Uncharted : Drake's Fortune*

[Shifty Geezer]

From the sounds of it, you play the game twice - once on 'normal' for the story experience and once on 'hard' collecting all the knick-knacks. You may want to play the game again for the gameplay, but normally replay value comes from unlockables, 'levelling up', online, and actual features only available from multiple play-throughs. IMO. For example, I've played through CON at least a dozen times, playing different character classes, using different builds (such as that game allows), and with different play-styles. That's enormous replayability. I played ICO once and that was that - bottom rung replayability. UDF is clearly nearer the bottom of that scale.

 

[Arwin]

Or depending on who you are three times - first on Hard, then on Challenge, and then on Normal or Hard to see if you can find everything, or get all the medals, etc. Seems there's a lot of achievements and 'treasure' and crazy stuff like the 'next-gen bloom mode'

And of course it seems from playing the demo that you can go about your stuff in the game in a couple of different ways too, if you're so inclined. A lot will depend on how deep and much fun the gameplay is.

 

[RobertR1]

Or depending on who you are three times - first on Hard, then on Challenge, and then on Normal or Hard to see if you can find everything, or get all the medals, etc. Seems there's a lot of achievements and 'treasure' and crazy stuff like the 'next-gen bloom mode'

And of course it seems from playing the demo that you can go about your stuff in the game in a couple of different ways too, if you're so inclined. A lot will depend on how deep and much fun the gameplay is.

Replaybility, like co-op is a highly desireable one. Proper MP being the other. Otherwise, in comparison to those featureset being used for a baseline, the replay value is low, not matter how it's spun.

You can use the achievements stuff for games all day but that doesn't subsitute the replay value that co-op and online MP give you. Doesn't even come close.

 

[PARANOiA]

From the sounds of it, you play the game twice - once on 'normal' for the story experience and once on 'hard' collecting all the knick-knacks. You may want to play the game again for the gameplay, but normally replay value comes from unlockables, 'levelling up', online, and actual features only available from multiple play-throughs. IMO. For example, I've played through CON at least a dozen times, playing different character classes, using different builds (such as that game allows), and with different play-styles. That's enormous replayability. I played ICO once and that was that - bottom rung replayability. UDF is clearly nearer the bottom of that scale.

What's CON?

 

[Laa-Yosh]

I've downloaded all the videos at Gamersyde and my opinion is that they've got a lot of things right, from level of geometry and texture detail through modeling and animation to shadows.
But it could've been even better with some more work spent on textures - Drake's shirt looks like some age-old rag, and the entire color palette of the jungle, ruins and characters is just wrong. And it's a bit more emphasized through the lighting which also seems to miss the right contrast.

Now this may be more of an issue of taste; and don't mistake me to be a fan of photorealism either! It's just that these are exactly the things that are very, very hard to get right in any kind of computer graphics for a variety of reasons, and I also believe that ND had a good amount of pressure from having to complete the game for the holiday season. Anyway, the point is that I do agree that the 9/10 score for the graphics is kinda right.

 

[Nesh]

I've downloaded all the videos at Gamersyde and my opinion is that they've got a lot of things right, from level of geometry and texture detail through modeling and animation to shadows.
But it could've been even better with some more work spent on textures - Drake's shirt looks like some age-old rag, and the entire color palette of the jungle, ruins and characters is just wrong. And it's a bit more emphasized through the lighting which also seems to miss the right contrast.

Now this may be more of an issue of taste; and don't mistake me to be a fan of photorealism either! It's just that these are exactly the things that are very, very hard to get right in any kind of computer graphics for a variety of reasons, and I also believe that ND had a good amount of pressure from having to complete the game for the holiday season. Anyway, the point is that I do agree that the 9/10 score for the graphics is kinda right.

Well your post does sound like an issue of taste



The color palette was done that way on purpose. It was originally more realistic but the developers changed it because they wanted to give the game more "character" than the generic look of realism other developers are trying to give to their games

 

[deepbrown]

From the sounds of it, you play the game twice - once on 'normal' for the story experience and once on 'hard' collecting all the knick-knacks. You may want to play the game again for the gameplay, but normally replay value comes from unlockables, 'levelling up', online, and actual features only available from multiple play-throughs. IMO. For example, I've played through CON at least a dozen times, playing different character classes, using different builds (such as that game allows), and with different play-styles. That's enormous replayability. I played ICO once and that was that - bottom rung replayability. UDF is clearly nearer the bottom of that scale.

And you'll play it again on Crushing.

 

[deepbrown]

I've downloaded all the videos at Gamersyde and my opinion is that they've got a lot of things right, from level of geometry and texture detail through modeling and animation to shadows.
But it could've been even better with some more work spent on textures - Drake's shirt looks like some age-old rag, and the entire color palette of the jungle, ruins and characters is just wrong. And it's a bit more emphasized through the lighting which also seems to miss the right contrast.

