Uncharted: Drake's Fortune has always been my favourite PS3 game. Forget space marines, World War 2 and the usual gaming fodder. Here was an old-fashioned Indiana Jones/Tomb Raider/Hollywood style action romp that mixed great action – combat and platforming – with some surprisingly strong narrative. Plus it looked gorgeous – possibly the most beautiful game of this current console generation. The good news then is that Uncharted 2 – due out on the 16th October – looks even better.
Yesterday I met up with the developer Naughty Dog and was shown a level set on a moving train as it sped through the jungle. The visual excellence of the original had been amplified – the bright jungle setting and frankly gorgeous backdrops especially - but it was the pace that really impressed. Set piece – helicopters crashing into carriages – followed set piece as the level progressed. There also appeared to be more options for progression with fire fights avoided by sneaking or clever clambering around carriages.
Naughty Dog were keen to talk up narrative, AI and how the game "maxed out" the PS3 and whereas normally you put this down to pre-release hype what I saw yesterday suggested they may have a point. Online reviews should be hitting this week - a demo is released on the PSN today - but on initial impressions at least Uncharted 2 looks like something special.
What do you think then? Uncharted 2 a must-buy for PS3 owners? Or did the original game pass you by?
