First Impression - Uncharted Better Than Uncharted 2!

I just recently finished Uncharted and have begun playing the first few chapters of Uncharted 2. First of all, I don't understand why people say Uncharted has problems. I really liked the grenade system, and found it to be very intuitive and easy to effectively use. I've also heard complaints about balacning on narrow walkways. Why? It was fine, and barely ever happened (two or three times)! The graphics are pretty incredible too (though Uncharted 2's are definitely significantly better). Maybe I just have to get used to a different control scheme, but the grenade system in Uncharted 2 makes no sense to me. Maybe I missed something, but I saw no indication as to how far you throw grenades, or where you are aiming them (I'm in chapter 3 when you are first introduced to them). I also find that the shooting feels worse. I'm finding it harder to get headshots, and the enemies I've encountered so far are much more bullet sponges than those in Uncharted were. I found parts of the museum mission too be very confusing, (a couple of the stealth parts where it seemed I was hidden from view but wasn't, and the part where all the guards with laser sighted guns show up). I'm definitely looking forward to the rest of what Uncharted 2 has to offer though. Just a bit surprised the Giant Bomb guys have stated that some aspects of Uncharted are terrible. I couldn't disagree more!

It's more about how Uncharted 2 is so much more insane compared the first. I honestly can't remember a single great moment in the first game. All I remember is that bullshit part with the church platforming where Drake is all "HEY LOOK HOW GOOD I BOUNCE ON THIS WOODEN PLANK". Plus, the writing is way better. The final coversation in that game is so great.

@YI_Orange said:

It's more about how Uncharted 2 is so much more insane compared the first. I honestly can't remember a single great moment in the first game. All I remember is that bullshit part with the church platforming where Drake is all "HEY LOOK HOW GOOD I BOUNCE ON THIS WOODEN PLANK". Plus, the writing is way better. The final coversation in that game is so great.

"...but face it: You're going to miss this ass" -Chloe Frazer. I laughed my ass off at that one.

Anyway, OP, you obviously haven't gotten to the train part yet. The shooting and platforming is still lackluster as hell in that game, but the set pieces are nuckin' futs. Meanwhile, Uncharted 2's beginning bits (besides its fantastic first ten minutes) aren't really up to par at all.

I actually played part 2 first and loved it so much that I wanted to start at the beginning and play the first one. I have to say, it's a good game, but going from 2 to 1 you can see how the controls weren't as tight and responsive as they are in part 2. Also, the platforming is a little bit inconsistent in the first one and they cleaned it up a lot in the 2nd. Another thing is that part 2 feels way more epic and has memorable moments that will stay burnt into your memory. In part 1, it was great all around, but nothing really stood out as a big "holy crap!" moment.

Grenades are like aiming guns. They land wherever your reticle is. The grenades works better than any other shooter in my opinion because you can go from shooting to throwing them so much quicker. Writing is way better, the crazy moments are so, so crazy.

@DonutFever said:

Grenades are like aiming guns. They land wherever your reticle is. The grenades works better than any other shooter in my opinion because you can go from shooting to throwing them so much quicker. Writing is way better, the crazy moments are so, so crazy.

Oh, okay cool. I'll try aiming with the reticle. I'll definitely look forward to the crazy moments in Uncharted 2. I actually thought there were quite a few memorable moments in Uncharted: Finding the submarine in the middle of the jungle, jumping between rocks and ledges above a huge waterfall, swinging along the cliffs below the old fortress, the ridiculous but ridiculously fun chase scene, jetskiing up rapids in the middle of the jungle, and navigating the unconventional maze!

I respectfully disagree completely

bullshit

Uncharted 2 is the point in that series where Naughty Dog grabbed hold of set piece design and ran with it. The helicopter scene, the train scene, the tank scene. All of that stuff is totally amazing.

Uncharted 2 is a better game than Uncharted in almost every way, but for me I had far more fun with the first game. That might have been due to its newness or that I hadn't had my PS3 very long, but by the time 2 came around and had these amazing set pieces a lot of it felt very familiar. and I still think I prefer the story in the first despite the character moments being better in the second. I haven't gone back to the first game since either of the sequels have come out and may find it to be clunky and awkward. I have a feeling I want to keep my memories the way they are.

