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[mr_nothin]

What about the parts where Drake is alone? Would the train level be as good if it was coop
or some of the other set pieces. For the parts you describe then yes it would work, but that was why coop in Uncharted 2 was broken down into smaller scenarios.

I dont see why it wouldnt be as good. Just do it like they did in the co-op levels in UC2 where you have to have both players in order to advance to the next section (and in this instance that would be the next train cart). Then you can have players split off from each other during those "alone sections". there were lots of parts during UC2 that were already kind of co-op centric. Parts where Sully would cover drake with a sniper rifle, the parts with elena and crew, the escort mission, and other parts already mentioned by Rez. I think it would be pretty cool. How many times were you actually alone in UC2? Seems like you were with someone for a good chunk of the game. A lot of the parts where you were alone were kind of arena-like.

 

[MoonsaultSlayer]

i still find it silly that the random bad guys are casually struttin' through this blazing inferno. Where's the panic, the coughing, any reaction at all to the fire?

 

[Lyonaz]

Ugh please no co-op in my story campaign, if it's in a different mode sure. The last thing I want is waiting for the other guy to press something to advance the story.
The singleplayer section needs to stay singleplayer. I want the full-blown scripted awesome oh-my-god events to unfold in my own pace.

 

[MoonsaultSlayer]

From the Jimmy Fakkon thread:

Funny that this was mentioned but in the direct feed gameplay video now on 1up, you can clearly see some enemies retreating though the door, and making sure they put the floor in front of the door on the fire to prevent you from getting through. Looks like they are there to kill you and burn the place down.

Looks like I need to pay more attention...

 

[MoonsaultSlayer]

Ugh please no co-op in my story campaign, if it's in a different mode sure. The last thing I want is waiting for the other guy to press something to advance the story.
The singleplayer section needs to stay singleplayer. I want the full-blown scripted awesome oh-my-god events to unfold in my own pace.

You do know that it's not going to be co-op only if they added it, right? You'd still be able to play the old way.

My only concern is the sections when you're alone. I like these sections as I don't think it's always practical to have someone with you every step of the way. The desert section doesn't seem like he has a companion so who knows.

 

[perineumlick]

I think this footage looks just as good, or even better in spots, than the Crysis 2 PC footage shown recently, and people are in here saying this stuff just looks okay, or underwhelming?

Lol.

Gamers are a strange lot these days.

 

[Rewrite]

The written impressions sound so great. The video that's posted on Naughty Dog's YouTube channel is fucking awesome. What a world of difference it is when there's someone who actually knows how to play the game.

 

[Deleted member 30609]

You think that's all there is to it ?
Co op is going to effect every single thing in the game , your going have change how much ammo drops , how the AI is , the layout of the game.

luckily ND employs really good designers and programmers, so they'll be able to make a video game

 

[TripOpt55]

I like the parts where you are alone in the Uncharted games myself so I say just keep the co-op as a seperate mode. I mean I am sure ND can pull it off in a good way, but I'd prefer the campaign singleplayer. Chapters where it works well could be available in co-op or reworked like they were in Uncharted 2. I don't see why they need to have campaign co-op. Also, not sure if the site is banned here (I recall that being so a while ago... stick of joy), but their preview said co-op would not be in the single-player campaign. Not sure whether they took something the wrong way or not, but they mention it in the preview.

 

[arne]

.... why did ND seem to give no one high quality screens? There are a couple wallpaper worthy shots there and I would even be fine with 720p (works perfect for my netbook), but these are all compressed to hell, even on Gamersyde.

They're all on our Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/naughty_dog/sets/72157625489233999/with/5267371471/

 

[-viper-]

Drake was rarely ever alone in Uncharted 2. He always had a co-op buddy with him for the duration of pretty much the whole game. I guess it could work in the game.

 

[A.R.K]

I like the parts where you are alone in the Uncharted games myself so I say just keep the co-op as a seperate mode. I mean I am sure ND can pull it off in a good way, but I'd prefer the campaign singleplayer. Chapters where it works well could be available in co-op or reworked like they were in Uncharted 2. I don't see why they need to have campaign co-op. Also, not sure if the site is banned here (I recall that being so a while ago... stick of joy), but their preview said co-op would not be in the single-player campaign. Not sure whether they took something the wrong way or not, but they mention it in the preview.

is it possible that for online coop mode, the sections where Drake is alone, each player plays the game as Drake but can still voice chat and then rejoin in the next section where there are 2 characters? Anyways, I trust ND enough to make the right decision as to have coop or not or how it is implemented. They sure didn't compromise the SP when they introduced MP in U2 and the MP was pretty solid too. ND is one of the best devs around.

