Ben-DutkaSee, this is why you don't show off early footage.
There are two depressing truisms that apply here: 1. Nobody reads and as such, nobody cares about the fine print. 2. Emotion always seems to override objectivity, especially in the world of entertainment.
Naughty Dog recently presented over 15 minutes of Uncharted 4: A Thief's End gameplay during the PlayStation Experience. While some were impressed with what they saw, the footage also sparked a round of mockery from some of the less intelligent "journalists" out there. Drake falling through the earth probably won't be forgotten any time soon, even after the game is on store shelves and the pre-alpha build is far in the past.
That's the key term here- pre-alpha. That was pre-alpha footage . Definitely not beta and not even alpha. The problem is, too few gamers really understand what this even means. Even worse, they don't care. They just laugh and think Naughty Dog screwed up and the new Uncharted is now going to suck, as ludicrous as such a conclusion sounds. Pre-alpha means the game is very early on in development; not the concept stage, certainly, but the product is hardly in the polishing and honing stage. A lot is going to change from here on out; a lot will be improved upon.
Considering what we saw, understanding that it was pre-alpha gameplay, we should be more than encouraged. I've seen alphas before and none of them have been half as advanced as what I saw in that presentation. Of course, as soon as I finished watching it I knew some of the low-IQ hyenas that sadly populate this industry would be sounding off. And now we get to listen to it until Naughty Dog releases more footage. Yay.
I can't say I was blown away. I did eventually download the 1080p footage and appreciated it quite a bit more. It's not yet at the point of looking better than most every game on the platform, (that's their standard dont-you-know). Could it still get there? Sure.
I do think it wasn't the right move to show this early gameplay footage. Naughty Dog and Sony need to keep the illusion in gamer's minds that these devs are from the moon and everything they show is going to drop draws (like the initial reveal did).
It's in the past. Hopefully lessons were learned.
To me the star of the show was Order 1886. The stuff they showed took me from looking forward to it with uncertainty to looking forward to it with excitement.
Tell you all one thing, AC Unity is the game to beat graphically. Good grief.
This is next-gen.
(my replacement disc arrived today so things are better now)
what was there to complain about? what i saw looked fine
People are idiots. Everyone is looking up Sonys behind with a microscope waiting to say how the PS4 is garbage and the same with its exclusives.
Problem is, Uncharted 4 was so good looking. From the lighting to the overall environment details to the new ai system. Its more than just a huge step up from U3, its a massive leap.
And the tool Drake uses is not a freaking Tomb Raider rip off. Its something people actually use. Why don't you go jump off a cliff and try and use a pickaxe/ice pick to catch your fall. Say goodbye to your arm. Overall I was impressed at the gameplay.
Bloodborne and The Order are more interesting to me though, since I know U4 will be good and all there's no point to hype it. Its going to be great and perfect, while the other two are up for debate hence the term "New IP"
I'm more than certain that what I saw was in its current state far better than most of the stuff available for PS4 or XBONE currently. The amount of detail and realistic nature of each scene was super impressive and the characters were modeled to a point that it probably won't get any better.
For those people that are complaining or downplaying it or whatever, I'm not sure why, I'm just glad this game is coming out and looks that good pre-alpha. Gonna be a fun ride!
like you said, low level iq people jumping to conclusions, assuming thats an almost finished product.
i knew this game is still far from done and that they only literally teased us of whats going to really come (thats been naughty dogs style) and from the footage i saw, i was blown away and said, wow, they did it again.
im going to guess this game will be released between summer-fall next year because Q1 has a lot of games coming out, they need to keep their release clear of any big contenders (batman being the only big one in summer)
I've never liked the heavy emphasis we place on games having the best graphics. If what we saw is what was released, 'A Thief's End' would still be a day one purchase for me. Because the 'Uncharted' games have always been fun, even more than they are graphically impressive (and they have always been that). And the new entry definitely seems to have improved on that aspect, which is really all I can ask of a sequel.
Always nice when they can manage to do both tho . But yeah , i prefer when games maker concentrate more on gameplay during development .
I downloaded the uncompressed 1080p HD verion of the clip and played it on my 50" brand new Sony Bravia (as I would play the game) and I sighed in awe… Drake's face at the beginning and the WATERFALL were like real thing. There are no jaggies because of the perfect AA and overall attention to details was astonishing. The trees reacted properly to that guy falling from the clif and smoke is so nicely done and transparent.
