The perfect blend of action and drama wrapped in solid gameplay, with new elements that keep the series refreshing


 


 

Publisher: SCEA

Developer: Naughty Dog
Release Date: 10/13/2009

In 2007, the first installment of Uncharted became one of PS3’s finest “early-generation” games. Its compelling and Hollywood-like storyline and script, witty characters, excellent graphics (who could forget the realistic water rendering in the jet-ski level finale?), and solid gameplay has made developer Naughty Dog’s task of coming up with a worthy sequel that much harder.

In Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Nathan Drake returns as the game’s hero once more. This time around, Nate jumps into action and unknown danger when he accepts a mission to find an oil lamp that may eventually lead to Marco Polo’s lost fleet and its treasures.

Figure 1 Plenty of urban warfare this time around

If gamers thought Nathan’s animation in Uncharted was top-notch, Among Thieves certainly has raised the bar in that department. This can be most noticeably seen when the protagonist goes in and out of cover. One of the first things to be emphasized upon in the game is the stealth combat. When Nathan and Flynn sneak into a building filled with baddies at the beginning of the game, stealth takedowns were the obvious choice. Whether it is sneaking up from behind and killing an enemy, or grabbing an unsuspecting foe by the shirt and pulling him down to oblivion while hanging on a ledge, these so-called surprise attacks deliver much more satisfaction than in the first game. Yet somehow, the solid control system allows players to execute the moves effortlessly. Even blind-fire can lead to many a kill. Each weapon has a distinct character to it, and features like the red-dot sight make headshots a plausibility rather than an element of luck. Plenty of adrenaline pumping moments await, like when Nathan and Chloe are forced to outrun a truck in a narrow backlane. Overall, the gameplay has a very much polished and well-thought out feel to it. Once in awhile the curse of dumb AI shows up, and one or two puzzles might seem more frustrating than challenging, but those are forgivable in the grand scheme of things. Gamers will never find themselves cursing Uncharted 2’s controls, but instead relishing every takedown and puzzle solving opportunity.

Figure 2 Drake implements stealth much more often than in the first game

Drake’s Fortune is well-known for its cinematic charisma , and it is a matter of relief to report that Among Thieves continues that trait. Nate meets up with new personalities like Flynn and Chloe, and eventually the cast from the first installment will make an appearance as expected. The initial impression of Chloe to some might be as Nathan’s “love” interest, but as the game wears on, it is realized that she actually has quite a pivotal role in the plot (okay, no more spoilers :P ). The script remains as witty and humorous as ever, and this is clearly evidenced in the conversations between Nathan and Flynn, and also with Chloe.

Naughty Dog has given us top-notch visuals for Uncharted 2. Although one might not immediately notice the jump in graphics quality and performance, the game will introduce new graphics elements as it progresses. These can range from the subtle to the totally outlandish, but will nonetheless amaze gamers and bystanders alike. One of the notable visual improvements is the increased number of particles and physics effects. As explained in “The Making of…” videos, the development team has managed to put most (if not all) of the PS3’s processors to work. Buildings explode beautifully into uncountable pieces, the chilling coldness of an ice cave can almost be felt, and stunning vistas can be appreciated while fending off villains atop a moving train. Another interesting feature is the “focus effect”, where the background blurs out as u take aim at someone or something. Audio is again a solid component, dialogue is clear and the sounds in action sequences manage to convey their impact. The musical score gives Among Thieves a scale of epic proportions, which in all respects it rightfully is. As mentioned earlier, production values here are Hollywood-like in nature.

Figure 3 Most sequences fit right into Hollywood

Multiplayer is gladly not an afterthought, but a much welcomed supplement to the single-player campaign. It is challenging and fun at the same time, and there is no shortage of modes to choose from. The standard Deathmatch and CTF modes are available, along with cooperative modes as well. The game also rewards achievements with medals and money, a sure-fire way to add longevity value to the title.

All in all, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves manages to live up to its incredible hype. It goes one better on the already excellent formula of the first title. Undoubtedly it will be on the PS3’s must-buy list for a long time to come. Naughty Dog was already on the world gaming map, but with this product they are arguably elevated to the echelons of “the best of the best”. To top Uncharted 2 would be very hard indeed, but at the same time hardly anyone would be betting against Uncharted 3 ;)

Score: 9/10