 

[xenorevlis]

They're all on our Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/naughty_dog/sets/72157625489233999/with/5267371471/

Thanks! Looks great. Now hopefully we get the 10 minutes of gameplay footage for Christmas

 

[Papercuts]

Drake was rarely ever alone in Uncharted 2. He always had a co-op buddy with him for the duration of pretty much the whole game. I guess it could work in the game.

The focus has always been on the player controlled Drake doing everything, though. Even when he was with companions, he did everything. In Nepal(where he's alone for a good portion before he meets up with Chloe), she gets stuck in the elevator while Drake does everything. In the temple, Chloe waits while Drake moves all the arms, and she moves the main mirror twice while Drake climbs everything in the other room. When it's just you and Elena, she waits while you stealth kill the people below you, and Drake gets to have the cool sign holding shootout while Elena just lowers a bridge.

In the mountains, Tenzin gets seperated with icecicles while Drake finds a gun and fights the creature, and all the bad shit happens on Drake's half of the big ice room to make him do more platforming. Stuff like that is apparent all through the game, because it always wants YOU to have the best experience and have the most cinematic time. Speaking of that, the standout moments for me are the Train and the Convoy jumping part - Both ONLY Drake does.

I don't have as much of a recollection of UC1, but I do know it was atleast very similar in that focus. Either way you cut it, forcing co-op in the campaign would change the focus so that the second player doesn't have a boring time, but that steals the limelight from player one. I'd have faith in them making it "work", sure, but it'd cause a change I don't want in the next Uncharted.

 

[Honolulu]

they could always make it so that you skip the parts where Nate does something on his own and fill it in with a smaller cutsene. Or they could mix it up so that some of the puzzles would be different and customized for co-op mode, while they would appear normal in singleplayer.

 

[mr_nothin]

The focus has always been on the player controlled Drake doing everything, though. Even when he was with companions, he did everything. In Nepal(where he's alone for a good portion before he meets up with Chloe), she gets stuck in the elevator while Drake does everything. In the temple, Chloe waits while Drake moves all the arms, and she moves the main mirror twice while Drake climbs everything in the other room. When it's just you and Elena, she waits while you stealth kill the people below you, and Drake gets to have the cool sign holding shootout while Elena just lowers a bridge.

In the mountains, Tenzin gets seperated with icecicles while Drake finds a gun and fights the creature, and all the bad shit happens on Drake's half of the big ice room to make him do more platforming. Stuff like that is apparent all through the game, because it always wants YOU to have the best experience and have the most cinematic time. Speaking of that, the standout moments for me are the Train and the Convoy jumping part - Both ONLY Drake does.

I don't have as much of a recollection of UC1, but I do know it was atleast very similar in that focus. Either way you cut it, forcing co-op in the campaign would change the focus so that the second player doesn't have a boring time, but that steals the limelight from player one. I'd have faith in them making it "work", sure, but it'd cause a change I don't want in the next Uncharted.

And why can't both players experience those awesome things?
I can also give counter examples. Sully helps a lot in chapter 3. He helps you through the forest and covers you with the sniper rifle. And both characters are stealth killing in chapter 2.

 

[Firestorm]

Am I the only one who thinks the screens look ugly? The actual game I expect to amaze me as much as UC2 did, but damn those are not very good-lookin' screens.

 

[Papercuts]

And why can't both players experience those awesome things?

It'd be a shift in focus either way they cut it. It's not like Gears of War or something where Co-Op can clearly be added without making them change their way of developing the game. Even not including the amount of time you're by yourself in Uncharted, if they spent their time making the campaign full of puzzles that work well with two people, it'd likely not work as effectively by yourself. It doesn't have to be as bad as RE5 handled it, but a game designed for two player controlled characters is going to show. Retooling the areas and making some co-op specific platforming would just cater to everyone and work a lot easier. The 3 UC2 co-op maps only focused on combat, so I'd rather they just expand on that and add some 2 player specific puzzles and such.

Sully helps a lot in chapter 3. He helps you through the forest and covers you with the sniper rifle. And both characters are stealth killing in chapter 2.

