Having skipped the first Uncharted due to my general dislike of the demo some of the podcast comments that made me hesitant to play through the game, I decided to give Uncharted 2 a chance. Amid the glowing reviews and heaped-on praise, I went into the Uncharted 2 demo with big expectations. The demo didn't wow me like I was expecting, but I decided to give game a try anyway. Having played through, I can honestly say I get what all the hype is about. The game is jaw-droppingly gorgeous, showcases the best dialogue I've ever seen in a game, and delivers an experience that tops anything that Hollywood movies have delivered in a while. This game is like a modern day, playable version of Indiana Jones. I can't recommend it enough to PS3 owners as it simply must be seen to be believed. I'm not always a fan of this genre and I'm still not sold on the combat, but this really is the pinnacle of the adventure game genre that Tomb Raider aspired to.
While I did have some gripes about some elements, I list them only as a hope that they are fixed in the inevitable third game. While I enjoy the climbing/platforming, some of the jumps are poorly animated and borderline janky. For a game that thrives on realism, these moments particularly stand out because they are so out of character in a game that is scripted and paced so well. I also found the constantly littered weapons to be confusing and difficult to manage in the middle of combat. I would find myself wanting one gun, but constantly having to pick through piles of discarded weapons to get the one I wanted. I also hated the stealth portion early on in the game, which I had to restart 10-15 times because of poor instruction by the game. Luckily, that only happens once, but it stuck out in my mind as I played through the rest of the game. Overall, I give my congratulations to Naughty Dog for a great game and a milestone achievement in graphics and character interaction. I'm sold on the series, and will look forward to playing the sequel.
