Last week, before delving deep into the worst of 2009, I said that my top five games weren't ranked. That's not exactly true, because while I've waffled on which of the prior four were better than the others and not coming up with a real answer (thereby resulting in me saying, "Well then they're all good and therefore not ranked!"), Uncharted 2 stands tall as my favorite game of the year. I talked about it back in October, so I'm sorry if I repeat myself here, but I can't help it when talking about this game. It was the game I had been anticipating the most, and then the hype machine really got to me and made my expectations high. Well Uncharted 2 not only met those expectations, but it blew past them to make one of the most memorable game experiences I've had in a long time.
I was a huge fan of the original Uncharted. It was the first game I bought and played when I got my PS3 (Metal Gear Solid 4 technically came with the system, but I didn't play it until later). The story and the characters hooked into me deep and left a lasting affection for them that had me craving for more. The gameplay was solid as well, though it had more than a few frustrating moments. Combat all too often forced you to fight waves of enemies that used cheap tactics, and when you died you would have to do it all over again. It really started to feel like a chore, and I admit I groaned a couple of times when I realized I would have to hunker down and face yet another wave of pirates or mercenaries for the next ten minutes. I would still recommend you go and play Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, though. First of all because it's a great game, and second of all because the sequel might make it hard to go back once you've played it.
You see, Uncharted 2 fixes just about any issues the original had. There are maybe two instances during the game where I recall really getting frustrated, and that was it. The rest of the game is one of the most action packed thrill rides I've ever seen. I know that's a ridiculous cliche of a phrase, but it fits Uncharted 2 so well. The game moves at an incredible pace, and it's constantly throwing you into crazy situation after crazy situation. It really is the video game equivalent of a big blockbuster movie. Its greatest success is in how well these moments are executed. The game starts you out being mortally wounded and having to climb up a train that is dangling off the side of a cliff, for crying out loud! That's the opening sequence! The next thing you know, you're engaged in a high stakes robbery, running for your life as a helicopter tears the building apart from under you, racing from train car to train car, and leaping from truck to truck as gunfire rains down all around you. And those are just a few of the great moments in this game!
These moments are held together with fantastic gameplay and controls. Whether you're sliding between cover during a heated firefight, or clinging to ledges as you scale all the numerous obstacles and objectives, Nathan Drake does it all seamlessly. If you die, you almost never feel like it's because the controls screwed you. These gameplay sections also seem like they're paced better than in Drake's Fortune, keeping the flow of the game moving at just the right speed. The combat sections definitely feel the most improved. Combat worked fine in the original, but it seems superb here in Among Theives. I can't really describe what it is that makes it better. You just have to have played both games to understand. When you play the sequel, you just feel like something got improved even though you can't describe what it is. The best I can say is that I actually found myself looking forward to the next time I could clash with the villains of this world. Add in stealth moments that are actually viable avenues now, and you've got a fantastic adventure that is hard to put down.
In my opinion, though, it's the characters that make the Uncharted world so great. These are not the stereotypes that I've come to expect and hate in games like this one. You know, the macho hero, the over the top villain, and the sexy-yet-fierce love interest. Here, the characters seem fleshed out and real. The incredible graphics really help here, as the character models are able to effectively express the emotions being presented without ever making you tilt your head at any Uncanny Valley stuff. The voice acting is also top-notch, with probably the best performances ever in a video game. You've got a slimeball antagonist, a truly frightening villain, some complex supporting characters...heck, you even develop an attachment to a character who never speaks a word of English! And standing at the center of it all is Nathan Drake himself. Nolan North delivers another amazing performance as our hero, giving just the right mix of charm, emotional range, and incredulity at the crazy situations he finds himself in. Drake and his supporting cast are able to sell you on the world they are in and make you believe it, even if it's just during the time you're playing. They let you escape, and isn't that why we're supposedly playing these things in the first place?
I can't wrap this up without mentioning the multiplayer. I didn't really care that they were adding multiplayer in the sequel, since it's the single player experience that I love about these games. I have logged a little bit of time with the multiplayer, though, and I've been surprised at how well the Uncharted gameplay fits into a multiplayer setting. It seems pretty fun, and I'm looking forward to getting back into it at some point. And if you read my Modern Warfare 2 post, you know that's not something I say very often. This is a pretty neat bonus to keep you coming back, and it's something they didn't even have to add on when you think about it. Kudos to Naughty Dog on this one.Uncharted 2: Among Thieves raises the bar for action/adventure games, and really for video games in general. The level of polish and care that's gone into this game shows, and delivers an experience that's a head above anything else out there. I love the story, I love the characters, and I love the fun I have when I'm playing it. In short, I love this game. And that's why Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is my pick for the best game of 2009.
No comments:
Post a Comment