

I loved the first as well. One of the best games I played that year.
Looking forward to this one...

Owen @ Mar 28th 2009 12:21PM

I cant wait to get my hands on this game, it looks as good
as ever even if the climbing is a bit channeled.

tmacairjordan87 @ Mar 28th 2009 12:25PM

Looks great even with the poor quality video. I wish they would change the animation with drake jumping from ledge to ledge though. It looks like he's in fast forward mode when he does that, but that's just a little nitpick issue for me. Everything else looks great.

Hyams @ Mar 28th 2009 1:02PM

This build is from December, so there'll have been a whole year of improvement between this video being made and the final game.

Honestly, I wouldn't worry too much about small things like that. They'll probably be fixed by the time it releases.

InFaMoUs1- @ Mar 28th 2009 12:25PM

wow game looks amazing

TreND @ Mar 28th 2009 12:31PM

uncharted was one of the best ps3 games that i've play since i bought one...

will definitely buy this game

Twinturbo120 @ Mar 28th 2009 12:45PM

lol nice one

Great Golem+ @ Mar 28th 2009 12:31PM

He's still wearing the same shirt as in the first game? Must start to smell by now... ;)

Hyams @ Mar 28th 2009 1:04PM

It's a new shirt - 'tis brown, not white.

Unless it *is* the same shirt, and the new colour comes from years of not washing it.

SoshiKitai @ Mar 28th 2009 1:30PM

Did the guy ever run into a washing machine in any of his adventures?
I think not.

Hyams @ Mar 28th 2009 1:32PM

Maybe not a washing machine, but he once hid inside a fridge to protect himself from a nuc-

Oh wait, that was that other dude. Nevermind.

grudgeoms @ Mar 28th 2009 12:36PM

The graphics are amazing! And so is the story! PS3's raw power truely is unbelieveable.

Damian @ Mar 28th 2009 12:42PM

Because you know the storyline?

Chris Are @ Mar 28th 2009 1:11PM

He's looking for Chloe, duh! :-)

OmegaNemesis28 @ Mar 28th 2009 5:09PM

@ cxm - but you keep ignoring the fact that this will NOT be in an urban environment only. Did you even watch the trailer? He's in snowy white top mountains. Not to mention, other gameplay pictures and scenery art shows caves and various other things too. I believe a jungle is depicted in one also.

That's ignorance. That is why you got voted down. Not because of "Uncharted Fanboys". It seems people like you just love to randomly accuse "fanboys" of any genre/topic of things meanwhile it is your own ignorance that was the cause.

cxm @ Mar 28th 2009 5:23PM

@OmegaNemesis28
Ha! Ignorance. That's rich, especially since you obviously are ignorant of the point I'm making or what I'm actually saying.

Not once did I say the game was ONLY in an urban setting. Hell, I even acknowledged that the urban setting was only part of the game in the first comment I made:

"Even if ND does a good job of it, there's a good chance that it will simply feel like A LEVEL that we've played before in countless other games which could, potentially, taint our impression of the GAME AS A WHOLE."

Try reading before getting your panties in a bunch trying to defend the fanboys. Hell, you just have to look at the other comments on this very comments list that got voted down to see that any negative mention of the game is being penalized.

Evan @ Mar 28th 2009 12:37PM

One of Uncharted's strong points was that it wasn't a urban setting, the setting was a nice break from the drudgery of playing in the same generic environment of every other game. So I see this as bad news.

SoulBlade @ Mar 28th 2009 12:39PM

doesn't he end up in some ridiculously cold mountains (going by trailers and such)? diversity isn't a bad thing - i like varying environments

Blkant @ Mar 28th 2009 12:42PM

While I do agree with you here, this is only one level. Many of the recent pictures that have been released, in particularly on IGN, are of caves in the snowy mountains with ice and crazy statues etc. so I wouldn't worry to much. Besides, its Naughty Dog, I don't think they typically like urban environments too much too, I think the village is there only for the sake of the story.

Hyams @ Mar 28th 2009 1:01PM

Yeah, you go to several locations in Uncharted 2. You also go into the snowy mountains and caves, as well as into a lush jungle/swamp like place.

Nick the Hero of Canton @ Mar 28th 2009 1:45PM

Yeah. I have a feeling this is one of the earlier levels

cxm @ Mar 28th 2009 2:40PM

You make a valid point about the urban setting. Too many games use bombed out city streets nowadays, so newer games have to be careful not to simply rehash a well-worn concept. Even if ND does a good job of it, there's a good chance that it will simply feel like a level that we've played before in countless other games which could, potentially, taint our impression of the game as a whole.

I find it pretty sad that your comment (which is completely valid) was voted down by the legion of Uncharted fanboys (and I mean that in the most negative way) out there. A pox to anyone who could doubt the sheer infalliblity of Naughty Dog and their man Nate...pathetic.

cxm @ Mar 28th 2009 3:55PM

*looks at how faded his own comments on the page have become*

HA! Thanks for proving my point.

ryan @ Mar 28th 2009 4:27PM

You didn't even mention how much color there is in THIS bombed out environment as opposed to the others. It's just one setting of many. That's why you were downvoted, because of clinging to one "negative" aspect and exploiting it.

TwistedBishop @ Mar 28th 2009 4:31PM

I'm much more upset about the removal of Elena in favor of the new sexpot. Boo-urns, I say.

cxm @ Mar 28th 2009 4:52PM

@ryan:
You talking to me? If so, that's a hell of a rationalization considering I never made any mention about how the urban area actually looked, so what does the color have to do with it?

