Sony has shown off Uncharted 2 at every gaming event in 2009, allowing press to come a few inches away from touching a DualShock controller and getting to play. Even at E3, it was a strictly hands-off affair, which was strange considering it was likely one of the closest to release, sitting in a row of games like MAG, Heavy Rain, and God of War III. This year's Penny-Arcade expo was the first to actually invite a hands-on experience, with several booths set up inviting everyone to try their hand at Nathan Drake's next adventure.

The strangest thing, I thought, is how similar this demo was to the one shown before. In fact, it might have actually been identical, which made me wonder why I wasn't allowed to play it a few months earlier. It opened up with Nathan driving a jeep and talking to the sequel's new femme fatale, Chloe. After a bit of conversation, Nathan was attacked, his jeep was crashed, and I was finally given direct control of the series' protagonist as he shambled to his feet in an alley. Within seconds the attack vehicle re-appeared, obviously unhappy with the job it did of killing Nathan in the first place, and began a chase down the alley. If you've seen any trailers for Uncharted 2 you likely recognize this scenario, and it plays out with Nathan running like a girl and firing a machine gun wildly behind him. Luckily, none of the guards in the street seem to have noticed, since the alley dropped Nathan into a hornet's nest of enemies.



Now in the street, I was able to try out some of the improvements over the previous game. First things first, I tapped the grenade button and readied an explosive, aiming it with the analog stick. No longer is this defaulted to the Sixaxis, which means throwing grenades is much easier. Sadly, my bomb only took out a few of the guards, and the rest quickly rushed in on my location. I was able to take one out using the new melee system, but the rest quickly took me apart. Trying a second time (to the displeasure of the people in line behind me), I attempted something that wasn't really in the first game: stealth. Sneaking up to the first guard I was able to choke him out, bringing his limp body to the ground. Continuing my Solid Snake impression, I continued to do the same to a few more, only initiating true gunning when absolutely necessary. It wasn't frustrating, as stealth gaming can often be, because it was optional, and at any given time I could have begun firing without penalty.

After clearing out the remaining enemies, most of which were armed with body armor or riot shields (replacing the bulletproof shirtless opponents of Drake's Fortune), I realized that I would have to climb to continue. Nathan is in a concrete jungle now, and can't rely on rocks to allow him access to hard to reach places. Instead, he needs to climb objects in war-torn cities, jumping through holes blown in walls and climbing up power lines. It plays pretty much the same, though it's much more interesting, and will likely lead to more complex and satisfying puzzles later in the game.



After some climbing there was more combat, and I was eventually taken out by a group of enemies who didn't take too kindly to my Spider-Man tactics. Deciding not to incite a riot by continuing to play, I passed the controller and left the booth. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune was one of the best games of 2007, and still sits atop most PS3 releases as the best game on the console. Even with Modern Warfare 2 and ODST being released in 2009, Nathan Drake's newest adventure title has a good shot at Game of the Year this year, and should give PS3 owners plenty to be happy about.

Tags: