OXCGN Reviews Uncharted 2 "It's a visual, cinematic masterpiece"

OXCGN takes a full review approach with Uncharted 2 after deciding they would steal it for 360 if they could in another article:

"Stop right there Shia LeBouf! Before Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg crown Mutt Jones the next action adventure hero, Nathan Drake might have something to say.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves follows in the footsteps of Tomb Raider as much as the films Indiana Jones and National Treasure. Moreover, while he is by far a better action hero than Nicholas Cage, he even borders on being as badass as Harrison Ford in his heyday. Even in the midst of innumerable odds and great danger Drake is light hearted and resourceful."

[AuToFiRE]

Great read, thank you for your continuing time and effort

[The Wood]

kudos to team OXCGN

[Jinxstar]

I agree. This game is truly hands down amazing. Just started playing some Co-op and having a blast in that as well. I can't believe how much effort was put into this game. It's surreal how amazing the environments and the story are.... Captivating.

Great read

[gaminoz]

Wow two perspectives on Uncharted 2 from an Xbox-focused site. This series is fantastic and its a shame others outside PS3 owners won't be able to share in it :(

Lucky for me, I've got a PS3 and 360! Heavy Rain, Splinter Cell Conviction, and Alan Wake here we come...

[Saaking]

Even the bots know it's an amazing AAAA game.

[gaminoz]

Personally I didn't like Killzone 2 and thought it overhyped, but this one...

[XboxOZ360]

Like I said before, We are NOT Xbots . .get it right child . .

We're "Gamers" not fanboys, and like games period. We simply chose to use the 360 as our main platform for personal reasons. NOT because we think it's the best thing since sliced bread.

BOTH have their issues, as do games on both platforms.

So instead of making yourself look and sound like a clown, why not read the reviews, no matter what the game is, and perhaps you may actually learn something in this lifetime.

Both the 360 and the PS3 can do without fanboys of such nature.

[XboxOZ360]

We went to the Killzone 2 Launch Night in Sydney, and while it was a great game, it was just like Gears really .. Run-n-gun, kill and more of the same.

AT least with games of this nature, there's variety and style within them.

Splinter Cell Convictions which is a 360 exclusive will keep ppl busy for some time, it's sort of a modern day adventure story . .

If money was not an obstacle, I'd have at least one of every console, but there are limits to a persons finances, and that determines what they can or can not buy . .not whether or not they are a fanboy.

If just 1/4 of the fanboys on this site began to look at Games over platforms, the site would be 10 times better for ALL gamers . . . I remember what it was like when it first started . .

[TheHater]

"We're "Gamers" not fanboys"

If I am not mistaken, this is an xbox 360 only site.

[gaminoz]

@ The Hater

Umm I'm sure there's some PS3 sites with writers that own a 360 and enjoy 360 games too...they just might not write about it.

I see no problem with a site focusing on one console but still discussing the big issues in games on other systems and Uncharted 2 deserves attention from anyone who is a gamer...360 or PS3 or PC.

[XboxOZ360]

Some gamers choose a platform for certain reasons, some of those can include finances and easy access to product. If you have a look at our site, you'll notice we discuss "gaming' but simply chose to be Xbox centric. Meaning that might well be our main focus, but it is by far not our only focus.

To give any platform a fair go, one must focus on that one, if youhave a multiplatform site, then you need to have the sam enumber of ppl working on EACH platforms news, reviews and information in order for it to be a balanced affair.

Now when you don't have those a=dvantages, like huge corporate sites do, where their writers are paid extraordinary amounts annually, then youhave to pick one you're comfortable with, that has some sort of connection with you, and then follow that one to the best of your abilities.

Not doing so means you are doing your readers a disservice by not supplying the best information possible.

Which is why we focus on the 360, but for those team members that have more than the 360, they are able to get their hands into other game, report on them and give you, the reader, a fair and just and of course, objective view on a subject, rather than a closed minded and biased approach that many might have.

