Uncharted multiplayer stuff, now with single player stuff

[duckman2000]

5 minutes of single player

http://www.gamersyde.com/news_7830_en.html

-Multiplayer co-op for 3 players. Different story than single player. Zones/actions in the map requiered for 2/3 players. Mini bosses in each section. Players will revive after a few seconds (less if the other players help to revive)

-Deathmatch. 4vs4 you can choose two skills. And you need to explore like in Uncharted 1 to find the strongest weapons.

-Capture the treasure, is like CTF. 4vs4 trying to steal treasures from the enemy base.

Sounds good, hopefully deathmatch is littered with opportunities to climb and platform in addition to the regular shooting.

Co-op



DM

[dark1x]

Why even bother posting this here.    The majority of the people here will either not buy it or buy it with intention to bash.

Seriously, though, it's nice that they've added perpixel motion blur to the game.  I still don't know about the normal multi stuff, but I hope the CO-OP offers some fun scenarios to play through.  Hopefully they aim for something similar to Gears 2 Horde mode.

[Bebpo]

Stop with the seperate campaigns for co-op Sony.  Why is it that X360 games or 3rd party games allow co-op jump in/out at any point in the main story, but Sony games don't?  (Resistance 2/Killzone 2/Uncharted 2).  Resistance 2 especially would have been more enjoyable with 4 player co-op like Halo 3.

[Purple Filth]

ofiicial confirmation on playstation.blog along with a video

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2009/04/27/uncharted-2-to-include-multiplayer-beta-starts-june-3rd/

[duckman2000]

In this case, I think it's probably a good idea. If it was a straight up shooter with a squad dynamics, then sure, I'd think co-op would fit in. But for this game, judging from the design of Uncharted and looking at the media out for the sequel? Separate co-op is probably for the best.

Hands-on from Gamespot

After Naughty Dog made its announcement in the form of a video trailer, it immediately set the press loose onto a bevy of demo stations to get hands-on time with the game. We started by jumping onto one of the stations with co-op mode on it. In a nutshell, Uncharted 2 co-op is designed for two to three players to take part in a number of environments from the game's single-player campaign. You won't be able to play the entirety of the game's single-player portion, but rather a select number of levels that Naughty Dog co-president Evan Wells says work best with the increased number of players. Basically, the levels are handpicked and slightly reworked to provide a good balance between the cover-based gun combat and slick platforming that make up the yin and yang of Uncharted 2's gameplay.

But that's over the duration of all the co-op levels, because the one we had the chance to try focused very much on combat. It was set in the same Nepalese warzone Naughty Dog previously showed off in our last look at the game, but this time Drake was joined by his old pal Sully and the new female protagonist, Chloe Frazier (we played as Drake, while our co-op partners played as the other two). The action plays very much like Uncharted: you take cover, pop up to shoot your enemies, and proceed forward until a new swarm of bad guys comes your way. What differs, though, are your ability to revive fallen teammates and the new co-op goals that require the full group to convene at a single point to, say, lift a heavy bookshelf blocking the path or give one another boosts to get to a higher location.

Another key difference is that the narrative has been scaled back quite a bit for co-op. A quick smattering of dialogue at the beginning of a level sets the table for your goal, but from there you won't see many exchanges between characters. You might think of co-op as a distilled, arcade form of the single-player gameplay right on down to the points you can collect and put toward the game's overarching economy of unlockables. An example game designer Justin Richmond provided for us were the boosters used to add to your multiplayer abilities (think Call of Duty-like perks that boost your aiming and damage), though he also hinted at the possibility of using them toward comedic single-player cheats like the first game had.

