Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3)

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves


Format played: PS3

Players: 1 in campaign mode, up to 3 in co-op multiplayer, up to 12 in competitive multiplayer

Difficulty: Medium, though bloody tricky on later skill levels

Gametime Needed: Roughly 10 hours on normal, a bit more on hard, slightly more on crushing. Then an extra few hours to go back for all the treasures. Then multiplayer! In short, plenty.

There comes a time when a game comes along that you have to try really, really hard to find even the slightest hint of a problem with. I've recently completed Naughty Dog's Uncharted 2 - the sequel to the best selling Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, one of the flagship games for the PS3. And do you know what? I actually think I might have found a negative point. Well, possibly. If you're being REALLY picky. I shall come to this minor, minor problem later. But it's not really worth worrying about so don't think it's a deal breaker if you're not sure about purchasing this game. Because if you own a PS3, NOTHING should stop you buying this absolute masterpiece.

Uncharted 2 starts off with real drama, as Drake is suspended in midair, hanging to the seats of a train which is in turn hanging off a cliff in the Himalayas. No cushy tutorial is needed here, and you need to get used to the frantic pace and sudden, heartstoppingly gripping drama right from the off, because the pace never relents, the drama never ceases.

Drake clings on for dear life - and this is just the starting sequence

The story is fantastically well cut, with flashbacks a-plenty until you finally reach the present day, and rejoin an exhausted Drake spread eagled over the snowy ground at the top of the mountain by the wrecked train. But in between this frantic opening and the moment you start to explore the snowy landscape around the wreck, you'll have experienced many magnificent environments both rural and urban, and have killed a wide variety of bad guys. You'll also have been introduced to your new companions, Flynn - a wise cracking Brit - and the eye candy of Uncharted 2, Chloe. You'll also bump into some familiar faces along the way. The voice acting is superb, the cut scenes perfect. In fact, they're so good that when they blend back into the action, I have literally been unable to tell that I'm back in control of Drake. Yes - Uncharted 2 is visually incredible. I may have rabbitted on and on and on about how great Prince of Persia, Batman and Killzone look. But none of them can hold a tee to Uncharted 2. There were occasions where I stopped playing for a few minutes just so I could take in the surroundings. The level of detail is truly breathtaking.

The scenery from the top of the hotel in urban Nepal - staggering

This screenshot isn't from a cutscene - this is simply a typical view of the excellent level in urban Nepal. However, what it doesn't show you is the intricate platforming skills required to reach this vantage point, nor the gun battle with loads of bad guys, not to mention the adrenelaine pumping fight with a helicopter over the rooftops.

Uncharted 2 isn't just a one trick pony though. Like Arkham Asylum (and, naturally, like it's predecessor, Drake's Fortune) there are plenty of puzzles to solve, where you'll get a welcome break from shooting things and instead need to use a bit of intelligence. The puzzles are varied enough not to get tiresome, and are probably just about the right mix of difficulty and longevity. Oh, and they ALSO look impressive, and make the plot that little bit more exciting. Sometimes, you can't wait to see what's behind the door you're about to unlock. And almost every time you do, you're blown away by the visuals yet again.

The majority of Uncharted 2 takes place in Nepal, but unlike games such as Tomb Raider (or even Arkham Asylum) there is little evidence of repetition in the surroundings. Without wanting to give too much away, a simple trip up a mountainside is enough to display breathtaking surroundings of varying content. Buildings, villages, vehicles, greenery - it's all magnificent to look at, and never becomes monotonous.

"Behind you!!"

The combat plays out is much the same way as the original Uncharted, except for the added bonus of the new stealth mode. Creep up behind a bad guy and press square, and he'll be taken out Batman-style. If done properly, no other enemies will be alerted. It certainly adds yet another aspect to the game, and means you can negotiate certain levels in slightly different ways, without using up precious ammo. Otherwise, combat is very similar and still feels as fun as ever. Headshots still feel extremely gratifying, and there is a decent assortment of weapons to use.


Another new feature in the sequel is the multiplayer mode. A quick glance would have you believe that this is nothing more than an add-on, bunged on the end of a solid single player game. Wrong. The multiplayer mode more than holds its own, even incorporating a levelling-up system not too dissimilar from Call of Duty. There are plenty of game modes, from simple team deathmatch to objective based games, such as King of the Hill, Elimination, etc. You're still able to use your character to jump around the scenery as you do in campaign mode, and as you progress and earn money, you can unlock more characters to play as. Also, the more you level up, the more perks you earn. It's quite a steep learning curve, but even someone playing against you who has reached level 40 is 'killable'. I think it rewards you enough for reaching the higher levels without making you invincible.

The maps on multiplayer are pretty good - the fact that you can climb around the scenery helps, as now you're having look all around you to find out where your enemy is lurking. Once you get the hang of the layout, there are some ingenious hiding spots.

Multiplayer mode - if you see someone red - shoot!

Could Uncharted 2's multiplayer mode be a COD beater? Hmm, not quite, at least - not for me, but it certainly doesn't disgrace itself. I would say it is better than the multiplayer offerings of Gears of War, and that is no mean accolade. A hastily rushed add-on to the main game it certainly isn't.

But if you don't want to jump in against the world (who may be significantly better at the game than you), there are other game modes to enjoy with friends. There is an excellent co-op mode, where you and up to 2 friends can tackle a length section from the 1-player mode together which - if there are only 2 of you - is really quite a challenge. There is also a 'treasure trove' mode, in which you are faced with wave after wave of bad guys as you try and retrieve a piece of treasure - located in various parts of the map - and bring it back to your base. Team work and communication is important here, and it's bloody good fun!

Overall, you're getting a LOT for your £40 here. And that's even after you've finished the superb campaign mode. It's a shame there are no trophies to aim for in the multiplayer modes, (a criticism I have often said about COD so it's nothing new for me!) but that's not enough to keep you away.

Uncharted 2 certainly looks better than the vast majority of it's peers, and plays beautifully. The levels are wonderfully crafted, the storyline paces along nicely with some decent twists along the way. Drake himself is actually quite a likeable character, as are the vast majority of the supporting cast (with the possible exception of the VERY stereotypical main bad guy). Oh yes - that one weak spot. Sometimes, the levels look so gorgeous and are so detailed, the next place to jump to/climb up isn't always very clear. That is honestly the only thing I could criticise about this fabulous, fabulous game - and it's one borne purely through the super-realistic visuals.

This game is an absolute joy to play, from start to finish. Anyone with a PS3 MUST buy Uncharted 2. Anyone without a PS3 MUST buy one, simply to be able to play Uncharted 2. The bar has been raised in the video games industry, and now that we've seen what can be achieved, the future for gaming fans looks very exciting indeed. Magnificent.

Ian's Score: 9.5