An urban setting is an urban setting from a gameplay standpoint, and there were plenty of games that have already tread that road. ND will need to do something amazing with the setup in order to keep it from feeling like a dozen other third person action games that take place in bombed out cities, regardless of what they look like. They may succeed, they may not. The story may be good enough to allow us to forgive any potential blandness in the gameplay at that point. Whatever. My point still stands.

Let's face it, my comments were voted down because Uncharted has a legion of rabid fanatics who try to punish anyone who doesn't buy into their "this is the best game ever" mantra...simple as that. On joystiq, however, they have a little extra "power" since they can simply "hide" comments that they don't like by voting them out of existence.

ryan @ Mar 29th 2009 1:32AM

"I never made any mention about how the urban area actually looked, so what does the color have to do with it?"

You generalized the bombed out urban environment and how overdone it is in video games and that is a concern you have with this game. The vibrant use of color in this particular part level stands out in a sea of urban post apocalyptic environments. That is something to consider.

ryan @ Mar 29th 2009 1:40AM

Also, you agreed to the OP stating he has a "valid point". When he really doesn't.

If they had more jungles, his response could be something like "Jungles? Again? Why don't they try something different?" And you'd still probably say he has a "valid point" because he's making a criticism against the game, which you seem to after reading your posts here.

cxm @ Mar 29th 2009 5:47AM

Christ, I don't know why I even bother. You guys either never get the point of what I'm trying to say, or are so scared about what I'm saying that you go out of your way to bury it.

Third-person shooters in bombed out urban settings lend themselves to a specific type of gameplay that you don't get from jungle/forest/whatever environments. It doesn't matter if the urban setting is all drab browns and greys or purple with pink pinstripes...the gameplay style tends to lend itself to an established paradigm, regardless of the window-dressing involved, that too few developers have been able to get around which is why so many of them feel so similar. How the developer dresses up the bombed out city is completely irrelevant...it's still a bombed out city. THAT was the point, and it's a completely valid one.

Now go ahead and bury this comment too...doesn't change the fact that I have an actual point.

ryan @ Mar 29th 2009 11:54AM

Alright, I'll bite. What's this specific type of gameplay then? Just because the setting looks like Gears of War, doesn't mean it will play like it as you saw from the video. There's still plenty of exploring and platforming.

And if it's just the bombed out city setting that you are pointing out, then I'd only agree that it is in alot of games these days, but so are Jungles, alien worlds, other countries etc. The difference between this bombed out city and most others, however, is it's use of color. Not everything is solid gray or brown.

If you want a fanboy quote from me, then how about "This is just a testament to Naughty Dog's talent: taking a tried and true game setting, the bombed out city, while keeping the vibrant graphics/color and gameplay variety of the original Uncharted."

ryan @ Mar 29th 2009 1:06PM

Also on the flip side, there were many sections in Uncharted's jungle that had cover and it did play more or less like a 3rd person shooter in an urban environment ala Gears of War.

So, I really don't know what you mean by "lending itself to a specific type of gameplay".

You first start out by saying "Too many games use bombed out city streets nowadays, so newer games have to be careful not to simply rehash a well-worn concept", then you try to elaborate that by saying "Third-person shooters in bombed out urban settings lend themselves to a specific type of gameplay that you don't get from jungle/forest/whatever environments."

I'm just really confused by this, are you addressing the aesthetics or the gameplay? Either way it is EXTREMELY trivial.

SoulBlade @ Mar 28th 2009 12:38PM

can. not. wait.

looks like the same deal as the first one from the brief snippet - i want to see the new mechanics they were talking about like shooting your gun from pretty much any position.

the graphics look killer - can't wait for some direct feeds

Luisanman @ Mar 28th 2009 12:43PM

I can't freaking wait for this game, it look so awsome

Richlough @ Mar 28th 2009 12:43PM

Looks great , I hope you can shoot with the R2 button this time though .

ChiTownRuler23 @ Mar 28th 2009 1:30PM

i doubt they will change the controls that much.

Great Golem+ @ Mar 28th 2009 4:57PM

Agreed. R2 is the new X.

Fane @ Mar 28th 2009 5:55PM

Disagree...unless it's an option. I HATE using R2 to shoot. I don't pull the trigger on a real gun with my middle finger, why would I want to do so in a game?

R1 FTW.

TwistedBishop @ Mar 28th 2009 7:13PM

You don't use your index finger for both the bumper and the trigger on controllers?

I'd prefer it stay R1 simply because the Dualshock 3 triggers are complete crap. It's like they're designed to let your finger slip off.

Hedgeson @ Mar 28th 2009 10:52PM

In some games you need to press R1 and R2 or L1 and L2 at the same time. Killzone 2 for instance, if you have hold-zoom on.

SamWard92 @ Mar 29th 2009 8:19AM

no no no!! R2 is for driving! R1 is for shooting!!

Joel @ Mar 28th 2009 12:44PM

the first uncharted was a great game. one of the best exclusive title. i was blown away by the graphics, physics, game-play. i'm definitely looking forward to uncharted 2.

Game_playa @ Mar 28th 2009 12:47PM

Hopefully no zombies. And so far this game looks amazing! Might just buy a PS3 again(First one got stolen)

doc j @ Mar 28th 2009 7:56PM

I want zombies. You can give me your zombies, if you'd like.

golobulus @ Mar 28th 2009 12:49PM

can't trust anyone at these events. they'll leak your shit no questions asked.

nickux @ Mar 28th 2009 12:51PM

This is going to be a perfect game to play this Fall. I loved the first Uncharted- I know Naughty Dog will deliver on this one. I know some people might worry that because this isn't in a jungle setting- don't lose hope in this game. Judging from the trailers and footage we've seen we can safely assume the game will have some variety to the setting. Who knows where the adventure will take us.