Chapter 3 was pretty standard fare either way, it could easily just be one of the co-op chapters retooled even more. There is still a part where Sully needs you to push a boulder down to help him, and you get thrown in the pit to fight people while Sully watches. In the stealth segment Drake has to still disarm the two alarms by himself, and climb up the wall and tranq the guards that walk in on Flynn. Nothing major, but still making Drake do everything. It just gets more pronounced in the bigger sections.

 

[Lord Error]

From the Jimmy Fakkon thread:



Looks like I need to pay more attention...

Keep in mind also, they work for a man who "manipulates others through fear". They'd probably rather die there than come back with an unfinished task.

 

[Deleted member 30609]

if they spent their time making the campaign full of puzzles that work well with two people, it'd likely not work as effectively by yourself.

Uncharted 2 is full of these puzzles.

 

[Jason's Ultimatum]

I think this footage looks just as good, or even better in spots, than the Crysis 2 PC footage shown recently, and people are in here saying this stuff just looks okay, or underwhelming?

Lol.

Gamers are a strange lot these days

I just don't even what is this.

 

[Papercuts]

Uncharted 2 is full of these puzzles.

Six Armed Staute - All drake.
Mirror Puzzle - Drake has the platforming, Chloe moves two mirrors.
Element Puzzle - Nobody is even with you.
Matching Symbols - Flynn watched.

Unless you mean these would all work better with a second person doing a part, in which case I can only see the Flynn one working but it'd just speed it up. I wouldn't want to be the player watching Drake climb that huge dagger and amount to nothing but lining up the light, basically.

 

[Deleted member 30609]

the giant cog room in heart of ice? two paths, two people helping each other out. both have implied puzzles, nothing is lost by only ever getting to go down the one path.

every other puzzle is modelled in such a way that two people could undertake them simultaneously and nothing would be lost. often they literally include two sides to the same room with very similar puzzle structures. obviously, the mirror room could have been modified to allow one player to go to the left and the other the right.

I would be very surprised if two player co-op wasn't once on the cards in Uncharted 2. The almost-symetrical puzzle design throughout the game just implies it so comfortably.

 

[MoonsaultSlayer]

Keep in mind also, they work for a man who "manipulates others through fear". They'd probably rather die there than come back with an unfinished task.

Ha, I wrote "Fakkon"...

Yeah, now knowing the enemy, I can make it make sense to better enjoy the experience.

 

[Papercuts]

the giant cog room in heart of ice? two paths, two people helping each other out. both have implied puzzles, nothing is lost by only ever getting to go down the one path.

every other puzzle is modelled in such a way that two people could undertake them simultaneously and nothing would be lost. often they literally include two sides to the same room with very similar puzzle structures.

I would be very surprised if two player co-op wasn't once on the cards.

The ice room still has that giant piece fall on Drake's bridge to make him do more, but I'd suppose that would count. I guess I just don't really see the appeal of wanting to do that in co-op since if one person would fall then you'd have an abrupt restart.

 

[Deleted member 30609]

I think in the 'post-New Super Mario Bros Wii bubble' world, there's very little excuse to not bring back the other player without restarting the world/level for the other.

Granted, there would be huge problems with destructible/slowly changing environments. So... mmmm. We'll see.

 

[Gribbix]

Game Informer interviews Amy Hennig and Evan Wells:

But we just thought especially after some of the feedback that we saw, and you always have to take the feedback you read with a grain of salt because you don’t want to start losing your internal voice by reading everything and trying to design for everyone out there. Every reviewer and every fan. But people really wanted to see more. They felt like they didn’t get enough of that relationship between Drake and Sully. Tha it’s fundamental. We’ve explored the whole romantic triangle thing in the last game, not that there isn’t more to that, but it felt like the story about Sully and Drake had to be kind of diminished to really tackle that story. So this time we wanted to shift the focus.



GI: Were users as active in talking about the co-op gameplay and what kind of feedback did you get about that?

Wells: 
People really like the co-op and, again without getting into specifics, if there was a feature in Uncharted 2, you can imagine we’ll carry that feature forward so we will have co-op in our multiplayer. But it’s a pretty decent mix. Actually, I kind of didn’t expect it to be as popular as it was. The number of players playing co-op might be less just because there are fewer people in any given game. You’ve got 10 people in a death match and you’ve only got three in co-op, but the number of actual games played is close. So it’s a very popular feature.



Hennig: 
We’ve definitely heard that that people love it and want to see more. 



 

[Papercuts]

I think in the 'post-New Super Mario Bros Wii bubble' world, there's very little excuse to not bring back the other player without restarting the world/level for the other.

