Ben-DutkaBlanket statements aren't my bag. The "absolute" doesn't exist in any entertainment industry; where there's even the slightest ounce of subjectivity, there will be no universal conclusion. And because everyone is well aware of this fact, absurdly bold and definitive headlines like the one above can – and often do – chafe. And yet, I'm saying it.
First, we turn your attention to our Uncharted 2: Among Thieves review; I agree with every word of Arnold's analysis. Furthermore, I added my own commentary , which I still remember writing. And of course, we can remind you of the ten zillion Game of the Year Awards it dragged in; many will consider it to be the greatest game of the generation, or at least in the top three. Now, I keep all this in mind and combine it with the improvements made between Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and Among Thieves ; they're clear and significant.
Then, I look forward to Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception and try to imagine what Naughty Dog will do… In so many ways, I find it difficult to say, "hey, guys, fix this." Even though it has been a year since Uncharted 2 released, many will agree that nothing has managed to top the nearly-flawless sequel. For some bizarre reason, it almost seems as if the Naughty Dog team isn't susceptible to the standard pitfalls; they're like…omnipotent. It's very weird but one of the reasons the critics were so blown away by Uncharted 2 is because there's virtually nothing wrong with it. One has to get really anal to spot flaws. And it was the unbelievable cinematic experience and blending of various elements, all of which were wonderfully implemented. Nothing is perfect but we were just so shocked at how close it came to perfection.
The foundation exists. We have a studio that seems immune to common drawbacks, filled with talented people who now completely understand the PlayStation 3. We have an example of enhancement and improvement between one title and the next. We have an appropriate two-year time gap that implies no rushing. And finally, based on the initial information, it seems clear that the designers aren't stupid enough to mess with a winning formula. Sure, we get an entirely new adventure, but the core mechanics and overall gameplay will undoubtedly remain the same. When you add it all up, it's more than likely that Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception will end up vying with Uncharted 2 as…well, maybe the greatest game ever made.
Side note- I just realized…it's odd how the human brain deals with subjectivity versus objectivity. Even when we acknowledge that our personal preference plays a role, we want to assume that no other human alive could disagree, thereby turning our opinion into an incontestable a priori truth. Perhaps it's an underlying desire to control the universe or as D.H. Lawrence outlined once, man's unending struggle with the will. It's the drive to attain dominance of the will so as to fit into a mechanical perfection of life; such a struggle supersedes all, including love. …sorry, philosophical I will sometimes go. 😉
Related Game(s): Uncharted 3
I think even anal people can't spot anything wrong with UC2. That game was just silly good. Entertainment at its finest, if I do say so.
As for UC3, well, most anticipated of 2011 to say the least. Sorry about that Batman.
"I think even anal people can't spot anything wrong with UC2. That game was just silly good. Entertainment at its finest, if I do say so."
Am I the only one that think's these said gamers are the hidden girl gamers…
Last edited by Inception on 12/10/2010 1:15:17 AM
hidden girl gamers WHAT?!
Yeah, WHAT?!
FWIW, the stealth could be executed better.
The only thing I didnt like about Uncharted 2 was the lack of the sixaxis controller for when throwing grenades. Just made me have to guestimate more – thank goodness for my days of Hogs of War using the mortar. Other than that, pure greatness.
Last edited by Brows on 12/13/2010 5:05:10 PM
By yet again making a fantastic title they make the old titles benefit them, as anybody who sees this is popular might want to understand the past games so they will buy those too
another fact that actually is sad is this game was even if played as a movie with the cutscenes, beat the crap out of a lot of movies hollywood made
All men dream but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity. But the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible.
A quote or Inspiration by Sir T.E Lawrence or Lawrence of Arabia.That's what Drake says in the Teaser Trailer.
Uncharted 3:Drake's Deception is going to be Epic Again!Making it an Epic Gaming or Movie Trilogy!
Last edited by Kiryu on 12/9/2010 11:24:17 PM
Next year is going to be amazing.
Im going to go ahead and agree with you on that bold statement. Uncharted set the bar, Uncharted two kicked the sh*t out of that bar, and 3 will probably be the best game ever made. Just finished 2 for the fourth or fifth time, and it was like the first time I had ever played it. It is unparalleled on any level.