My gamertag is simple. . I'm from Australia (OZ), I have a 360 . . simple. If it was a PS3, the the name would be obvious - now wouldn't it . . . that does not make me biased of not a gamer.

I have many varied consoles that some would not even own or know about . .

[Sir Ken_Kutaragi]

.____........___...____
.____||......||.......____||
||.........___||.......____|| 'Triple'A'Station 3' ;-P

[FiftyFourPointTwo]

Visual cinematic masterpieces only possible on the AAAstation 3, home of unparalleled exclusives.

[Kimbo Slice]

not complaining just the impression i got ...good site though

[XboxOZ360]

errr umm it's 9.5/10 . . I think that's damn high . . we no longer do .1 markings . . and no game, unless it's 'exceptional' is ever given a 10/10 on OXCGN, we've only ever given one 10/10 score out on any game.

No, not Halo, or Gears, or Forza . . It was The Rock Bands The Beatles, simply due to the historical detail and pure enjoyment for all the family.

[xhi4]

Beatles or Uncharted?

Like I get where your coming from. but then again, just imagine all game developers were at school, and they were all marked, as if Uncharted 2 wouldn't get an A+/A+ lol

[XboxOZ360]

We hold off that .5 for any game, unless it appeals to "all the family" as gaming is meant to be a shared experience with the family, well - it was when I last looked.

Even MGS4 on our site didn't get a 10/10, it got a 9.8/10 when we were doing incremental scoring, but now it would fetch a 9.5/10.

Gaming is taking a huge move towards being a family affair, soto reward those games that are aimed at all the family, we'll give them a little leed over some others. Not if they are crap mind you, but only if they fit the bill, and follow the same criteria as all other great AAA games do (or AA games for that matter)

[Sarcasm]

"Gaming is taking a huge move towards being a family affair"

I don't see why that has to be part of the criteria just to dock .5 points off amazing games.

Wii Sports is a family affair game, does it deserve a 10/10? Eyepet? Rock Band?

None of those games are 10/10s.

So I kindly ask, what game is going to have amazing production values, graphics, gameplay, story, multiplayer like Uncharted 2 but also be a family affair just to get a 10/10?

I don't think we'll ever see it. But then again, it's not like 9.5 is a complete turd or anything lol. I'm not insisting that.

[whothedog]

I would like to thank you for dropping the .1's reviewing

haha I mean who notices a .1 difference between things.

Nice review by the way.

I understand where your coming from with the Beatles Rock Band, not saying I agree with it being better because I don't like those types games but I see where your coming from. :)

[Isaac]

You do know that 9.5 is lower than average for this game, don't you? Your criteria for lowering is ridiculous. It's not that the score is low, it's that the reasons for dockin points are stupid. Not "family oriented" enough? WTF? lol

Oh, and not having more precise degrees "just because" doesn't cut it. That takes credibility off. If anything, those 9.9 and 9.8 games should be rounded UP, not down. And you can't really argue about how scores are subjective, or that they don't really mean anything, because even when that is true, you are giving it a score, which is the point we're debating.

[mxdan]

I see where your coming from, but I'd let my family watch Raiders of the Lost ark and I'd let them play uncharted 2. As far as most games go these days uncharted is pretty 'all encompassing' if you get my drift...

[SuperM]

lol shut up guys. never complain about a score 9.5 or higher. never.

[Sarcasm]

"lol shut up guys. never complain about a score 9.5 or higher. never. "

Nobody's complaining about a 9.5.

We're DISCUSSING why dock points on great games just because they aren't "family oriented."

So if ever a family oriented game that comes out that blows our socks off and clearly deserves a 10 let's say Rock Band 3 or something, a website should dock .5 points from is because it's not "Hardcore" enough.

It's a silly criteria if you ask me. Not bagging on OXCGN, because it looks to be a good unbiased bunch of fellas.