Granted, there would be huge problems with destructible/slowly changing environments. So... mmmm. We'll see.

It makes sense in the context of games like NSMB and DKCR to do that, but eh. Unless there's more games that've done this that I can't recall.

I also haven't really talked about combat yet, which in UC2's co-op maps they gear it to throw gattling gun and armored shotgun wielders extremely frequently because otherwise it's way too easy to mow people down. The AI partners never seemed to really steal kills from you which is another reason why I feel like ND wanted the player to have the best experience and still have a challenge, but with two that challenge is gone unless it's altered. Which either means everyone would need to take more bullets(the re5 effect, please no) or the enemy spawns would be different with another human player(which is why I'm fine with having retooled co-op levels).

 

[magicaltrevor]

What I'd like to see is a regular singleplayer, and then next to that an option to replay certain parts of the game in co-op, with some tweaked scenarios/level-design, so both players are having fun (not just the one that's playing Drake).
But I'd love some new scenarios that take place in locations of the singleplayer as well.

Either way, I just like to have MORE co-op. I loved it in U2. The only thing missing from it was co-op puzzle-solving.

O and, @arne: Please mention the broken hit-detection/lack of impact to the developers on the floor. Thank you.

 

[Stallion Free]

What I'd like to see is a regular singleplayer, and then next to that an option to replay certain parts of the game in co-op, with some tweaked scenarios/level-design, so both players are having fun (not just the one that's playing Drake).

But I'd love some new scenarios that take place in locations of the singleplayer as well.

Either way, I just like to have MORE co-op. I loved it in U2. The only thing missing from it was co-op puzzle-solving.

Sounds exactly like Spec Ops in Modern Warfare 2 which was the best thing in the game and would fit perfectly as you described and would be super boss without offending singleplayer fans.

 

[magicaltrevor]

Sounds exactly like Spec Ops in Modern Warfare 2 which was the best thing in the game and would fit perfectly as you described and would be super boss without offending singleplayer fans.

Just imagine solving puzzles together, maybe even with three players, players getting split up for a short time and experiencing something different every time you play the same level with another character...

 

[jett]

Sounds exactly like Spec Ops in Modern Warfare 2 which was the best thing in the game and would fit perfectly as you described and would be super boss without offending singleplayer fans.

That was already done in Uncharted 2, which is really the only form of co-op the series should have.

 

[Castle Doctrine]

Am I the only one who thinks the screens look ugly? The actual game I expect to amaze me as much as UC2 did, but damn those are not very good-lookin' screens.

I just watched the demo in 720p on my PS3 and it looked great, mainly the fire which is very impressive. However, yes, I was more blown away when we first saw Nepal in UC2. No big deal though, I think ND just wanted to show off their crazy fire. I'm sure the desert stuff is going to look amazing and whatever else ND has up their sleeves.

 

[Stallion Free]

That was already done in Uncharted 2, which is really the only form of co-op the series should have.

Oh yeah, there was so little content there I sometimes forget that it existed.

 

[Darkatomz]

Well, I just watched the direct feed footage for the first time, and I guess I was mistaken. Looks quite a bit better than off-cam footage on Fallon. Helps that there was a decent player behind the controller too.

But back to the auto ammo pickup. I think this is a BAD idea. No need to take any more 'challenge' out of the game...

 

[mysticwhip]

Well, I just watched the direct feed footage for the first time, and I guess I was mistaken. Looks quite a bit better than off-cam footage on Fallon. Helps that there was a decent player behind the controller too.

But back to the auto ammo pickup. I think this is a BAD idea. No need to take any more 'challenge' out of the game...

How does auto ammo pick up take away challenge? I'm happy it's in.

 

[Darkatomz]

How does auto ammo pick up take away challenge? I'm happy it's in.

If you're not the type to pick up ammo and you spend it often, whether it's simply or multiplayer, it takes out the pressure of ammo conservation in tight situations completely. I've been screwed over once or twice online by using up all of my mags in my M4, for example (and not noticing until the chamber clicks), and I lose the shootout.

I LIKE the fact that you need to care.

 

[mysticwhip]

If you're not the type to pick up ammo and you spend it often, whether it's simply or multiplayer, it takes out the pressure of ammo conservation in tight situations completely. I've been screwed over once or twice online by using up all of my mags in my M4, for example (and not noticing until the chamber clicks), and I lose the shootout.

I LIKE the fact that you need to care.

