(release) 10/13/09
(developer) Naughty Dog
(publisher) Sony Computer Entertainment
(platform) PS3
As I said before, I wasn’t crazy about the original Uncharted. It had a lot of great ideas and it did a lot of things well, but in the end it was buried by a frustrating mix of messy combat and clumsy platforming. You could tell that Naughty Dog was onto something though, and with a few more great ideas and some polish on the existing parts, a truly great sequel would be just a matter of time. I can tell you now, without a shadow of doubt, they delivered on every single problem I had with the first game and created one of the most fun and captivating experiences I've ever had. From start to finish, Uncharted 2 will sink its talons in you and never let go, and you’ll cherish every second of it. It’s that amazing. Really.
Everyone’s favorite treasure hunting troublemaker Nathan Drake is back and better than ever. Roughly a year after the events of the first game, Drake meets up with some old acquaintances who tell him of a plan to steal a Mongolian oil lamp from a Turkish museum. This is no ordinary oil lamp, however, and when Drake learns that it could lead to the discovery of Marco Polo’s lost fleet and the unimaginable treasure that lies within, the hunt is on. While the story is still standard Uncharted fare, it still does a great job of keeping you interested in what's going to happen next. You'll feel more connected to the characters though, thanks to an exceptional leap in the quality of the writing. Drake’s interactions with his companions feel more human, helping to flesh out more realistic and emotional character development. There’s no wasted dialog. Every scene (other than some light comedic relief) has importance purpose. That’s not to say the game is 100% serious at all times, it just seems more focused and keeps you tuned into what’s important. That’s the keyword: important. There’s a lot more riding on the actions of Drake and company this time, and it really shows. While the story and writing may be great, it's not without its flaws. The main bad guy is too cliched at points and segments towards the end wind up being a bit too over the top and unbelievable. Don’t let these even begin to be a deterrent. Naughty Dog stepped up their game like almost no other developer has and presented the audience with a truly engaging experience, the likes of which I’ve never played before in this genre.
Combat was one of the things I and many others had major complaints with in Uncharted 1. Naughty Dog definitely listened to what their fans had to say because the combat was a total blast (no pun intended) throughout the course of the entire game. All of the problems I had, from the later game enemies taking absurd amounts of shots to put down, or to enemies throwing grenades at walls right in front of them, have all but vanished. Hit detection is also fixed, improving the overall feel immensely. The core of the combat hasn't really changed; the gun-play just feels much tighter and more refined. You’ll still be using pistols and AKs (among a few new weapons, but nothing really worth mentioning), but you won’t be swearing at the TV anymore while doing so. Perhaps my favorite new addition, however, is the smarter design of the combat and the larger emphasis on stealth play. Many of the firefights (especially towards the end) take place in huge, multi-tiered open environments, leaving you free to take on the enemy in whatever way suits you. Take the high ground to gain advantage in a gunfight or take cover and eliminate the enemy silently. The latter reminds me of games like Metal Gear Solid or Deus Ex: Human Revolution at times, just not as in depth stealth-wise. Plotting out how you are going to take out a room full of baddies never gets old, and is a welcomed addition to the series. If done right, you’ll have at least half the room cleared before the bullets start flying. Uncharted 1’s repetitive, narrow corridor shootouts are a thing of the past. Hand to hand fighting is still an option and it’s been simplified by getting rid of the out-of-place combo system. to just having you mash the square button for punches and the triangle button for the occasional duck. It’s faster and more satisfying for sure, but I wouldn’t rely on it in tough situations. Guns and stealth are a Drake’s best friend.
Subtle changes have also been made to the platforming mechanics making them a little more straight forward. The next ledge or brick is usually color coded allowing you to easily see where you need to go, even if that's exactly where the game wants. It's limited in terms of exploration, but it's just as fun making crazy leaps and blind jumps as it ever was. You won’t be stuck on the same ‘grab the vine and swing’ segments that occurred too often in Drake’s first outing, either (I can't stress enough how awesome this is, in particular). I also felt a much bigger influence from Assassin’s Creed in the way Drake can traverse certain objects. You don’t have nearly that much freedom, but it can really help when you’re under fire and you need to get to a new vantage point as quickly as possible. All in all it’s still very linear in terms of where you can and can’t go, but it feels more open at the same time. Please tell me that makes sense. The shooting and platforming segments are also helped by an excellent checkpoint system. You'll never have to start more than a minute or two from your last death. Excellent!