No...finish UC 2 and then let me know which one is the best. Otherwise how can you judge a game if you haven't finished?

Just pretend that Uncharted 3 doesn't exist. Because it doesn't.

Uncharted is my GOTY 2007, Uncharted 2 has fallen to 3rd in 2009 (though at the time I listed it as 1st).

I like the original Uncharted more than 2, though I admit that 2 is the better game.

I played the two back to back recently, starting with the first one and absolutely hated it. I was worried that maybe I just didn't "get it" and that 2 would be equally disappointing. My worries were quickly abated, however, as I really enjoyed Uncharted 2. It fixed all of the problems the first had like ridiculous amounts of enemies in places where none should have existed, a boring story, monotonous and repetitive areas, and clunky controls.

Different strokes for different folks, but I was definitely able to see why so many people saw 2 as a vast improvement over the first game, as that was exactly the case for me, as well.

Uncharted 2 starts off slow, but like everyone else has been saying, the game has some completely insane action set pieces that rival the majority of blockbusters released in theaters in the past several years. Once it does finally grab you, it rarely lets go.

The problem with Uncharted is it is boring as shit. I've only played that one, and my experience with the first 3-4 hours left me totally uninterested in the whole series. Sure, the rest might be great but eh.

Uncharted 2 doesn't get good until Chapter 5 or so, but from there, it goes freakin' insane and never lets up. 
 
I liked the original Uncharted, but the second one blows it out of the water once it gets its groove.

I hated the first Uncharted. The gunplay felt sloppy, the story was pretty "meh" (I only had an investment in the main trio), the grenade system straight up sucked, there wasn't a moment in that game where I wasn't either bored (with the platforming gameplay) or frustrated (with the shooting).

Uncharted 2 fixed every single thing that the first Uncharted did wrong. The guns felt tight & fun to use, the platforming had a real sense of excitement, the setpieces were gorgeous, the story was fun and very witty, the characters were likable and the action never let up. I honestly can't see how someone didn't see the sequel as a vast improvement over the original game. You really had to have liked that style of action gameplay or had gotten into the story.

I really liked some of the more challenging rooms in the first Uncharted, like that kind of sewer room with the pillars where all the dudes come in. A good challenge that I sometimes boot up again.

The face that you haven't finished it is the key. I'm not even a big fan of Uncharted 2, but yo it's way better than the first in every single way.

Uncharted had that one bit with the submarine. Uncharted 2 has collapsing buildings and exploding trains.

i agree, i liked the first one better. i thought that the characters in two looked different. the characters looked younger than the first one.

I remember both games being incredibly boring.

@Brodehouse said:

Uncharted is my GOTY 2007, Uncharted 2 has fallen to 3rd in 2009 (though at the time I listed it as 1st).

I like the original Uncharted more than 2, though I admit that 2 is the better game.

That's my opinion too. I liked the first one more. It has more Sully and his jokes, and also the story felt much more interesting and fulfilling. I didn't knew the cintamani stone, and saying it is comparable to the western holy grail doesn't make it as good as a goal as the holy grail. The gameplay felt better in the second though. I just didn't like the theme, and the scenarios of the second.

I would like Uncharted to feature a treasure hunt that has some meaning in the western culture. Atlantis, philosopher's stone, holy grail, the crusader's missing treasure, cornucopia... Comparing a treasure or a goal to a known culture symbol doesn't make it as appealing as what it is compared to.

Uncharted 2 is actually mindful of pace, so it has a moderate build-up out of the gate.

The original just doesn't know what it wants to be. And, whatever, mechanically it is mostly fine. The sequel just fine-tuned things and devoted more time to character development.

I love all the Uncharted games. The only game I have replayed after beating it though, is the first Uncharted. Man, I just loved the setting and the characters. So cool. I still think finding that submarine in the jungle is an amazing scene. I actually beat the game, replayed it on Hard, beat it again and restarted on the toughest difficulty. Couldn't hack it on that though. Still, amazing game.