Uncharted 2

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
PS3
SCEE

The Good – Fantastically paced action and story – Acting, script and visuals are stunning – engaging multiplayer
The Bad – Cover system can get a little twitchy in close quarters – not enough puzzles involving the notebook

When the PS3 first came out there was noticeable lack of top quality PS3 exclusive games, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune was one of the few good ones. It took the fun exploring elements of Tomb Raider games but actually had a fun and engaging combat system as well. The acting and story were fantastic and the script was genuinely funny. Uncharted 2 has kept all of these strengths and improved on them, this would have been enough, but Naughty Dog have added a fantastic multiplayer system that could be a standalone game on its own.

U2:AT follows the exploits of Nathan Drake, a treasure hunter, I’m not going to go into any of the story because I do not want to give anything away. Needless to say Nate ends up travelling the world to a host various locations with a great cast of characters. The story is where U2:AT surpasses every other game out there, not only is the acting top notch but the script really works as well, no part of the dialogue feels forced and all the characters throughout the game have something to contribute.



Not one of the gameplay elements are best in class, the puzzles are good but not particularly taxing or clever like a Zelda game, Nate is agile and a good climber but not as agile as Altair from Assassins Creed and the pop and stop shooting is good but not as good as Gears of War. Don’t get me wrong, all of the above aspects are done well, there are some death defying leaps that will have you gasping and Nate has a notebook to help with some of the puzzles that is smoothly worked in (although this is not used enough).

The combat maybe needs a bit more explanation, while stop-and-pop action has been seen in other shooters, the levels in Among Thieves are designed to take advantage of vertical space to give these tussles a more dynamic feel. In many of these set-piece battles, you have the choice to stay behind cover, peppering enemies from afar or to dance away from the action, strategically positioning yourself right where your foes are most vulnerable. Combat is not only restricted to gunplay and up close Nate is quite handy in a straight up fist fight. Stealth has also been added this time around and it sort of works, sneaking up behind guards and choking them, pulling them over crates or just pushing them off a ledge is somehow satisfying. But if you take out a guard, leave him out in the open sprawled across the floor, another patrolling guard can look straight at him and not raise the alarm.



It’s the mix of all of these elements and great pacing that makes U2:AT a fantastic game, not staying on any one game mechanic for too long and taking you from one exhilirating experience to the next. There is a long train level where you work your way from the back of the train to the front, this should get boring but each carriage has a different surprise waiting for you with a great climax at the end. All of this is complimented by some of the best graphics seen on the PS3, some of the character models are so life like but the enviroments are even more jaw dropping.

Okay, so Naughty Dog have made this Fucking brilliant game, do they stop there, of course not. There is also a brilliant multiplayer game. The first of which is a three player co-op mode, there a various scenes taken and adapted from the main game that you and two buddies must complete. They’re not quite as engaging as the main game but are fun as enemies swarm around you from all angles. The competitive multiplayer is even better. The levels are once again modeled on environments from the main quest, your impressive agility in battle combined with the powerful weaponry make for explosive competitions. There are a number of gameplay types, which are variations on such popular formulas as Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, and Territories. But the sheer thrill of battle raises these beyond the forgettable squall of other shooters. Your agility is the main differentiating factor. It is simply incredible to spring away from your vicious buddy who is happily wielding a shotgun, leap across a gaping ravine, and grab on to a far-off ledge with just your fingertips. Frantically slamming on the X button to hoist yourself to safety while your opponent comes storming after you is a heart-racing experience, and turning the tables on your pursuer as he tries to make the same treacherous leap is so satisfying. There is also a perks system that gives you rewards beyond mere fun for sinking time into this endeavor. These rewards increase your killing power and make the mode even more fun.



Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is the complete package, a brilliant single player experience that never gets boring with a great Multiplayer game to boot. If I was going to be overly critical I was a little disapointed with the end, maybe because everything leading up to it was so good, I maybe expected more. The only other downside is that it’s now a long wait for Uncharted 3. I would be gobsmacked to find anybody that purchases this game not to enjoy the experience from start to finish.
9/10