Once my hyperventilating stopped from gripping this highly anticipated and beefy art book in my hands, I've gotten down and funky and am reviewing this color feast that is The Art of Uncharted 2.
This 272 page soft cover version has a laminated cardstock cover which folds around to the inside like a slipcover does on a hardback novel. It adds a sleek design to the regular edition of the book. Pretty snazzy considering there are no supple and soft materials of the pricier editions to fondle. The inside pages are glossy and shine enough to lure any passerby into browsing.
Inside, we are introduced with an informative little foreword from a few select people. Daniel Wade, the publisher for Ballistic; Robh Ruppel, the art director; Richard Lemarchand, Co-Lead Game Designer; and of course, Evan Wells and Amy Hennig, Co-President and Creative Director of Uncharted 2. In my previous post I had hoped Greg Edmonson spoke a part in the foreword about the music in the game but, alas, there is nothing. It's a minor quibble since I'm a behind-the-scenes aficionado.
Sections are essentially split into three main categories with subsections within each: characters, environments, and production art.
Characters
Mr. Drake's familiar, yet new gear
Sit still for that studio portrait...
Fashionable Flynn?
What game is a game without a solid cast of people you can control (and accidentally shoot up)? Character models and sketches show the many phases the artists went through to refine designs enough to make a final model. Commentary also compliments the pages and really gives insights how certain details turned out the way they did. The concept art doesn't stop at the star characters, though. Enemies get their share of fame. Naughty Dog has a quirky sense of humor and it shows throughout this book. The page dedicated to the three types of enemy soldiers is an example of silliness I like witnessing.
Environments
I'll stay down here with a steaming cup of hot cocoa, thanks.
Gorgeous architecture to marvel at.
Uncharted 2 has such a massive scale in their location designs that's it's not a shock that the environment portion of the book is the heftiest. It is flipping through these pages that the crew's chat about their inspirations and thoughts comes to the forefront which deems this book more than the simple "art book" label. Each locale in the game has its own section, such as the convoy and monastery. At times the sketches are laid out next to the CG surroundings which make for interesting comparisons.
Production art
Aptly titled, "Blowing Things Up". Gotta love it!
Ending this whopping book is the production art which covers special effects and the cinematics. Discussion ranges from how Naughty Dog wanted to top their first game in the visual department (AKA dramatic and satisfying explosions) to the voice and motion capture process. Tidbits of factual fun about major events and the throwaway events --wrong bus route, anyone?-- are captured in print. Chaos and destruction are quite calculated despite looks!
Much like the behind-the-scenes unlockable videos upon completing Uncharted 2, finishing this art book will keep your mouth open in awe for longer than you intend because of the staggering amount of information delivered. Special edition or not, The Art of Uncharted 2 is a testament to how incredibly advanced production values in video games have come along since Pong days.
Want this book? Buy it here...
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