If final product would look like that – I wouldn't mind at all and I know it will look even better.
Good job Naughty Dog – you did it again and that's why I respect you.
Oh, and it's PRE-ALPHA!
I only got one question regarding that whole event: Why did Sony do it at all. Just, why? Was it so that they originally had better stuff in store that just didn't make it, or was they *so* desperate to create hype now that they just threw whatever they had into the pot and hoped it would work?
Either way I gotta say I thought the Uncharted video looked very promising, from a visual point of view. Especially the animations and the foliage and general environment effects were really good.
But the game itself looked, unfortunately for me, to be just "more of the exact same". That's my main gripe with it. Some scenes even felt like I've played before, in UC1/2.
It will be interesting to see if it still will excite the crowd like before – if so I shall remain silent and be happy for y'all – but it's the fourth friggin' game in the series, on a new and much more capable machine. I'd expected more *new* stuff this time around.
Last edited by Beamboom on 12/10/2014 3:26:46 AM
What more can they really do now before better graphics , ai and particle effect ? For them to have the change you seem to want , they will have to do a completely different ip .
If there is more part like when he push the guy down a slope and then we see him freak out while sliding down before falling down to his death , its enough for me .
It's that kind of gameplay that the series has – you either like it and buy it, or hate it and steer away from it. It won't suddenly change into Uncharted Racing.
I tink lot of people expect a second comming of Jesus.
Besides, it's only A FRACTION of gameplay that they showed…
Last edited by JackieBoy on 12/10/2014 4:22:10 AM
its obvious why they did it.
they need to create some buzz to tell people this is why you should buy a ps4, or this is why you should keep it.
E3 and gamescom were suppose to do that but they didn't, so they had to turn to this for it.
@berserk&Jackie: Every concept can be improved upon. Every single one, no exceptions. Add mechanics, features, functionality of objects, better interaction with the environment, new ways of interacting with the NPCs, hell I'm no designer so I'm sure professionals can answer the "what" question better.
But any series, and genre needs to evolve. That's my firm belief.
Beam- being that your not a fan of the series I don't expect you to notice the improvements and added elements to the gameplay that they showed.
As a fan of the series in just that short sequence of events I noticed more than a handful of those improvements you speak of. Most notably that amazing ai and more open area to choose a path rather than that corridor effect that occurred mostly in the first two Uncharted games at times. Upon other things that will make the gameplay much more interesting like the additional stealth options and platforming elements which require different ways to interact with the environment.
From what I seen there's much improvement and additions that most true fans would take notice. Is the core gameplay still the same? Absolutely and it should never change. It's a winning formula that they do continue to improve upon.
Last edited by bigrailer19 on 12/10/2014 10:39:24 AM
"Every concept can be improved upon. Every single one, no exceptions. Add mechanics, features, functionality of objects, better interaction with the environment, new ways of interacting with the NPCs, hell I'm no designer so I'm sure professionals can answer the "what" question better."
All of that will be improved upon in the new Uncharted. In fact, every new Uncharted improved upon those factors.
What's interesting about this is that in the open-world games you love, they basically NEVER change very much in terms of mechanics, functionality of objects, etc. The games are so heavily focused on the world you're in – the size, design, scope, etc. – that the actual gameplay systems are typically nothing different. GTAV was more refined than GTAIV and it was more open and had more features, but you still play it exactly the same. All The Elder Scrolls games are in the same boat as well.
Ironically, what you're calling for happens far more often in linear game franchises because the developers actually have to craft a story and plot that moves the adventure along (completely unnecessary in open-world), and they have to continually produce more gameplay upgrades and systems because in THAT case, the focus is on the gameplay mechanics themselves.
That's why, in Uncharted 4, we see a grappling hook, which will drastically alter our movement capabilities and how we approach certain environments. That's why there appears to be more stealth elements than ever before. That's why the AI is obviously much better, why there are more animations for climbing and combat, why the melee combat is obviously more in-depth and dynamic, etc.
In your zeal to shun linear games just because you don't get the freedom (usually an artificial "freedom," even in today's massive games), you're actually shunning the very thing you seem to appreciate. Odd. 😉
Hmm. Maybe you're right, Ben. Maybe evolution is more often found in linear games. It does make sense cause like you say, all focus is on exactly that, those features.
And a franchise like GTA is indeed more or less the same ever since GTA 3. Even a GTA fan like me sees that.
