10 Big Leaps Between Video Game Sequels

They can't all be immediately obvious leaps and bounds, sometimes it's fun to get a little more granular. When it comes to refining an idea and learning from experiences, the first two Uncharted games are a brilliant example of iterating a sequel within the same console space.

Aesthetically, despite just two years between them, there's quite a strong difference between the first two Uncharted games, especially when it comes to character models. Obviously, Naughty Dog already had plenty to build from and had experience working within the PS3's tech at this point - a console that was notoriously hard to develop for - so that time was spent turning the flat-faced action figures of Uncharted into more detailed and more handsomely chiselled characters. This really helps the improved script land, too.

But it's not just about graphics, sequels can be about finding one's feet. Where the original Uncharted was a decent if repetitive cover shooter, Among Thieves saw the series become the "video game/action movie hybrid" spectacle that it became known as. The sequel does an infinitely better job of pacing shooting galleries and climbing sections, and features some of the best set-pieces in the series - including the train shoot-out with its impressively immersive looping background.

Uncharted 2 is what made Nathan Drake the Sony mascot he became for the next decade.