Now this may be more of an issue of taste; and don't mistake me to be a fan of photorealism either! It's just that these are exactly the things that are very, very hard to get right in any kind of computer graphics for a variety of reasons, and I also believe that ND had a good amount of pressure from having to complete the game for the holiday season. Anyway, the point is that I do agree that the 9/10 score for the graphics is kinda right.

They need to work on textures? They have the sharpest textures around. They've been working on the game for years, and this was a self-imposed target - and their engine kills anything else around. If you had the game in front of you I'd believe you - but your first sentence just removes all credibility. Drake's shirt looks like a rag? It wrinkles realistically to his movements! Plus, best lighting in a game - without Bloom - HURRAH!

 

[djskribbles]

i agree that the textures are of the best i've seen. and his shirt moves realistically in motion... looks great imo. the way his shirt wrinkles when he moves impressed me a lot.

Drake looks great in the videos, but it looks better when you play it. you really get to see the attention to detail.

i think you're right Laa-Yosh and that its more an issue of taste. personally, i think its the best looking game this year on console.

 

[Laa-Yosh]

They need to work on textures? They have the sharpest textures around. They've been working on the game for years, and this was a self-imposed target - and their engine kills anything else around. If you had the game in front of you I'd believe you - but your first sentence just removes all credibility. Drake's shirt looks like a rag? It wrinkles realistically to his movements! Plus, best lighting in a game - without Bloom - HURRAH!

Sharpness isn't all there is about textures. I can't really explain it in english to someone who's not an artist, but I might try to give it another try later...


Lighting is a LOT better in Halo3, you've asked for it


It does not wrinkle like a rag, it's color looks like a rag. They've clearly been in a lot of pain trying to make a simple white shirt that won't overexpose under their varied lighting situations, and it seems they've decided to give it a sort of dirty look that just looks lame IMHO. I've liked the original red/white shirt a lot better, for example.


Again, the technology is there, but I feel it could've looked somewhat better using the same resources. And I do NOT complain about a lack of realism, should I bold it out this time?

 

[deepbrown]

Sharpness isn't all there is about textures. I can't really explain it in english to someone who's not an artist, but I might try to give it another try later...


Lighting is a LOT better in Halo3, you've asked for it


It does not wrinkle like a rag, it's color looks like a rag. They've clearly been in a lot of pain trying to make a simple white shirt that won't overexpose under their varied lighting situations, and it seems they've decided to give it a sort of dirty look that just looks lame IMHO. I've liked the original red/white shirt a lot better, for example.


Again, the technology is there, but I feel it could've looked somewhat better using the same resources. And I do NOT complain about a lack of realism, should I bold it out this time?

I am an artist.

I know you're a fan of bloom, but nevermind, ND have put in a "next-gen mode that adds all the bloom you could want". Uncharted - best lighting, most realistic lighting, with the best shadows in a game.

The colour of his shirt changes depending on how dirty you get. It also has a texture - it is NOT flat. It also get's wet.

 

[Laa-Yosh]

Why would I be a fan of bloom either??

Good lighting is all about contrast, and Uncharted is lacking. And textures are far too simple, there is high frequency detail but it's far too generic.

 

[GreekDNA]

Why would I be a fan of bloom either??

Good lighting is all about contrast, and Uncharted is lacking. And textures are far too simple, there is high frequency detail but it's far too generic.

Yea keep telling your self that buddy.

 

[AlphaWolf]

Yea keep telling your self that buddy.

You post that like he's not seen any shots of the game before...

I honestly don't know why some of you get so defensive. He didn't say it was bad. He doesn't think its the best at everything, is that so terrible?

Apparently it is...

 

[PARANOiA]

1Up review - http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3164378
8.5

 

[L. Scofield]

What's the deal with this?

http://img48.imageshack.us/img48/208/uncharted1dc2.jpg
http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/1230/uncharted2oy1.jpg
http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/4610/uncharted3ne1.jpg

I can understand the pop-in for the rock textures, but what about the shadows? Are they pre-baked as well?

 

[nAo]

Maybe they are using precomputed shadow maps (not prebaked shadows, which is another thing..) and for stuff like vegetation it would make a lot of sense.
Or maybe they're just streaming geometry as well..

 

[Fafalada]

Maybe they are using precomputed shadow maps (not prebaked shadows, which is another thing..) and for stuff like vegetation it would make a lot of sense.

Figuring out how they made them look so good? Actually how would precomputed maps deal with animation - most of their vegetation at least sways in the wind.

And textures are far too simple, there is high frequency detail but it's far too generic.

Well at least it doesn't have texturing that makes all environments look like different colored bathroom tiles - like that other game whose lighting you praised earlier.

 

[deepbrown]

Why would I be a fan of bloom either??

Good lighting is all about contrast, and Uncharted is lacking. And textures are far too simple, there is high frequency detail but it's far too generic.

I'll wait until you've experienced it in person.

 

[Laa-Yosh]

I've just tried to offer my opinion on why the game doesn't get 10s or 9.5s for graphics. I really should've known better, though, topic over for me.