Multiplayer is quite a bit more straightforward than co-op. The stations running at the event alternated between cut-and-dried deathmatch games and another mode called Plunder, which is a variation on capture the flag. Multiplayer maps are inspired by locales from the single-player game, though they've been significantly reworked to account for balance between competing sides. They're arranged in such a way that climbing around plays to your advantage just as much as hiding behind cover. With a bit of leaping and shimmying, you can make it up to a rooftop perch to pick off enemies from afar, or just leap from building to building to avoid the deadly foot traffic down below.

http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/action/uncharted2amongthieves/news.html?sid=6208601

[Purple Filth]

Rotating the camera at will and zooming in on specific fights will be just some of the commands you have for the ten cinema save slots at your fingertips. Naughty Dog didn't show the mode, but it definitely sounds interesting.

not bad

[Rman]

I loved the original and I'm very excited for this installment.  Has ND or Sony given any soft release dates, yet? This and Infamous are probably my most anticipated PS3 exclusives this year.

[dark1x]

Stop with the seperate campaigns for co-op Sony.  Why is it that X360 games or 3rd party games allow co-op jump in/out at any point in the main story, but Sony games don't?  (Resistance 2/Killzone 2/Uncharted 2).  Resistance 2 especially would have been more enjoyable with 4 player co-op like Halo 3.

Unlike Resistance, I do think it probably IS a good idea to divide up the campaign in this case.  The best co-op gameplay in Gears 2 was most definitely in Horde and, quite honestly, I didn't think Halo 3 made a very good co-op game at all (though it seemed like it would be a good fit).  

Side note - Looking at the trailer, I'm still disappointed in the explosions.  Guerrilla should lend a hand in working on them.  Capcom is still king of the explosion this gen (MT Framework does an incredible job with them).

[duckman2000]

There were a lot of moments in Uncharted that really wouldn't have worked in co-op, like stretches of scaling ruins and platforming, and I certainly wouldn't want them to cut down on that in order to get co-op working. If this information is correct and the co-op mode takes from SP what can be made into co-op while keeping the other stuff exclusive to the campaign, then that's probably a good middle ground.

[Smooth Groove]

Why even bother posting this here.    The majority of the people here will either not buy it or buy it with intention to bash.

I'm insulted at your suggestion that we're biased.  Despite its horrific explosions, most EBers gave Uncharted its due as a solid 7-8 game. 

[duckman2000]

Stop with the seperate campaigns for co-op Sony.  Why is it that X360 games or 3rd party games allow co-op jump in/out at any point in the main story, but Sony games don't?  (Resistance 2/Killzone 2/Uncharted 2).  Resistance 2 especially would have been more enjoyable with 4 player co-op like Halo 3.

Unlike Resistance, I do think it probably IS a good idea to divide up the campaign in this case.  The best co-op gameplay in Gears 2 was most definitely in Horde and, quite honestly, I didn't think Halo 3 made a very good co-op game at all (though it seemed like it would be a good fit).  

Side note - Looking at the trailer, I'm still disappointed in the explosions.  Guerrilla should lend a hand in working on them.  Capcom is still king of the explosion this gen (MT Framework does an incredible job with them).

I mentioned this on GAF, they should really hire some dedicated explosions dude. Everything else looks so good, action is real hot, and then an explosion intrude on the set like a squeaky fart.

[Rman]

I definitely agree with the explosions.  That was the best part of Lost Planet.

[duckman2000]

The actual gameplay looks damned good, though. I can't remember the last time I played a multiplayer game with strong shooter and platforming stuff, should be hot.

[Purple Filth]

I definitely agree with the explosions.  That was the best part of Lost Planet.

and RE5 ones looked really awesome as well.

[rubber feathers]

I thought the explosions in the first Uncharted looked really good, but in an alternate, cartoony way.  But that's just me.

[Smooth Groove]

The explosions are totally out of place.  They look like pre-rendered bitmaps from Duke Nukem. 

TBH, I actually was playing Uncharted again this weekend.  Since I installed a 500 gb hard drive into my PS3, I had to reinstall all my games.

I played a few games after reinstalling them.  Actually, I think Uncharted didn't need an install but I didn't realize it until I stick it in. 