Nice avatar man! Finally someone else shows there love for the Boondocks!
My buddy talks it up, but I have yet to catch an episode.
Tis the greatest animated comedy series EVER
I loved Boondocks too! You guys are not alone.
i would wait 4 some footage before i would make such a blunt statement…
but given ND's track record, it may be possible
Given their track record…
I cant see this being worse than uncharted 2 and so unless all other games suddenly dramatically step their game up even if its just uncharted 2 with a bit more polish it will outshine them all
that is untill 4 comes out
ND are amazing developer, U3 will be epic, it will be the greatest game ever…until…well Uncharted 4 arrives 🙂
all men dream.. but not equally. im dying to play this game.
i remember when i got uncharted 2. the moment i popped the disc in i couldn't stop playing. finish the entire game in 24hours. than i played for trophies sake 😀
I don't like making such statements either, but I fully agree with you. Uncharted 3 2011's GOTY, YEAH!!!!.
It will certainly be among the best and brightest I know this for sure, but my best game ever would somehow be multi-genre in a way that works. And is well, the greatest game ever somehow.
Oh, and if anyone votes Black Ops for any phase for GOTY, you fail at life. No questions asked, you FAIL.
I liked black ops a lot… It's actually a good game.
Forget about it. Uncharted 3 will redefine what is perfection in gaming. There is some contestation between UC2 and MGS4 as to the best PS3 game, but Naughty Dog are the best developers in the world, and Drake's Deception will be ridiculous. I just wonder to what the title refers. What is Drake's Deception?
As to people being unable to find fault with UC2… The XBot I know did. He complained about the unrealistic graphical style, relatively slow pace, and then I tuned him out. Although, I do hope the puzzles are slightly harder this time around.
Actually, it doesn't matter. This is Uncharted f****** 3… and it will go down in the annals of gaming history.
Peace.
I don't believe that there is any serious discussion between those two. MGS4 is a great, truly great game, but Uncharted 2 is…well, Uncharted 2. In so many ways, it virtually redefines what a video game can be. Each generation there are an extremely small number of games that drive the entire industry forwards, they stretch and re-shape the definitions of what video gaming is, and can be. We've seen several games that do that this generation, Little Big Planet, Heavy Rain, Uncharted 2, there are others. Not sure about games on the 360, in terms of multiplatform games, there are the Call of Duty games, but they are multi-platform. They do, however, fall into this category because they have generated just unbelievable sales and online gaming volume, they are almost a textbook definition of a phenomenon, effectively reshaping the landscape of online video gaming.
Games like God of War and Grand Theft Auto 3 would be in the running for this kind of redefining game during the last generation.
Incidentally, I was just scanning Metacritic for reminders of 360 titles, and noticed that Pac-Man championship Edition DX currently has a metascore of 95. Um…what now? 95? Yet GT5 has a metascore of 84? Whatever the flaws that GT5 has, that's just wrong.
Well you know them Xbots, they find 'something' wrong with every PS3 game, even if it beat downs Halo 3.
I'm thinking Drake's Deception might be like an even darker twist of Nathan Drakes adventure. He might be like an anti-hero but in the end realize that he hurt his friends and whip the main villian's ass
Is "Blanket statements aren't my bag" a blanket statement?
not really.
Cannot wait to play this. Though I do find it slightly pathetic that it takes square enix more than 4 years to make a potential critically acclaimed game (FFV13- seriously, those idiots are still hiring programmers for the game), and yet it takes Naughty Dog around 2 years to assemble and create a masterpiece.
I'd say it's because ND know what they're doing this gen… S-E, not so much.
Peace.
Working on just one platform doesn't hurt either. S-E develops for all of them.
SE have lost their mojo. Wether they develop multiplatform games or not. Their games have been seriously lacking this gen.
I think it has more to do with their focus. ND has a clear focus and mission, whereas SE are constantly working deals and changing. It's hard to make a run at a championship when you keep changing the coaches or players.
Without a doubt this will be a real blockbuster.
But just a lil rant on the name. Why Drake's Deception? They already had "Drake" on the first title. Anyways, a great game this will be!