[loser]

should every game get 10 because it's on the ps3? i know you try real hard to sound unbiased, but it is quite clear that you are in love with sony! if they want to give the game a 9.5, and they have their reasons and a way nin which they do their scoring, then thats up to them.

i've not completed uncharted2 yet...i have to work from home this weekend (which is a pain in the *rse), but of my experience so far, this game is between 8-9! people are calling for 10s because A, it's a sony game, and B, it has great graphics so again that should be a pass straight to the top!

a few sony fan sites have already gave this 10s surely thats enough for the fanboys rite?

[Karum]

Agree with how you use the last 0.5 points to determine if a gaame gets a 10 or not but I have to say the review was a good read and you've given the game just about a perfect score which is hard to argue with.

Great to see others are enjoying Uncharted 2 as much as I have been this weekend.

[Faztkiller]

Good read this game is simply amazing

[Sarcasm]

Good read, no fanboyism.

Let's just face it, Uncharted 2 is an amazing game. Even if it wasn't a PS3 exclusive and somehow was multiplatform but didn't have the same graphics quality, it would still be an amazing game for the following reasons

1. Story
2. Characters
3. Gameplay Elements
4. Unique twist on Multiplayer

[gaminoz]

bubbles for a sensible comment.

[XboxOZ360]

Double bubbles . . . . for a "gamer" with an open and honest mind.

[Sarcasm]

It's sort of like how Free Radical blamed Haze because of "technical reasons" but "technical reasons" still won't fix the poor story, bland characters, cheezy voice acting, and repetitive gameplay elements.

So strip down Uncharted 2's graphics, and we still have an amazing game.

[loser]

Let's just face it, Uncharted 2 is an amazing game. Even if it wasn't a PS3 exclusive and somehow was multiplatform but didn't have the same graphics quality

are you a developer sarcasm?? because how do you know a very talented studio like naughty dog couldn't get this running on multiple consoles, without a hit in the graphics??

if you are a developer, please tell us on which multi-plats you have worked so we all know you are qualified to make such statements

[Figboy]

secondly, Sarcasm is qualified to make those statements because:

1) He has a brain.

2) He's free to express any opinion he pleases.

besides, it's been 4 years since the Xbox 360 released, and we've yet to see an Xbox 360 game match Uncharted 1, let alone Uncharted 2. and that's the truth. no amount of Unreal Engine 3 trickery will result in what the Uncharted series has managed.

why?

a few reasons.

1) The Playstation 3 utilizes Blu Ray disc. Blu Ray's currently hold 25-50 gigs of data. 25-50 gigs will ALWAYS be better than the 7.5gigs that the 360 discs use. to believe that 360 developers wouldn't be happy with more space to work with is being blind and naive. Uncharted 1 and 2 use that space to include high quality audio and texture data. Blu Rays are also rather good for streaming data because of their constant read speed across the disc.

2) The Playstation 3 has a HDD standard in every unit. this means that developers can utilize that to cache data if they need it. Uncharted 2 does NOT install to the HDD of the PS3. it streams everything from the Blu Ray disc.

the 360 has neither a large capacity disc, or a standard HDD that ALL developers can fall back on when need be. that is why we haven't seen the equivalent of an Uncharted 1 and 2, and Killzone 2 on the 360 in 4 years.

even Uncharted 1 released during the Playstation 3's FIRST year on the market.

is the 360 capable of some amazing games? you bet your ass it is.

are developers fully utilizing the 360? no. no they are not.

Unreal Engine 3 was GREAT for the first 2 years of the new generation. it was a quick and easy way to get impressive looking and performing games out of the door.

