Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Stage Demo Impressions

After getting the requisite facts, figures, and mentions of the death-defying PlayStation 2 out of the way, Sony's press conference proper got underway with an action-packed gameplay demo of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Taken from the single-player campaign, the demo got underway at a rooftop pool, where protagonist Nathan Drake and his female companion were seemingly taking in the view, engaging in polite conversation while enjoying the ambient sounds of exotic birds and the city below. Quickly, it became apparent that the scene wasn't going to stay peaceful for long, as Nathan and his companion sprinted along the roof, climbed a wall up to the top of a tower, and then took a zipline across to a different building.

It wasn't immediately apparent what they were fleeing from, but as they attempted to shimmy across a wooden bridge, a helicopter gunship came into view and wasted no time opening fire. The bridge was torn apart, and as Nathan regained his footing, he was forced to put the game's cover mechanics to good use as the gunship continued its pursuit. Nathan equipped a machinegun at one point, but he didn't do anything with it; instead, he opted to scramble across a rooftop and inside another building.

But the gunship didn't give up, and seconds later, it blew a hole in the side of the building--forcing Nathan to reconsider his cover options as enemies on foot offered up stop-and-pop gameplay more reminiscent of that in the first game. Moving through the building, enemies continued to show up and the gunship continued to blow holes in the walls, ultimately causing the entire building to topple over. As the pair escaped, the demo came to an end, and attendees were invited to check out the demo for themselves on the show floor.

Furthermore, it was confirmed that the multiplayer beta for Uncharted 2: Among Thieves will be available to download on PSN at midnight tonight. Look for more on Naughty Dog's action-packed sequel later this week as our coverage of E3 2009 continues.