But I must also underline that I have complained about the same things when it comes to open world franchises like Far Cry and even Fallout. I hope – no, EXPECT – that the next Fallout is improved on a long range of things.
Same with Borderlands, come to think of it. I've stated that they HAVE to make changes for that franchise come next iteration, or it will be too much repetition and the fan base will be disappointed. They pushed it far with the pre-sequel.
I've criticized Saints Row for the exact same too. So yeah, plenty of accusations of stagnation to be found from me over the years, also on personal favourites. 🙂
So it's not like I've only criticized Uncharted for this. Just felt this was important to make clear!
Also I'd actually like to use Assassins Creed as an example of an open world franchise who's improved on a ton of things every single time, significant additions.
And if Uncharted get a grappling hook, well comparable weapons and tools and crafting possibilities are *often* found in open world sequels too. So it's not *that* much of a contrast.
Last edited by Beamboom on 12/10/2014 2:43:01 PM
Well said Ben. Took the words right out of my mouth. I question if Beam actually played any of the previous Uncharted games if he couldn't see all the new improvements/gadgets.
Plus, the pre alpha was only a fraction of the final product.
Assassin's Creed is a very good example of a franchise that tries to add significant features that enhances the experience. However, how we move through the environment and fight hasn't really changed much. They've tweaked some things (added more combo moves, more items like smoke bombs, the ability to drop and hold onto a ledge, etc.) but for the most part, the basic mechanics are basically the same.
Of course, I suppose you could argue the same thing for Uncharted. But because linear games require a different sort of focus, if you don't REALLY improve on the core mechanics the next time around, it's gonna feel old. Bigger, freedom-oriented games can hide behind the same ol' mechanics simply due to the sheer size of the world and the new stuff you can do in it.
And I don't have any problem with that, mind you. I love me some GTA and did they even make a bad Elder Scrolls? Of course not. I think it's just a matter of what you tend to focus on as a gamer.
One of the main things I would like to see in this game is something we saw in Infamous Second Son, and that is the enemies trying to run away from you when they got scared.
My only real complaint about uncharted other than the fact that Drake seems to break everything he touches 😛 is the fact that the enemies are never intimidated.
Best example of this is in UC3 when the house is on fire and you are trying to escape. These hired mercenaries are fighting you in a burning house instead of trying to escape with their own lives.
I would like to see more creativity when it comes to levels like these, the bad guys should be running to and trying to maybe take pot shots at you.
Other times you destroy all the guys in a squad except for one and he still stays and fights, he should be terrified and try and retreat.
Those are things I hope they work on this time around.
Xenris, better AI – and I now talk about *real* AI as in "artificial intelligence" and not just scripted behaviour but an NPC's ability to do some sort of decisions based on what actually goes on around him – is the area I am *most* hopeful for with this new generation.
It only takes a few top tier devs out there to not just waste all that new power on more flash bangs to get the ball rolling. One can hope.
Last edited by Beamboom on 12/11/2014 5:51:16 AM
Could nt be worst then the new zelda gameplay , now THAT looked pre alpha .
most aren't complaining about the fall through glitch, people are complaining because $ony, has yet again, announced a game saying its in engine, then shown the same game months later to it looking not as good as that "in engine" footage.
did they learn nothing with killzone 2!?
maybe if publishers, not just $ony but pretty much everyone, stopped with the false advertisement, then we wouldn't be having this issue!
I just feel bad for Sony. Gamers get so worked up about having not seen any gameplay footage. Sony shows us some footage and now gamers say they shouldn't have shown it because its pre alpha! Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
And if sony had said they want to wait until they have something closer to the finished product, well you know…
I will admit, i was abit critical of the gameplay footage myself at first but after watching that uncompressed 1080p video i have changed my tune. Some the smaller details that you may not notice at first glance are just wonderful. Sometimes, just sometimes it's the smaller details that you really appreciate.
Now how about a release window?
that was pre-alpha? Crap, it looked at least Beta level to me. It's already gorgeous and the AI seemed to be at least decent.
My understanding was that the real topic was that most if not all the Playstation devs were showing their games on PS4s in real time while Microsoft was using high-end PC's to show there games.
And as I think Ben says, the intelligent people know that ND was showing an early version of U4 to demo what the gameplay direction was going on top of the visuals.
So one has to decide in the presentations what devs and publishers were being upfront and honest with their products.
Keep playing!
i know that this is just the beginning and if this is the begining then what is the end gunna look like friggin amazing thats what
happy gaming