NOW, though? the engine has run it's course, and it's time for something new, or the next iteration of Unreal Engine.

even a proprietary engine for all 360 games going forward will still have to deal with only having 7.5gigs to store texture and audio data, and no HDD standard at their disposal.

i'm looking forward to Crackdown 2, Mass Effect 2, Fable 3, and Alan Wake as much as the next guy, but it's no lie that they aren't as impressive visually as the PS3 exclusives released and upcoming. this is no longer speculation, but fact. the proof is in the pudding, as it was two years ago, when the 360 had the upper hand, and outside of Uncharted 1, there wasn't much to argue towards the worth of the PS3. it was all hypotheticals and "wait tills."

well now, the games are here. more are coming, and the Playstation 3 has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that it does games, and in the case of exclusives, it does them better than the 360.

the 360 had a great 2 year run at the start, but without more software to push it, people will gravitate towards the PS3. price isn't an issue anymore, so now it's just about game lineups, and the 360 is lacking in comparison to the PS3 for the foreseeable future.

[foreverflame]

Visual master piece? wtf are they talking about?..Have they played ODST the game surpasses uncharted 2 graphics

[stonecold1]

alast gen xbox game the graphics cant even compared to the mighty uncharted 2

[iown-ipwn-ikill]

OMG LAAAWWL! OH OH....OH....sorry i thought u were being serious there XD

[topdawg122]

So what will you guys choose for goty? Can you guys even choose a ps3 game? probably not, but we know what's gonna get it

[XboxOZ360]

Again, do some reading on the site, you'll find several games listed in our last years GOTY listings . . . . as they come from all platforms, not just PS3 and 360 . . .

One needs to read before sticking ones foot in ones mouth (jk).

[Sarcasm]

I think a good number of folks will pick Modern Warfare 2, while a handful will pick Uncharted 2.

And sorry, no 360 game is a GOTY contender this year. Forza 3 maybe, but for some reason racing games hardly ever get GOTY.

[gravv]

@oxcgn
seriously dude why even bother replying people in open zone, i know ur a gamer and i like ur attitude but dont degenerate ur self by having an argument with trolls here in camp of trolls zone.. just stay in the gamer zone, its bothering me to see a healthy discussion in open zone.. its like losing its purpose

nice review btw

[Ps_alm3k]

give him a break, he like the game ( as a XBOXEr) , so therefore anyone and everyone who think u2 is awesome, is koooo. Even enemy will praise there enemy when they see something good and they can't deny it.
I rather the truth, then to be delusional as some xbot are....

[PoisonedTea]

From an XBOX-centric site, this review is AWESOME!!! It puts supposed "all-format embracing" sites such as IGN, VideoGamer and GameSpy to shame.

[devilhunterx]

Mutt Jones need to be dragged across the street and be shot.

[tripewire]

im bookmarking these guys. some of their comments in the other article won me over.

[Relientk77]

"It's a visual, cinematic masterpiece"

couldnt have said it better

[Figboy]

when you have guys like these representing them so well.

i may have my issues with Microsoft and the decisions they've made with the 360, and i have tons of issues with the gaming media this generation, but the OXCGN guys have always been fair, real gamers, who don't let their preference for Xbox get in the way of their LOVE for good video games.

i don't put stock in reviews these days, but i've found the "Official" reviewers (for both Xbox 360 and Playstation 3), to be a lot more objective than the so called "fair, unbiased, multi-platform" reviewers.

besides, Uncharted 2 is just good it's nearly impossible to hate it.

a truly character driven action/adventure has not existed until now. as much as i love games like MGS, Tomb Raider, and God of War, etc, most video game characters are wrapped in so many generic stereotypes and cliche it's absurd. Nathan Drake and company are possibly the most fleshed out, believable characters in gaming, and the lack of buzz cuts and space armor helps to sell them as empathetic human beings.

[iceman06]

I THINK that is the most refreshing part of Uncharted 2.IMHO, it's the fact that it doesn't seem pre-fab in any way. No take this man...insert space suit...fight dreaded alien race...or...World War whatever is starting and YOU are the savior type shooters. This is Average Joe on HUGE adventure in places that most of us only DREAM about seeing....oh yeah...and STILL shooting GUNS!!!*L* I LOVE it both single player and multiplayer.