Those situations never happened to me & I've play both Uncharted games on crushing, ammo was always around so I could just hop over cover & grab some( unless there's a weapon beside the ammo & I fumble between picking up ammo or a different firearm). This was especially not a problem in UC2 since the AI practically loses you if you turn a corner.

 

[Shin Johnpv]

I'm just playing through the first game now. (just got a ps3) I'm enjoying it overall so far, but the aiming, holy fuck. Dual analog aiming in games like this needs to fucking die, and do so NOW. Is there any chance in hell this one is going to support Move and the Navigation controller?

 

[TTP]

I'm just playing through the first game now. (just got a ps3) I'm enjoying it overall so far, but the aiming, holy fuck. Dual analog aiming in games like this needs to fucking die, and do so NOW. Is there any chance in hell this one is going to support Move and the Navigation controller?

Yeah. There is no going back once you get used to superior aiming controls :/

I understand you are coming from Wii experience rather than Move one, but I guess it's the same.

This and Dead Space 2 will make me hate the DS3.

 

[Gribbix]

Is there any chance in hell this one is going to support Move and the Navigation controller?

From the interview I linked to above:

GI: Any plans to incorporate Move functionality?



Wells: Not at this point. We’ve had it in the office. I love the hardware. I’ve got it at home and play it with my kid all of the time. But it doesn’t seem to fit what we’re doing with the game, and we don’t want to shoehorn a feature in that doesn’t fit. So if we find a way to make it fit we’ll do it, but we’re certainly not going to do it just because.



 

[Loudninja]

While Drake’s time in the billowing sands of the desert will set a new visual landmark for the series – including heat haze, shifting sand formations and even mirages – the level we were shown takes place earlier in the game, prior to Drake’s arrival in the Empty Quarter. Set in an abandoned, over-grown château in the forests of France, the level begins innocently enough

http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/64706/unc...m-Burning-Buildings-to-the-Scorching-Desert-/

 

[Shin Johnpv]

Yeah. There is no going back once you get used to superior aiming controls :/

I understand you are coming from Wii experience rather than Move one, but I guess it's the same.

This and Dead Space 2 will make me hate the DS3.

Seriously, the best thing this gen has given us are pointer controls. I really wish more devs would make use of them. Dual Analog aiming just feels slow, and painfully imprecise to me.

From the interview I linked to above:

That makes me a sad panda. I don't see how using the move for aiming doesn't fit with what their doing with the game.

 

[Kittonwy]

Seriously, the best thing this gen has given us are pointer controls. I really wish more devs would make use of them. Dual Analog aiming just feels slow, and painfully imprecise to me.



That makes me a sad panda. I don't see how using the move for aiming doesn't fit with what their doing with the game.

It's not about aiming, it's about turning the camera while you're moving, jumping and rolling around, and I don't want to deal with a fucking bounding box for camera control.

 

[Darkatomz]

Those situations never happened to me & I've play both Uncharted games on crushing, ammo was always around so I could just hop over cover & grab some( unless there's a weapon beside the ammo & I fumble between picking up ammo or a different firearm). This was especially not a problem in UC2 since the AI practically loses you if you turn a corner.

So why do you even care for auto ammo pickups then?? And not to rag, but it's not nearly as easy to run out of ammo on SP than MP, which you didn't mention.

 

[jett]

It's not about aiming, it's about turning the camera while you're moving, jumping and rolling around, and I don't want to deal with a fucking bounding box for camera control.

Bounding boxes fucking suck indeed.

 

[revolverjgw]

Seriously, the best thing this gen has given us are pointer controls. I really wish more devs would make use of them. Dual Analog aiming just feels slow, and painfully imprecise to me.



That makes me a sad panda. I don't see how using the move for aiming doesn't fit with what their doing with the game.

Aiming would be better, everything else would suck. Not worth the tradeoff.

 

[rhino4evr]

RE4 was perfectly playable on the Wii,but I have no intention of buying Move, so I don't really care.

I kinda liked how the Sully chapters were short in both games...mainly because too much of a good thing may spoil it. I like the male/female banter much better.

 

[Kittonwy]

You think that's all there is to it ?
Co op is going to effect every single thing in the game , your going have change how much ammo drops , how the AI is , the layout of the game.

You don't really have to worry about fucking ammo drops because ammo has never been an issue in Uncharted, enemies always drop ammo and enemy AI already works for up to three players for co-op in Uncharted 2, companion AI has always been smart without having the player babysit.

 

[Cyberia]

Part 2 of the behind the scenes documentary will be released in early 2011.