Well, Drakes Fortune referred to Francis Drake and his fictional discovery of El Dorado, so this could refer back to him and some deception he made or maybe it's something Nathan Drake did in his "career" that comes back to bite him in the ass. Can't wait to find out though.
With the revealing of Uncharted 3 and this philosophical piece alongside the NPD numbers for Black Ops it does set a man to thinking.
You know ND is going set the bar once again, it's basically impossible for them to fail with this series, and the reason I still game as an adult is because this industry has come so far. This is the kind of developing I like to support the most. Is it enough to stick with what works and sells? I say no, you have to keep resetting that bar to achieve greatness over mediocrity. ND is doing this, Sucker Punch is doing this, Guerilla is doing this, Polyphony is doing this, Team ICO is doing this, Quantic Dream is doing this. What do they have in common? Sony. They make me glad to be a gamer, most others, while good in their own way, simply entertain my baser senses.
While I'd like to see games like this drive crazy sales, it will have to be enough to give them the kudos they deserve as pioneers who would rather move the industry forward than milk something to death for the sake of greed.
And when we look back at our halcyon days of gaming we always remember those mind blowing experiences the best. The greatest games ever aren't always your favorite games ever, but they are the reason things have advanced so far and also the reason we keep on playing no matter what they say about us.
Well Said
Wonder what they will do after this? They made Crash during the ps1 era. I think the third is the best in the series then they made CTR which I believe is the better cart racer compared to Mario Kart. The made the Jake and Daxter series during the ps2 era. Again I believe Jak 3 is the best. Great story and awesome action. So with this they will create their masterpiece. Next is Uncharted Racing! 🙂
I don't think this will be their last uncharted.
According to Wells, 2011 marks the beginning of Naughty Dog’s push to make Uncharted a “transmedia†entertainment brand, with high quality, mythology-managed storytelling extensions of the Uncharted universe created for various entertainment media
Last edited by Kiryu on 12/10/2010 2:09:34 AM
So they will branch out beyond games. So they will work on others. They seem to work in 3s. I like that.
Kiryu, if what you say is true then they are going to have to shut down that Uncharted movie. It already sounds terrible.
@World
Exactly! If they want to expand the Uncharted mythos. Amy Hennig needs to write the movie herself! They wanted something similar to Star Wars if I remember what Evan said. That would mean films, comics, novels and other stuff. I'm foaming at the mouth thinking about Uncharted comics lol.
If there is anything that this world needs, it's more Uncharted. Just, make sure it retains the quality of the games.
Peace.
What I would REALLY like to find out is how the heck are they going to outdo the collapsing building and the train scene?
I hope the game area is a lot wider and less cramped since, you know they're now at the desert.
Last edited by Ricochet on 12/10/2010 2:37:04 AM
Anyone else observe Drake's change in appearance? I hope they didn't alter Nate's mug to resemble Walberg's for the upcoming flick. Drake came first, as far as the franchise is concerned, so if anything, they should be doing it the other way around.
That would be a pretty stupid thing to do bearing in mind all the backlash others have got this gen for doing that.
Trust the Naughty dog
He looks the same just a bit more rugged. Who knows how much time has passed since Among Thieves.
I noticed that as well, but just assumed that my eyes were playing tricks on me. However, the change doesn't appear to be overly drastic, and that's a good thing. Then again, maybe it just has to do with the further polish of the character, because there were differences between Drake in the first two games… Just a thought.
Peace.
I don't really see a change, if you watch his facial animations they are very dynamic. He can have a totally different look just by squinting against the sun and grimacing, as he appears to be doing here. We tend to think of him laughing though since he's so damn funny.
Not to make mountains out of mole hills, but he doesn't look just more aged or rugged. He looks different. His face proportion is off, and his build is different (more stout). I didn't notice the difference between Drake's Fortune and Among Thieves, but this change is glaringly obvious. It's clear after Wahlberg was selected over Fillion for the upcoming movie, they've tried to make the disparity in physical appearance less blatant by blatantly changing Drake in the game to match Wahlberg.
What, do they have to make Sully look like Robert Deniro or Joe Pesci before someone takes notice?