Speaking of the climbing mechanics, some of the new gameplay footage that showed Drake veering off up the side of a cliffside then had him pluck a piece of climbing equipment out the wall, only to continue upwards, utilising it along the way. For the most part climbing sections in video games are rarely something you enjoy most, instead existing as a thing that must be surmounted so you can get on with whatever the main draw is. The Assassin's Creed series initially looked like it was going to have something more weight or momentum-based when it came to ensuring protagonist Altair could make it up any surface. In actuality though, all that amounted to was holding forward and one of the triggers - not something that makes for enthralling gameplay when you're doing it for hours on end. In Uncharted you've always been stuck on a fairly linear path up and across the levels, with the signifier that you can progress to another outcrop being Drake's outstretched hand. In U4 it seems like Nate is free to venture off in any direction, with Naughty Dog modifying his collision detection to factor in any surface that looks like it would give purchase. If it's done well and the element of exploration translates into some tactile and responsive controls, that notion of going off the beaten path and indulging in something that used to be a tired element of game design could make this instalment feel surprisingly fresh.
