Netflix is home to many high-quality blockbuster franchises. Movies likeProject Power,The Old Guard,andThe Gray Manall showcase how the streaming platform pulls no punches in terms of delivering thrilling action and top-notch special effects, giving consumers the same quality of theatrical experiences.Extraction 2is the latest of these big-budget movies, and its standout action scene is oddly reminiscent ofUncharted 2: Among Thieves, a stellar action-adventure game from Naughty Dog.
Even by today’s standards,Uncharted 2: Among Thievesis a landmark action game, setting the standard by which further titles in the genre would be influenced. Its impact rippled throughout the industry, and with how different forms of media often borrow from each other,Extraction 2proves howUncharted 2’s highly praised train set piece works well.
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Uncharted 2’s Iconic Train Level
Uncharted 2begins with series protagonist Nathan Drake dangling off the end of a derailed train after what looked to be quite a nasty crash. It’s unclear what exactly got him to this point, as the game then sets into a non-linear narrative, flashing back and forth until players eventually reach the point where the game began. Just before the train flies off the tracks is one of the most iconic and thrilling set pieces in any game, even when compared to modernPlayStation-exclusive blockbusters likeMarvel’s Spider-ManandGod of War Ragnarok.
The train sequence tasks the player with traversing across each individual car to reach the front, all while battling enemies and being wary of the physics of the locomotive’s movement. It made for an innovative, well-designed, fast-paced sequence that cemented theUnchartedfranchise’s reputation for set-piece action. The train sequence rivals even the greatest action scenes from Hollywood films likeMission: ImpossibleandFast and Furious, and it makes sense that Naughty Dog’s action-intensive franchise would eventually be adapted into anUnchartedfilm.
Extraction 2’s Outstanding Long Take Action Scene
For fans of theUnchartedseries, watchingExtraction 2this past weekend likely raised a few eyebrows in a sense of deja vu. The first major set piece of the movie features a stunning ‘oner’ scene. It begins in a prison, which leads to a car chase to a factory, then ultimately concludes in an extended battle within and on top of a moving train.
The overall pace and momentum of the sequence are the spitting image ofUncharted 2’s infamous train scene, almost providing fans with what it would look like if translated to live action. Hemsworth’s character Tyler Rake combats soldiers in close-quarters combat, all while firing back at a pursuing helicopter that is relentlessly firing upon the train.
If there’s any doubt about the similarities between the two and that it may all just be a coincidence, both sequences also end with the train crashing off the tracks in a disastrous and violent fashion. InUncharted 2’s case, a bloodied and beaten Nate resorts to shooting some gas containers, causing an explosion that sends the train careening off the tracks to take down the bad guys within.
When it comes toNetflix’sExtraction 2, Rake manages to come out on top with fewer battle scars once his last opponent falls, but the train itself has no functional brakes. Naturally, he and the rest of his team strap in and brace for impact. All in all, putting both of these sequences side-by-side is a fun examination of how a similar concept can be executed so effectively in both cinematic and video game forms.
Uncharted 2: Among Thievesis available on the PS3, PS4, and PS5.
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