Figured I would expand a bit on my commentary here...
I'm really enjoying the beta so far. It's definitely different from Uncharted 2, but still retains much of the same feel. This is something that many developers strive to do with their games, but they tend to overshoot the mark. A good example of this is Saints Row 2. Instead of building upon the strengths of the original surprise hit, developer Volition scrapped part of what worked and introduced all new multiplayer modes that many fans of the first games didn't like.
So far in the beta it feels as though Naughty Dog has a better handle on this concept.
Fan favorite(and a staple of most online shooters) Team Deathmatch is back, though with some new elements. Power plays, which grant the losing team an advantage for 1 minute of play, are a first time addition for the series. Kickbacks, very similar to streak bonuses in games like Call of Duty(though not quite), are also new. Lastly, some stages will be dynamic. On the "Airstrip", you'll start off either inside of a plane that's taking off, or outside on a truck fighting to get aboard. It's actually done pretty well, and should only be better when the game launches on November 1st.
Other changes are a bit more subtle. Melee range has been toned down. The finishing animations for melee battles have been worked into multiplayer. Jumping and rolling look and feel a bit different than they did in Uncharted 2, or Uncharted 1 for that matter.
Run speed, probably due to the addition of a sprint button(more on this later), has been slowed down a bit. Sound effects for the weapons pack more of a punch. You'll see hit markers when your shots connect now.
All these changes make the game feel a bit different at first. The physics are also slightly reworked, giving your character a more realistic, weighty feel to go with all the finely crafted animations this series is known for.
Hardcore Uncharted 2 players might be turned off a bit at first, but if they stick with it for a few matches the vast majority of them will really enjoy the game.
Two really big changes are the aforementioned sprint button, and the return to 1.04 damage levels.
The sprint button was honestly something myself and a large part of the Uncharted 2 community who stuck with the game after 1.05 were against. It's a pretty significant change, which to many can, at first, seem to take a bit away from Uncharted's unique appeal and put it more in line with the Call of Duty franchise. I have to admit that it still felt alien to me after six or seven games, but I was getting used to it. While you're sprinting, you're wide open for being shot
as you sacrifice turn speed and the camera zooms in a bit. I think it's a fair trade.
The return to 1.04 damage levels let us all play this game the way it was meant to be played again.
Running for cover, just barely escaping as you leap up a wall, or chasing down an enemy who's doing those things, that's when Uncharted shines. It's very exciting, very fun to play, and I'm glad to see the game head in that direction again.
As the beta goes on Naughty Dog will be letting us test out additional modes and features. I can't wait to try them all.
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