Last year’s Uncharted 2 blew away the critics; being the closest to an action movie a video game has ever been. It improved on the first Uncharted in almost every way, though it was not perfect. Here are some things that I think can be improved for the inevitable third game in the Uncharted series.
Make more original characters: One issue with Uncharted that I think has been largely overlooked is how formulaic the characters are. Lazarevic, the main villain from Uncharted 2, was very predictable and not a very creative villain. He was incredibly one-dimensional and, while satisfying to defeat, wasn’t up to the high standards that the rest of game sets and exceeds in many cases.
Another less than original character is Victor “Sully” Sullivan, the typical “I’m too old for this”, surly and reluctant hero, always chewing on his trademark cigar. Sully is an important character, but is not creative. I do not think developer Naughty Dog needs to scrap these characters, but I think that they need more original ones. The typical action movie schtick worked for two games, but I do not think it will work a third time without becoming a bit stale.
Mix up the environments: The first Uncharted largely took place in a jungle, with one refreshing change in locale near the end. Uncharted 2 had many location changes, but had lots of typical environments; they had their cities, their jungles, their snowy mountains, and even a underground level that could look like a lava level with an ominous red glow throughout. Hopefully the next Uncharted will have some more creative levels that deviate from the norm. One example could be a level on a plane 2500 feet in the air, or a parachuting level. Anything that changes up the sure-fire locale design from the first two games would be a refreshing change.
No more supernatural enemies: The zombies in the first Uncharted, while kind of cool, were totally out of place in the game. The INCREDIBLY annoying to kill blue bullet bags that populate the last levels of Uncharted 2 make no sense (I have played through the game three times and still don’t know exactly what they are) and only serve to change what you are killing. While all Uncharted games have a supernatural element, they don’t need to include the treasure turning the enemies into zombies.
Please let me kill something different: The first Uncharted consisted of Nathan Drake killing oodles of the same pirates, while Uncharted 2 had Drake killing oodles of contract soldiers. Why can’t I kill something else (besides blue people and zombies)?!
Learn how to make a good boss fight: The “boss fight” at the end of Uncharted: Drakes Fortune was not even a boss fight; it was a short quick-time event. The “boss fight” at the end of Uncharted 2 consisted of Drake running in circles and trying to shoot blue stuff when the crazed maniac was near it. These levels are easily the worst in both games. They should either scrap the boss fight for the next game or put more focus on those levels, because they, like the aforementioned predictable characters, do not live up to the high standards that the rest of the game sets for itself.
Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Uncharted, but as a passionate fan, I want some things to change so that Uncharted can be the best it can be.