Anyways, I decided to give Uncharted a 2nd chance after hearing so many people still rave about it. 

The 2nd time was indeed a bit more fun because I was more aware of the game's oddities and I made some adjustments to my controls.

First, I turned the sensitivity up to 80%.

Then I used the left stick in combination with the right stick to line up headshots.  I found that this combination made my aiming much more lethal. 

Also, in close combat, I just ditched manual aiming and just auto-sprayed shots at the enemey.  The enemy crab-dodging left and right make it too hard to manually aim from short distances.
The platforming was still pretty lousy but I was able to get through them much faster since I could still remember most of the paths to go through. 

Overall, the game really is a solid 7-8 and with perhaps an additional point for its technical achievements.  Although I don't dig the pastel colors and ugly facial modeling, the attention that ND paid to all the little details is quite amazing.  It's that detail, rather than all the vaunted technical tricks, that make Uncharted's visuals stand out from most games. 

[Himu]

Another great Sp game ruined by multi

[Smooth Groove]

I definitely agree with the explosions.  That was the best part of Lost Planet.

Far Cry 2 has some of the most awesome explosions.

[duckman2000]

The explosions are totally out of place.  They look like pre-rendered bitmaps from Duke Nukem. 

On the other hand, the bit where he tosses the explosive canister and ignites it mid-air with a pistol round was pretty cool, shitty effect and all. Overall, the gameplay looks really kinetic, a neat mesh of CQC, platforming and shooting.

[Smooth Groove]

The explosions are totally out of place.  They look like pre-rendered bitmaps from Duke Nukem. 

On the other hand, the bit where he tosses the explosive canister and ignites it mid-air with a pistol round was pretty cool, shitty effect and all. Overall, the gameplay looks really kinetic, a neat mesh of CQC, platforming and shooting.

That does sound pretty cool.   Can you do that in the first game? 

[Rman]

Another great Sp game ruined by multi

I can never understand this assessment.  Why complain about more options?  It's not like you're forced to play multi.  Just stick with single player.

[fistfulofmetal]

looks dumb. hopefully they aren't wasting too much time on it.

[Smooth Groove]

Another great Sp game ruined by multi

I can never understand this assessment.  Why complain about more options?  It's not like you're forced to play multi.  Just stick with single player.

I see where Himu's coming from.  For example, one could make an argument that RE5's solo was changed significantly because of co-op. 

[duckman2000]

The explosions are totally out of place.  They look like pre-rendered bitmaps from Duke Nukem. 

On the other hand, the bit where he tosses the explosive canister and ignites it mid-air with a pistol round was pretty cool, shitty effect and all. Overall, the gameplay looks really kinetic, a neat mesh of CQC, platforming and shooting.

That does sound pretty cool.   Can you do that in the first game? 

Not as far as I can remember.



Also, since I'm borrowing from the gif factory and because they look cool:

I see where Himu's coming from.  For example, one could make an argument that RE5's solo was changed significantly because of co-op. 

Which should then be further reason to appreciate what ND is doing with its co-op mode.

[Smooth Groove]

WTF at Drake throwing a canister that far with one arm.   

He should be joining the World's Strongest Man competition.

[Himu]

Another great Sp game ruined by multi

I can never understand this assessment.  Why complain about more options?  It's not like you're forced to play multi.  Just stick with single player.

what the fuck ever happened to single player games? why does every damn game have to be multi now?

I can't wait for them to implement multi in Mario or fucking Zelda

Man the explosions still look like shit

can't wait for this game though! 

[duckman2000]

WTF at Drake throwing a canister that far with one arm.   

He should be joining the World's Strongest Man competition.

Given how easily he can scale walls and hang on to ledges and ropes for long periods of time, I find this strength unsurprising.

[Himu]

Seems like a good opportunity to infuse some more sexual jokes into Uncharted!

Sully: Damn Nate, how'd you get such big pythons.
Drake: Practice, Sully. 4 times a day.

[Grecco]

The Co Op sounds just like the Co Op stuff in Resistance actually.

[duckman2000]

The Co Op sounds just like the Co Op stuff in Resistance actually.

I don't think it sounds like R2 at all. They are modified campaign levels, whereas Resistance 2 was basically progressive Invasion with baseline objectives in typical multiplayer maps.

The level I got to tackle was a modified version of the one I got to see last time with the crashed bus, sun-splashed streets, and lush colors. The mission started with a cutscene of our heroes scoping a worn treasure map and Drake pointing in one direction and saying this is where we needed to go. When gameplay picked up, I was at one end of a long corridor that curved around a building and had plenty of cover objects in it. My two companions and myself stormed down the space, were greeted by the bad guys, and soon let our natural Uncharted skills take over as we leapt behind boxes and only popped up to rake in the occasional headshot.

After my squad had cleared the alleyway of foes, we popped out in that area where the bus had crashed in the single-player demo. Back then, Drake got around the obstruction by climbing a refrigerator, shimmying up a light pole, and leaping across the sides of buildings. In the co-op campaign, the fridge is gone so Drake can't just scale the pole by himself. Instead, a red icon featuring two silhouettes pops up by the pole to let you know some teamwork is needed to advance. As Sully, I walked to the red circle on the ground, Nate walked to his, and with the press of a button, I gave him a boost. Drake went about shimmying around up there, while Chloe and I fought off the waves of bad guys that decided to swoop in on us. With us engaging the enemy, Nathan climbed to a room, found a bookcase, and knocked out a window to the street below. He rejoined us, we beat the baddies, and then we all moved to the bookcase -- now marked with a set of three silhouettes -- and repositioned it as a ramp to the top of the bus. This let us get to the next section.

[duckman2000]

The party system is already in and working great!

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2009/04/27/uncharted-2-to-include-multiplayer-beta-starts-june-3rd/comment-page-1/#comment-211072

[duckman2000]

I'm a lot more interested in co-op, in part because MW2 is all but guaranteed to steal my interest in straight up competitive multiplayer, but also because it honestly looks like it might be a bit too much for my aging mind and damaged equilibrium to handle. Looks really cool, though.

[dark1x]

I'm insulted at your suggestion that we're biased.  Despite its horrific explosions, most EBers gave Uncharted its due as a solid 7-8 game. 

You don't represent the forum as a whole, though.  I actually respect your opinions (unlike many others).  In that particular Far Cry 2 shot, the explosion almost looks worse than what you get in the original Uncharted (in that there is little detail present).  I still don't think FC2 was all that good looking, though.  :\

Far Cry 2 has some of the most awesome explosions.

They look pretty decent in motion, I suppose, but that's not a flattering shot.  It looks like a flat 2D bitmap.  >_<

Nothing touches Lost Planet, as far as I'm concerned.  Seeing those massive explosions at 60 fps on the PC version is still incredible.

[Don Flamenco]

does not look as good as crysis...no buy

[duckman2000]

On the one hand, this is probably smart, but I don't like the flavor of Infamous being pimped as the game with that beta. Especially when Infamous looks as good as it does. Much more interesting than Uncharted 2, in my opinion.

http://www.us.playstation.com/PS3/Games/UNCHARTED_2_Among_Thieves

[dark1x]

does not look as good as crysis...no buy

So you haven't purchased any games since 2007?!  Wow.   

[siamesedreamer]

The MP looks pretty fun.

[Smooth Groove]

Nothing touches Lost Planet, as far as I'm concerned.  Seeing those massive explosions at 60 fps on the PC version is still incredible.

Speaking of LP, it's such an awesome benchmark tool on the PC.  It scales in direct proportion to the power of the PC.

With the new upgrade, I'm seeing twice as fast results as before.  MT Framework's wonderful scalability makes it one of the best multiplatform engine this gen.   

[dammitmattt]

I won't play the multiplayer, but the co-op stuff could possibly be cool.  However, where in the hell are my lush, beautiful jungles?!?

