The beta comes with two options: Competitive Multiplayer and 3-way Co-op. With competitive multiplayer, you’re pitted in team games where it’s either Team Deathmatch or Plunder, which is a form of Capture the Flag though this time you’re capturing a gold idol, and also need to throw it over ledges and such as you can’t climb up top to areas with it in your hand. They’re both standard fare and what you’d expect in a multiplayer game, and support up to 10 players. Naughty Dog has also implemented a small perk mechanic into all this as well, with primary and secondary perks. The secondary perk lets you do various things with ammo, where you have a choice of increasing how much ammo you hold at spawn, how much you pick up from weapons on the ground, or how much a single clip from a gun can hold. The primary perk lets you steady the blind fire aim of either your pistol or machine guns, or steady them while aiming. They’re minor perks, but they’re well suited depending on your style of play.
Plundarrr! And booty too.
Once you’ve set up your character and found a suitable match (which can sometimes be difficult to find, though there’s not a huge amount of people playing in the beta so it’s excusable), you’re thrown into a match and the moment it starts, you’re already charging in ready to kill or plunder. Gameplay feels very much like the original Uncharted with swift and smooth movement and animation, and quick gunplay and a cover system to boot. Melee is also incorporated in the multiplayer however it’s more a single hit rather than a full blown combo like in single player portions, though if you do catch someone from behind, it’s a quick snap to the neck and instant kill. The matches do involve some forms of teamwork, as laying down suppressive fire for a team mate or breaking flanks with grenades can really aid in winning a fight over, though it just boils down to who has the happier trigger finger and better aim. While the multiplayer functions quite well at this stage with minimal lag and few bugs, the Team Deathmatch portion does feel a little tacked on. It works, but it’s nothing that would absolutely blow your mind. Plunder is a little more entertaining though, with the loot being quite hard to capture considering you need to throw it around, so team work here is of much higher importance.
But what the beta really shines in, is the 3-player co-op mode. The level is about 5 to 10 minutes long and is not only challenging but incredibly fun. The AI is aggressive in their attack and come from all sides, so tactical play and teamwork is an absolute must, which makes it so much more enjoyable. There are also moments where all three players are required in order to progress further through the level, so there is a definite sense of purpose for each player, and with the challenging gameplay, a carry through from one player is a rare occurrence. There is also very little lag in the co-op mode too, so it not only plays well but is very functional, even with players from other countries.
More booty to be plunderin'! See where we're going here?
But perhaps the most impressive thing of all in the beta is how good it looks. Uncharted 2 looks utterly amazing, but you all probably know this by now. Textures are of a very high resolution as are the shadow maps, and character models not only animate beautifully but look ridiculously good. But it’s the colours that really make it a stand out game. Uncharted 2 feels full of life, with different shades of reds, greens and blues all over the place, further enhancing the game's already fantastic looks. And all this is achieved with a rock solid frame rate. Not only that, but haters of the screen tear from the original will be happy to know the game is now incorporating VSYNC, which removes the tearing entirely. Though earlier this year we touted that Killzone 2 was the king of visuals on consoles, Uncharted 2 seems to be well on the way to toppling it, and with flying colours.
Audio wise the game is certainly no slouch either at this stage, with gunfire sounding appropriate and clean as it should, and with full DTS surround sound also being used to full effect. Music is a little scarce at this stage but considering it’s a beta, we’re not too fussed about it for the moment. It’s all sounding good so far, and we’re confident that Naughty Dog will make it sound even better come the game's release later this year.
Arr we not be likin' that booty..
The multiplayer of Uncharted 2 is good, but not something to be drooling over. Its competitive multiplayer offers a solid but ultimately standard take on Team Deathmatch and Capture the Flag which works and is fun to play, but doesn’t really hold a candle to many of the other multiplayer focused games on offer on the PlayStation 3. Co-op on the other hand is definitely something worth waiting for, as we had a blast playing through it and are salivating for more. Uncharted 2 seems to be shaping up extremely well, and at this stage if the game is looking, sounding and playing this good, then we can’t wait to see what the full thing is going to be like come the end of this year.
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