User Review : Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

The Staple of Action Games

Note: This is a review of the Single Player campaign, as I feel the multiplayer, while great, isn’t necessary for this game and I shouldn’t be selling anyone this game on multiplayer.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is the best game I have played this generation. Naughty Dog has constructed a sequel that truly trumps the first in every conceivable way. The controls, the story and characters, gun-play, platforming, even puzzles are all taken to the next level. Uncharted: Drakes Fortune was an awesome action game, but Uncharted 2 is genre defining. It elevates the genre to the next level, all action games will from this point be compared to Uncharted 2 because it is the milestone to pass.

Graphics: It is in fact the best looking game ever, but that still does not do the game justice just because Uncharted 2 looks A LOT better than most games. What sets it apart is the attention to detail. Let me just say, no body has any right to say how good looking this game is until they experience the last level. I won’t spoil anything but to say my jaw dropped would be an understatement. It looked so good I really forgot I was playing a game. Phenomenal stuff here. Not to mention this all held up with the framerate 100% locked, a crazy amount of action on-screen, no loading at all, and I only noticed screen tearing just once. I cant believe Im saying this but I actually did not notice pop-in.

Sound: Hollywood needs to get off their @sses. Uncharted 2 puts their work to shame. The sound really lifts the story and the game itself above others through its utterly realistic voice cast and absolutely stunning soundtrack. Everything sounds right and then some. If there is anything wrong with the presentation of Uncharted 2, it really is that it makes everything else seem so bad.

Story and Gameplay: The story here fulfills its purpose. It gives reason for the characters to do what they do. But the highlights are the characters. Nathan Drake is really tested in his quest. He gets knocked around so many times, the story really shows his traits. The interaction with other characters and twists are really amazing here, so realistic and so far ahead most games. It’s just so interesting and fun to watch the interaction during cut-scenes and gameplay its better than a movie. The little details also help so much. The jokes and dialogue in general during gameplay will just have you in awe at times. There hasn’t been a game that made me laugh, be sad, and actually made me care about the characters for so long. Also to note, the supernatural element (the twist) absolutely makes sense in context of the story and tests Drake even further, actually I think it was one of the best parts of the game. What sets Uncharted 2 even further apart from the competition however, is that fact that it is really a cinematic experience. All the action set piece moments that you would usually watch in other games, and something you’d watch in a movie, are fully interactive here. You play the story, and you learn and enjoy the characters during gameplay. You only watch a cut-scene to make significant advances of the story. And trust me; the gameplay consists of A LOT of set piece moments that will totally blow you away. And everything here feels so smooth. Unlike Uncharted, all the gameplay elements are tightly mixed together. It makes for a much more coherent experience. There is a lot more verticality and as a result much more strategy. Thanks to the set pieces, there is also WAY more variety than Uncharted. It never feels stale, and just when you think it begins going to classic Uncharted (which never a bad thing), Naughty Dog will surprise you with yet another amazing set piece. The entire last level is just phenomenal in that it plays so differently from the rest of the game. There are a lot of additions and improvement like huge, large-scale puzzles (much more fun this time around, with great charm) new platforming, different types of enemies, shields, and oh, and the stealth! It plays great here, and is fast paced, so the flow never bogs down. I always found myself using the stealth route instead of attacking head on just because the stealth in this game is so satisfying. And then all this polished to the extreme. In fact this is probably the most polished game I’ve ever played, Nintendo be damned.

I do have a couple of minor, small quibbles. In fact I’ll be really nit-picky here, which is a testament to the quality of the game. The controls, while fluid, could be enhanced to make the cover system easier to use. The AI really seems questionable at times when you are in stealth mode. They sometimes won’t respond to noise, and won’t even see you when you are clearly noticeable. MGS4 is still king when it comes to AI. Also, I found myself trying to climb on things that look climbable, but couldn’t. In that sense platforming is very linear. It’s understandable, but still kinda sucks.
Also, I have to say the final battle/boss is a disappointment. The lead up was amazing, but the final boss’ end motives weren’t as great as the rest of the game. As for the battle itself, while a huge improvement over the first, still wasn’t as great as the rest of the game either.

Needless to say, Uncharted 2 is must buy for anyone who just likes games in general. This is truly the showpiece game for PS3, and Naughty Dog has elevated themselves to the top of the line of game developers right next to Nintendo, Rockstar, and Bioware.