Quote Originally Posted by Joystiq.com
If there's one thing everyone has been talking about with Uncharted, it's the complex animation system. Thousands of animations are blended together in real-time to create a visually complex world that feels alive. Drake responds to his surroundings: you'll see him look at points of interest, struggling to keep his footing, and more. In one heated gunfight, we had him take cover fire and could see the worried look on his face as he breathed heavily The animation system helps make Drake not only a more believable character, but one we can relate to.


We have no qualms about the platforming aspects of the game. However, combat proved to be difficult, due to its rather cumbersome controls, and buggy performance. The game employs a cover system, not unlike that found in Gears of War. For example, Drake can hide behind a wall, peek out and fire a few rounds. Then, he can run forward and take cover behind a rock. However, we found ourselves having a lot of difficulty "sticking" to the appropriate cover, in the direction we wanted to. Gears of War features an elegant control mechanism, where all actions are performed through the context-sensitive A button. Uncharted uses multiple buttons on the controller for the same actions, which is certainly disorienting.


If any game needs to be delayed, it has to be Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. We're confident that the team at Naughty Dog can make a stellar game, and we doubt they'll rush Uncharted just to make its November release. Considering how many other high-profile games are arriving on PS3 (and other consoles) later this year, we'd love to see Naughty Dog take the time to really iron out the bugs and refine the controls -- if they do, Uncharted can easily be one of the best games on the platform.
Click the link to read the full article: http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/16/jo...uncharted-ps3/

I remember reading a series of articles from IGN about the future of gaming, and something they brought up was that even though graphically, games have improved, but the animation still looks like a "videogame". They showcased a series of games to prove the point.

For example, when you're playing a boxing title, your button presses create jerky movements in your character. Or when you're playing a football title, a change in direction is abrupt and not fluid.

IGN then showcased an animation test from Naughty Dog. I was amazed to say the least. Hopefully the kinks get ironed out by the time this game launches!

EDIT: Here's that IGN article on Animation. Check out the difference!

http://games.ign.com/articles/772/772882p1.html