A complete, epic masterpiece that should not be missed no matter what type of gamer you are.
Uncharted 2 takes a tried and true formula of great 3D platform adventure games and almost perfects it. Described often as a combination of Tomb Raider and Indiana Jones, Uncharted 2 defines what the genre should be for gamers. A balance of difficulty, gameplay, strategy, and problem/puzzle solving creates an atypical bundle that did not fall short of expectations from critics and gamers alike. The graphics were the first facet of the game to draw attention, many critics and skeptics warned UC2 would be a beautiful game that did nothing to further improve on the previous game's gameplay and story shortcomings. As the game got closer to release, expectations grew with more details being released.
Graphically, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is the most comprehensive and varied game out there. From the urban warfare zones of to the Himalayan mountain range, each environment is perfectly detailed and realistic. The entire game can shift from lush, green jungles to drab, neutral urban war zones without notice. This technique, accompanied by various other methods help establish feelings of hope or hopelessness in a given area.
The character models, expressions, and animations establish a standard for all action/adventure games to come. The only moments of awkward animation come from jumping sequences. While it does not occur during every jump sequence, certain areas consistently provide slow or jerky animations. These areas will cause many gamers to raise an eyebrow, if only for a second. Once the moment has passed, the memory will soon be forgotten and lost because of the immateriality of the flaw. I also found the eyes of the characters to be a bit bright, gleaming, and creepy, but that is probably just me…
One of the minor inconveniences in the gaming interface is the cover system. Once the logic and interface have been practiced and mastered, you will forget you ever had issues with it. The learning curve is a little longer than most systems, and will take gamers on average one or two hours of constant use to be able to proficiently navigate the cover and levels without dying multiple times on the "Normal" and "Hard" difficulties.
Outside of the cover system, the controls for Uncharted 2 are a basic 3D platform adventure game. You can carry two weapons at a time (Pistol and Ranged weapon) and up to four grenades. Jumping has its own button assignment, and Drake has the ability to shoot blindly or from hip (R1) while stationary, in cover, or moving. For those who thirst for headshots, a more precise targeting system (L1 to target, R1 to shoot) can be used while stationary or moving slowly. While it is a very simple control scheme, it works very well with the pace and story of the game.
The multiplayer mode will offer gamers an experience never before seen in non-FPS (first person shooter) games. There are two modes of play: competitive and co-op. Each mode has a variety of games and scenarios you can tweak to your preferences, but they never get old. Co-op can match up to three random people or friends, with competitive placing up to 16 combatants into 8v8 action.
To accompany the multiplayer function and keep patrons constantly engaged, there is a leveling system similar to that of most FPS games. As the player gains levels (and consequently money) many add-ons will be available for purchase in the game's store. This allows the gamer to customize their online and campaign character to their playing style and gain competitive advantages.
While trying to use the "matchmaker" function on off-peak hours can yield some long wait times (in excess of two minutes to find a game), I was able to sign on during peak hours and get a less than 20 second wait to launch the match or game. The co-op can be played with strangers, but is especially engaging and terrific when played with good friends (like I experienced SGTiD1ng0 and CalvinSora) regardless of the outcome of the game.
While all of the above may lead gamers and critics alike to shriek with joy and proclaim it as the best game of the current generation, Uncharted 2 suffers from a few major flaws. While some will write these off as expenses of "doing business" in the current gaming industry, it speaks of poor project management and QA testing in most critics' opinions (mine included).
First and foremost is the "freeze glitch" that has come under fire from many irate gamers. Experienced frequently by gamers in the last two chapters and the most inopportune times, the game will either freeze up or Drake will literally fall through the ground to his death. There is no patch or fix for this anywhere in sight, and this is one flaw that makes a gamer just crumple up their lips. Following the realization of what has happened, the gamer will curse the Naughty Dog studio for allowing such madness to run rampant in their near-perfect game.
Another flaw that has many boards and hardcore gamers in an uproar is a "difficulty glitch." This allows certain unlockable "tweaks" to be enabled on difficulties not completed by the PS3 user profile. This essentially weakens the street credibility of the platinum trophy and the "hard" and "crushing" difficulties. This may not matter to the masses, but hardcore gamers will scream foul at this glitch. In the end, the glitch is a simply an overlooked detail by the developer and is unacceptable.
As in every other Naughty Dog game ever played, there are moments if not entire levels of intense platforming. These levels require precision jumping and timing, or you will fall to your untimely death. Uncharted 2 did not vary from this familiar experience in any sense. The camera angles in a few instances do not lend themselves kindly to advancing past these areas. As experienced in the early Crash Bandicoot and Jak games, sometimes the "locking" cameras create baffling moments of how to approach your next move or jump. More often than not, this camera issue predicates you jumping blindly to your ruin and starting over at the previous checkpoint. This outcome leaves you baffled, sometimes questioning your sobriety or overall mental capacity when you see how bad you missed the desired destination. This may not detract significantly from the game, but I am positive it left many gamers in goaded rage during the moment.
The overall experience of the game is so great, that many of these "issues" will be forgotten soon after they occur. This is primarily due to the story being so fast paced and charming. From the opening quote of Marco Polo on his death bed until the conclusion scene, the voice acting delivers a superb script in cut-scenes and during normal gameplay as Drake fights through the various locations.
Outside of the voice acting the audio, sound effects, and editing among the best the current generation games have to offer. Gamers will never question the integrity of explosions, ricochets, echoes, or wind whipping throughout the game. Best experienced in 5.1 surround sound, this game has an audio depth that extends into the realm of Final Fantasy scores. The tribal music and soundtracks offer mood and tone extensions to perfectly compliment the game. Most players will probably not be able to recall many themes outside of the initial menu track, but the music enhances the overall experience of each environment and the game as a whole.
No longer is Uncharted limited to a single geographic location, Uncharted 2 spans all terrains offered by the continent of Asia and surrounding islands and areas. This contrast of areas gives the player an experience that feels worldlier than the previous installment that mainly takes place in a jungle. This approach also gives the developer a greater canvas to paint their masterpiece on and boast their abilities to create multiple lands of perfection in a single game.
Despite the flaws mentioned, Uncharted 2 will provide you with an engrossing experience in both single and multiplayer modes. Taking on other games while standing on two feet or hanging from outstretched fingers on the face of a cliff, Uncharted 2 will prevail as the most complete game to date. Naughty Dog has another Sony Exclusive franchise hit on their hands, and much like fine wine: their product only gets better as time passes.