Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PlayStation 3)

It belongs in a museum? Well not on my watch!

Uncharted was a ground breaking action/adventure game that set a high bar on the PS3. Not many games have managed to reach the quality of Uncharted and certainly no one expected the sequel to go above and beyond the call of duty in that respect, well, just one play-through of the game proved that not only does it leave Uncharted in the dust, it buries the needle in terms of the third person action, puzzle and adventure genre.

So how did Naughty Dog refine the original in every way possible, borrow some of the most classic moments from various films and wrap it all up with an addictive multiplayer experience that is much better than Gears of War 2. Well, read on.

Story

Nathan Drake is back and he’s wrapped up in a plot that is worthy of the best Indiana Jones action movie. I’m not going to spoil it and tell you anything at all, except that it’s best to just play the game and find out yourself how really well told and cinematic the story of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves really is.

Gameplay

Uncharted was without a doubt, really good, it borrowed a lot from several games including the Tomb Raider and Indiana Jones action games...however it fell short in places due to the tricky use of the six-axis controller and the sometimes ridiculous level of difficulty in the gun-fights. The hand to hand was pretty tricky (although I didn’t really have a problem with it). So, flash forwards to now and Uncharted 2. Naughty Dog listened to consumer complaints, suggestions and reviews from the press. They listened hard and the result is a game that is smoother and far more rewarding than Drake’s first outing. With exploration that is just as rewarding as the gun play. Drake can shoot from ledges and whilst hanging on things like ropes and so on. Uncharted 2 also has a nicely crafted checkpoint system that removes frustration and allows save anywhere so you do not have to put in a marathon session to get to the next checkpoint.

To those new to Uncharted 2, what, go right now and buy Uncharted, complete it and then come back to play the sequel. Uncharted 2 has been given a control makeover; the six-axis has been turned off by default and now throwing grenades is a lot easier than having to perform a controller-based voodoo dance every time you want to lob one. For the first time player the game has been made easier, a lot easier. Naughty Dog have added a few assists and certainly toned down the toughness of their enemies from the beginning, now things slowly ramp up as you play through the game’s 26 or so chapters. Drake’s unarmed combat is based on tapping the square button to deliver bone-crunching context-sensitive combos and he can even sneak and attack the enemy whilst they are unawares, pulling them over logs and boxes to punch their ticket for good. The triangle button is used to counter if an opponent grabs you, it’s simple but thanks to the animation, very rewarding.

Enemies have been classified into different types now, so you have grunt-like baddies that will fall like confetti to your awesome gun-fu and heavily armoured guys with bullet proof vests and full body armour, these take one heck of a pounding and require some serious firepower to deal with on the harder difficulty levels. There are tweaks to the way that Nathan is controlled, cover is a lot easier to use in the game and since it relies on a context sensitive cover system you can move from cover to cover quickly and efficiently. Enemies don’t spam grenades either, unlike Uncharted where it seemed as if they had a factory in their backpacks.

There are new weapons and some new items, like the bulletproof riot shield. You also have an AI partner who joins you sometimes. They can help you solve certain puzzles; they don’t get in the way and can fight/navigate in the environment just as well as you do. They never become a liability. Yes, that’s right, you heard correctly an AI partner that doesn’t suck to play alongside.

The game features some incredible set pieces and a very cool start, to tell you anything about these would be like removing the frosting off a delicious cake and then replacing it with concrete, a vast and inedible tooth-breaking spoiler. So I will just say that I enjoyed every twist and turn of these game play elements that change-up Uncharted 2’s play every so often and make a refreshing addition to the series.

Every time you get a trophy, Uncharted 2 rewards you with a big cash bonus that you can use in the bonus shop, either in sp or mp to unlock rewards and perks. There are some nice bonuses and very useful tweaks that add to the replay factor of the game, offering a good incentive to play through the single player a couple of times to tag some cash and find those missing artefacts and treasures. I should also note that there are puzzles in the game but I’m not going to say a single thing about them, except they are well integrated into the overall flow.