Graphics and Presentation

 

This game is undoubtedly a contender for game of the year 2009.  The game is a vision of beauty and polished to the high level. Environments are plastered with an immense level of detail and are virtually modeled to perfection. See plants and shrubbery sway violently to and fro from the propeller of an airborne gunship, while water glistens and reflects on the surface of nearby walls. These are just a prelude to what awaits gamers who brave the uncharted path.

As you play through Naughty Dogs latest adventure, you'll notice when jumping from structures, climbing buildings and in the midst of heavy action set pieces the camera rocks and sways dramatically. This really serves to keep players on edge and at the centre of the action, feeling like every moment could be their last. Objects and structures, Nathan Drake climbs upon will crumble and break under the pressure of his weight, definitely adds to the feeling of the uncharted world being believable and cohesive. Your main protagonist as well as being the adventuring type is also a master of reaction. He simply reacts so realistically to everything around him from trudging through snowy, water based terrain to his subtle movements while clambering on the many structures that inhabit his world. Watching as you run, jump and traverse the many structures dotted around Drake, he will trip and stumble realistically with every action you make.

Drake is so graceful while adapting to his environment, be it his footing or adjusting his posture to fit through narrow gaps, everything is just so well crafted. The game seamlessly blends player controlled actions with cinematic experience perfectly, always keeping the player immersed in the Uncharted World. In fact the in-game and the cut-scene engines blend together so smoothly I constantly found myself waiting for cut scenes to end, only to later realize the in-game engine had already kicked in and was now waiting for me.

Ever been inside a collapsing building? Well now's your chance. Uncharted 2 has some truly amazing set-pieces and being inside a collapsing building is just one of them. As bullets and missiles bombard the building the player is thrown to and fro, sees tables and desks slide from one side of the room to another as Nathan drake struggles to keep his balance. This is an amazing scene and reasons enough to go out and buy the game now.

Sound

Sound is a major part of the Uncharted 2 experience and is pulled off exceptionally well in every area. Voice acting in particular is implemented to the highest of standards. In game chatter between characters is superb. Nathan and company truly bounce off each other verbally, making players truly feel as if they were there with them.

The games musical score is suitably epic and does an amazing job of keeping you in the moment. Overall both voiceovers and musical score are superb, so much so that you won't be able to help but care for the games protagonists as they make their way through this epic adventure


Gameplay

Uncharted 2 is action adventuring at its very best and easily supersedes its older brother, Uncharted: Drake Fortune, as the PS3's definitive action adventure experience.

The game starts with an injured Drake inside a derailed train, which happens to be hanging off the edge of a cliff face. First thing is to get to solid ground. As you clamber up the derailed train, seats and doors crumble and break off, plummeting to the endless abyss below. All this takes place amidst snow furiously sweeping around the hanging and ravaged wreck. By some miraculous, divine intervention you make it to the top with a clear sight of solid ground. The feeling of relief overcomes you, when suddenly the wreck shifts and begins to veer off the cliff, forcing you to run erratically and leap to safety.

The game is played out from a third person prospective with players able to shoot both from the hip and precisely using free aim. As with the previous game, players can slip in and out of cover by simply pressing circle. Along with gunplay, players have a melee option for attack. Melee Combat has been greatly improved since the last game and though it still involves pressing combinations of square and triangle to attack and counter foes, this time around it works remarkably better.

Depending on the angle of  approach, the Melee attack will take on a different form, lifting enemies off the ground to punch combos and even  drop kicks, the variation is great and satisfying every time. Also added to proceedings this time around is the ability to use stealth. Instead of the players only option being to run, all guns blazing, the choice to quietly eliminate your foes is offered. As with the Melee Combat, there's a large variation of stealth take downs, depending on the angle of approach and position of Nathan. For those unfamiliar with the Uncharted experience, while not in combat situations, players will mainly be enjoying a mix of adventuring and light puzzle solving.

Players will meet old and new faces to both aid and hinder them on their quest to find Marco Polos lost fleet and the sacred Chitamarney stone. Along with the games huge array of weaponry ranging from shotguns, Uzi's, AK47's and RPG's just to mention a few, players can now also utilize riot shields in conjunction with one handed weapons. As with the original game players are still tasked with finding the many treasures scattered throughout the game which is still quite linear but this element definitely encourages exploration when and where possible.

Last but not least, there are the trophies unlockable by completing certain tasks, such as five head shots in a row to unlock Head Shot Expert, collecting specific amount of treasures to unlock Professional Fortune Hunter, completing 50 successful stealth kills to unlock Master Ninja. With over 40 trophies to unlock there is plenty to occupy in this task alone.

Uncharted 2 also offers two superb multiplayer modes. The first being a 5 vs. 5 multiplayer mode and the second being three way cooperative play, which, were not incorporated in the first Uncharted game. These two modes work wonderfully well and add longevity to an already remarkable video game. In a similar vein to the likes of Modern Warfare and Killzone 2, while playing online, players can level their characters, acquiring cash along the way to purchase new character skins and weapon upgrades. Players will be able to buy boosters to enhance specific areas of their characters strengths.

Closing Comments

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, is unadulterated visual ecstasy from start to finish. It is non-stop, continually explosive, unrelenting action fest which will be hard to put down. The best games in our industry are not those that we play, but those that we experience and Uncharted 2 is definitely the experience of 2009. If you have a Playstation 3 then go out and purchase this game. If you do not possess a PS3 then buy one in order to play this game Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.

5 / 5

Simon Currie