Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Review

Written by: Darren Cartledge Posted: 21st October 2009

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Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Details:

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	Action
	PlayStation 3
	Naughty Dog
	Sony

16+

Out Now

1-8

Uncharted was one the more successful early PlayStation 3 releases, gaining acclaim from gamers and critics alike. So with its sequel being hyped up expectations were set high, its successor Uncharted 2: Among Thieves had some pretty big boots to fill. But instead of filling them it's more likely to burst right out of them.

Uncharted 2 obviously sees you once again step into the boots of treasure hunter Nathan Drake as he goes in search of Marco Polo’s lost fleet. This then leads him into a fierce race against a ruthless war criminal to find the fabled Cintamani Stone which Marco Polo wrote of in his journals believing it will grant him great power. The games story has all the makings of a Hollywood action movie! A rugged hero, hot chicks and betrayal and with that in mind it easy to say that Uncharted 2 plays very much like an action movie.

If you’re unfamiliar with the original game think Tomb Raider meets National Treasure and you’re somewhere close to Uncharted 2. The games levels mix things up quite a bit, for instance some will require you to use stealth, others will require you to run and gun your way through whilst others will throw in a puzzle for you to solve. There’s always something for you to do and immerse you in the game world. However, it’s not just the gameplay elements of the levels that have been designed well, but also the artwork. Environments range from sewers, museum exteriors, dense jungles, snow covered mountains, temple complexes and war torn cities. The level of detail is immense and texture detail brilliant, colours are vibrant and give the game world a living feeling as does the games ambient sound design. Levels themselves range in size, some are fairly short, whilst others are pretty long but developers Naughty Dog have made the game story flow flawlessly. For instance some of the games levels lead directly on to each, other – no loading, no cut-scene the levels literally end and start at the same point allowing the gameplay and story to flow at a consistent pace. The story as you would expect is a vastly important part to the overall package, that is Uncharted 2 and it really helps to pull you in to the role of Drake and keeps your attention right until the end of the game, the only real criticism I can level at the game is that the story is a little too long winded.

As I’ve already touched on playing through Uncharted 2 is very much like an action movie, this is mainly due to the scrapes our hero often finds himself in and the way the game portrays Drake being pushed to his physical limits. This is mostly evident in the brilliant way in which Drake has been animated and the way the environment reacts to his presence. Could seven hundred year old planks and brick work hold the weight of a man? Probably not and they often don’t in Uncharted 2. These physical demands placed on Drake aren’t only represented well in the games visual design but also in the witty remarks from the various characters, which have been scripted and are performed brilliantly. But the games overall brilliant sound design, is just further evidence of the high production values of Uncharted 2. This movie feeling is also portrayed well in the games shooter action! Shoot outs can be very intense and as soon as they start enemies seem to come from nowhere to join in. They will also close down your position and try and flank you, but despite this seemingly good A.I they can be a little dopey, as when using stealth moves they can often fail to spot you when you’re right in front of the them, enemies also tend to have a very short range of sight meaning you can perform stealth attacks on one only feet away from their comrades and still go unnoticed. The games 26 chapters will also take a fair amount of time to get through. I clocked up at least twelve to fifteen hours getting to the end of the game and this longevity is further enhanced by the addition of multiplayer game modes.

The games multiplayer is made up of a couple of co—operative and competitive team based game types. The competitive games types include deathmatch, elimination and objective. The co-operative game types include objective and arena. There all pretty standard to the genre, but have largely been implemented brilliantly, allowing you to perform all the moves and actions you can in the games single player mode. The game also includes a ranking up and boosts system, similar to the Perk system featured in the Call of Duty games multiplayer, rewarding gamers for prolonged play. I would go as far as to say the multiplayer action in Uncharted 2 is some of the best to grace the Third person shooter genre! But as good as it is, I can’t help but feel the limited number of game types overall hinder its lasting appeal.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is the best action adventure game I’ve played this year if not ever on the PlayStation 3. Its high production values shine out in its excellent visuals, brilliant sound design and intense and immersive gameplay. Despite its few flaws it provides a highly gripping playing experience, this is definitely one game every PS3 owner should play!