E3: Uncharted 2 (PS3) Preview

Posted by Mark Salmela on 06.10.2009

Hands-on: 411's Mark Salmela tests out Uncharted 2.



Uncharted 2 is Sony's highly anticipated sequel by Naughty Dog. Uncharted 2 puts players back in the role of Nathan Drake as he is once again exploring for secret treasures among other reasons. There is a whole new cast of characters among returning favorites such as Elena and Sully. The Uncharted 2 demo being shown off was the same demo that is available as a 5 minute gameplay clip on various online sites such as Gametrailers and IGN.

The beginning of the demo has Nathan Drake running away from a jeep that is chasing him down an alley. It has a very Crash Bandicoot feel to it and that is a good thing. After evading the jeep it's time for the action to begin as Nathan starts his journey. Naughty Dog made sure to emphasize that the game can either be played in a stealthy manor or a run-n-gun style. Enemies can be snuck up on from behind and killed by breaking their necks without alerting other guards.



All of the same weapons from Uncharted are back. The shotgun, the magnum pistol, the basic pistol, and the AK-47 were all available in the demo. The grenade was also back and can be thrown either by tilting the SIXAXIS controller or by rotating the right analog stick. Naughty Dog does plan to have new weapons in the game but none were currently available.

After disposing of a few guards it was time to make our way up a building. There was a light post that leads to a broken ladder that could be climbed. From there it was all about acrobatics as Nathan jumped from one hanging sign to another, occasionally scaling up a building. Some people will probably have a problem with the only areas available for climbing having bricks that stick out I didn't find it much of a problem. It was the only thing giving players a hint at where to go.

Jumping from one object to the next is as easy as pointing the analog stick in the direction you want to jump and pressing the A button. You can easily fall off whatever you're currently hanging on by pressing the circle button while on an object. You can also aim and shoot while hanging off ledges although you can only use your pistols.

After scaling a building another new element of stealth was introduced as a helicopter flew overhead where a guard was standing. Naturally the helicopter was loud so he didn't hear as Nathan jumped across the rooftop over to where he was. A simple push of the A button and Nathan grabbed the unaware enemy and tossed him down to the ground.



The demo wraps up with one more room full of enemies which can't be killed entirely by stealth. There are too many guys so you are forced to finish up the demo by having one big firefight. The cover system will come in handy as a push of the circle button will lean you up against the nearest object where you can lean out from cover and shoot. You can also jump and roll from cover to cover.

There was also a co-op demo that took place in the exact same area. There were co-operative moves that were performed by gathering as a team in an area and pushing and holding the triangle button to get into position. This is the only way to advance in certain situations and there is an indicator letting you know if you only need one person to activate it or if you need two or three people. The co-op portion was also a lot more difficult and had a lot more enemies than the single player demo. It is not easy to survive.

There was also a multiplayer demo but unfortunately I did not get to go hands-on with it although there is a multiplayer beta going on right now through the month of June. While it is a private beta it is easy to get into. At E3 they were handing out beta codes by the handful to anyone walking by the Uncharted booth. Look for Uncharted 2 this September.

Also, please keep an eye out for 411 Games' Best of E3 special feature, which will hit the site next Monday! We checked out some of the hottest games at the show and we'll let you know which were the top dogs.

Screenshots
All 25 Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Screenshots