[dammitmattt]

hmmmm, you're right about the environments. It's practically what separated the first from a lot of other shooters. As long as they include at least one jungle level I'll be content.

It just looks like a random war-torn environment.  No better or worse than 50 Cent.  That's disappointing.

I hope they're just hiding the jungles and ruins so that people don't idiotically call it Uncharted 1.5.

[cool breeze]

This looks a lot more fun than I expected.  Actually climbing around and platforming elements in the multiplayer gameplay looks awesome.  I just hope that the maps are really tightly packed, but stacked high.

[dark1x]

Nothing touches Lost Planet, as far as I'm concerned.  Seeing those massive explosions at 60 fps on the PC version is still incredible.

Speaking of LP, it's such an awesome benchmark tool on the PC.  It scales in direct proportion to the power of the PC.

With the new upgrade, I'm seeing twice as fast results as before.  MT Framework's wonderful scalability makes it one of the best multiplatform engine this gen.   

Yep, I've noticed the same thing.  I can't wait to see the PC version of RE5 now.

[Himu]

Fuck, Infamous looks GREAT. Gotta support Sly Cooper devs! This is tough. Devil Summoner, Bionic Commando, and Infamous all come out in May and I'm going to choose Devil Summoner even if it's the game I want the LEAST because of Atlus games being rare as fuck.

NOooooo

[cool breeze]

http://playstation3.gamingmedia.de/downloads,id2377,uncharted_2_among_thieves_gameplay_trailer.html

5 minute video showing the more of that leaked single player gameplay.  It's looking a lot better than I expected it to.  The stealth gameplay doesn't seem forced, even if there is an all too obvious setup for when to do it.

[duckman2000]

That's hot, though I sort of wish they'd tone down the shooting a bit.

[Tieno]

Looks incredible.

Why tone down the shooting in shooter?

[WrikaWrek]

One of the more impressive videogames coming, for sure.

[Brehvolution]

http://playstation3.gamingmedia.de/downloads,id2377,uncharted_2_among_thieves_gameplay_trailer.html

5 minute video showing the more of that leaked single player gameplay.  It's looking a lot better than I expected it to.  The stealth gameplay doesn't seem forced, even if there is an all too obvious setup for when to do it.

That looked amazing. I bet that will be the demo level.

[pilonv1]

That's hot, though I sort of wish they'd tone down the shooting a bit.

My thoughts exactly, although the shooting looks much better than the first game.

[duckman2000]

Yeah, it's not that it looks bad or anything, I'm just getting a bit fed up with shooters. Or maybe it's just the guns I'm getting fed up with. The game looks real good, though.

Alternative link for the SP footage

http://www.gamersyde.com/news_7830_en.html

[duckman2000]

The close quarters combat moves are really cool, although that bit where he jumps across the rooftops without alerting the dude standing right there was a little funny.

I can't wait to see some forested and other natural areas, should be hot.

[WrikaWrek]

Part of me wishes this game traded most of the shooting for hand to hand, stealth and puzzle platforming and saved the shooting for the "bigger" sequences.

I hope Splinter Cell conviction does that, without the puzzle platforming of course.

[cool breeze]

I think the best style, which is actually my favorite type of shooter, is to just give you a situation and let you decide how you want to deal with it (Crysis, Far Cry 2, STALKER, inFamous, etc.)  Just judging from the video it looks like you have the choice of doing the stealth move or making it a shooter, and once it's a shooter, it's going to remain a shooter until everyone in that area is dead.  One part in the trailer made me think that you could use platforming to get a better position on your enemy.  When Drake fell at the end of the platforming area, it seems like if you pulled up you could take a higher position and get the enemy walking from above.

I also like how they have the mac10/smg replace the pistol here, especially when it seems like on handed weapons have more use here.  They showed the riot shield here and in that multiplayer trailer they show you shooting while hanging on to platforms.