Graphically the game is on a level all alone. Nothing clever to say here. Simply put, the game is head and shoulders above anything you’ll see this generation. From the dense jungles of the games beginning, to the vast snow-capped mountain ranges or Tibet, the game never fails drop jaws at every turn. It’s not only the quality of the visuals that will have you drooling, but the sheer amount of detail Naughty Dog has put into their environments. The locations you visit feel more vibrant and alive than before and you can easily tell how much research and effort went into their creation. Speaking about the environments brings me to my next point: the varied locations in the game. The first Uncharted took place deep in jungles and ancient ruins. It was nice too look at for a while, but it retrospect, it got dull rather quickly. Drake decided enough was enough, grabbed a map, and headed to several beautiful locations across the globe (Priceline?). Drake’s travels will take him to locations such as the jungles of Borneo, museums in Istanbul, urban Nepal, Tibetan mountain villages, and many others. I can’t emphasize enough how this helps to keep things fresh and exciting throughout the course of the game. Throw in an expertly crafted and more varied score (the music takes its roots from the areas of the world Drake visits), and you have the most complete presentation on the PS3.
The ultimate amalgamation of these new improvements would no doubt be the insane set pieces scattered throughout the game. Being chased by an attack chopper through the bombed out buildings of an entire city? Battling across the length of a train as it barrels along at high speed, shooting enemies and dodging incoming railway signs at every turn? How about the chase scenes where Drake is running towards the camera (a throwback to a certain Naughty Dog game from the PS1 era), jumping over obstacles and blindly firing at certain death only feet behind? These are amazingly well done and are far and away the highlights of the entire game. I don’t remember a single section of Uncharted 1 that got my heart pounding like these segments did. Bravo, guys. Bravo.
New to the franchise is multiplayer. It’s always tricky to pull off multiplayer in a single player franchise, but Naughty Dog hit a homerun with their first attempt in the series. Team deathmatch, elimination, zone control, and capture the treasure are all included. They’re not that different from anything you’ve seen before, but they look and feel just like the fantastic shootouts from the single player campaign, leaving you to play in whatever style you want. The developer has also included co-operative and survival modes into the mix. Survival follows the trend set by Gears of War's Horde mode and Halo's Firefight: survive wave after wave of increasingly difficult enemies. There is also a co-op mode where you and some friends can complete objectives loosely based on single player levels. This had the most appeal for myself because I’m getting old and bitter and deathmatch isn’t as fun as it used to be. While playing, you’ll start ranking up and earning money which can be spent on unlockable perks. Among them are increased accuracy, faster movement with large weapons, and faster reloading. Unlock several of them and you’ll be able to customize your character to your preferred play style. All in all its a superb addition to the franchise, and one that you’ll want to revisit over and over again.
So far everything sounds perfect, right? Not quite. There are a few nagging little issues I had, but trust me: it doesn’t affect your overall enjoyment at all. For as fun as the story can be, it can also be a little unoriginal. Especially the third act, which falls a bit short with its emphasis on the stereotypical and unoriginal villain. Puzzles are too simple, offering little real challenge whatsoever. That might not be a bad thing for everyone though, considering over complex puzzles can mess with a game's pacing and turn off some gamers. As for the game's length, I clocked in at right about 10 hours. Not too short for the tone of the game, really, but you’ll have so much fun playing it that it's over before you know it. Lastly, I thought there were a few too many big shootouts towards the end of the game. I know that games tend to get more difficult near the end, but when you are so interested in the final moments of the story, you end up getting into a gunfight at every corner. Again, the game was still an absolute joy from start to finish, but I felt inclined to point out a few of the shortcomings.
FINAL WORDS:
What else is there to say? Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is simply the best action adventure game I’ve ever played. Maybe even the best ever. From the open and varied combat, Hollywood level presentation, and amazing locations in every chapter, I cannot recommend this game enough. To anyone with a PS3 (if you don’t have one, sell a kidney!) this is perhaps the most unmissable game for the system, and more than likely for the generation. It has no equal.
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