10 Ways Video Games Blew Your Mind (Without You Even Realising)
8. Amazing Physics Set-Pieces - Uncharted 2 & 3
The Uncharted series is no stranger to spectacle - in fact, its success hinges heavily on its huge Hollywood style set-pieces.
Probably the most impressive example of this is Uncharted 2's 13th Chapter, Locomotion, which sees Drake traversing a freight train whilst under heavy fire, beginning in the jungle and seamlessly transitioning to perilous mountain cliffsides. However, as impressive as this set-piece is to the player, its execution behind the scenes is absolutely incredible.
Unlike video game train sequences that had come before this, Naughty Dog created two huge looping tracks. The train, itself a series of moving physics objects, hurtles along the first loop until the player reaches a suspiciously high-sided train car.
A cutscene triggers, obscuring the view of the map switching out for another, in which the train enters a tunnel. Again, another cutscene masks a further map change, transitioning to the second looping track on the side of a mountain, making up the final stages of the level. A masterstroke of both level design and programming.
Similarly, Uncharted 3 has a section set on a sinking cruise ship. The ship itself is one gigantic physics object driven by a dynamic water system, once again presenting the player with genuine motion rather than an illusion.