I have one word to describe this game, and that word is “Awesome!” The most used vocabulary for the Naughty Dog’s design team, “awesome” describes the story, gameplay, characters, graphics, immersion, and a slew of other things.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves starts of with our boy Nathan Drake badly injured, not recognizing his own blood, about to fall to his death inside a train compartment dangling off a cliff. What a way to start the game off as you try to climb your way back onto the cliff (just think of Jurassic Park 2). The game then goes back into the past and we see Nate and two new characters, Flynn and Chloe, joining him on his adventure of finding out the mystery to Marco Polo’s adventures.
The greatest element of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is the total immersion of being inside a Hollywood summer blockbuster. “Active Cinematic Experiences,” as the devs would call it, would bring you intense action in dynamic set pieces, while still being able to control Nate. A great example of this would have to be the helicopter scene, where Nate is trying to escape from its pursuit while it’s shooting at you, causing walls to burst and you to fall into the ground. Later in the scene, the building would crumble with you in it, and you’d have to make a jump from one building into another before it falls on top of you. Now that’s something you can’t experience at the theater.
Exploration, stealth, hand-to-hand, and gunplay, this game has it all.
For the exploration aspect, this is what Tomb Raider should have been, and that game helped introduce exploration games. Camera angles moves and pans out when needed, so you can see where you’re headed, thus not having to wrestle with the camera controls. In certain scenes, the camera angle enhances the gameplay, especially a scene that involves a mysterious figure.
The melee battles have been altered to use only one melee button, compared to the two buttons from the first game. Replacing the second button is the dodging and countering action. This adds another cool-factor into the game and makes it look like a brutal one-on-one fight club.
Gunplay is the same as the first, where most of the time you’ll be covering behind walls, crates while popping out to shoot when the enemies reload. Nate’s very quick with his movements and can pop in and out like those “whac-a-moles.”
My favorite addition to the game is the stealth portion of the game. He’s no Sam Fisher or Solid Snake, but based on this game, he can kick more ass than both of them combined. It’s simple really, if he gets caught, he won’t have a hard time, unlike Sam Fisher, who has to breathe before he aims, and he’s suppose to be the best of the best (Yes, I know they’re trying to make that game more realistic).
The loading is non-existent throughout the game, other than the initial load in the beginning. This really helps in the immersion and it doesn’t take you away from the game.
The script is funny and you’ll be along for the ride as Nate and his environment around him turns goes topsy-turvy. He’s not your typical hero since he’s clumsy at times, and fallible. But he is very sarcastic and always trying to be the hero. Nate and the cast of Uncharted 2 are characters that you can grow with. Subtle facial expressions really bring out the emotions and believability into the world of Uncharted.
This game is worth the money since you get story mode, multiplayer mode, and behind-the-scenes footage from Naughty Dog. Online multiplayer is similar to Metal Gear online, and is very fun with responsive and quick controls for those sweat-inducing battles against online players.
Like with any games, there are things that irked me, like most of the characters in the game are somehow an expert gymnast, but hey, it’s a video game.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves brings back a sense of awe and wonder into games. This is a must play game if you have a PS3, and if you don’t have one, buy one! It is cheap now you know. It’s got a good solid story, characters you’ll root for, and the Active Cinematic Experience really engages you with adrenaline and excitement at every turn. This is no doubt, a contender for game of the year.
Grade: A+
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