Uncharted 2 has a great story, superb gameplay and terrific multiplayer to go along with the jaw-dropping spectacle.
Like I said, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune starred the charming Nathan Drake, journalist Elena and Drake's mentor Sully. Their journey to find El Dorado was one of mystery and suspense, and was a mostly good tale, let down only by a slow first few hours. With Uncharted 2, Naughty Dog has delivered a story that improves in every aspect. The story begins a few years after the first game, and again follows the three lead characters. Drake is joined by Harry Flynn and Chloe Frazer on a journey to find the Cintamani Stone, a phurban dagger once tracked by Marco Polo to find the lost city of Shambhala. Through this expedition, Drake and co will uncover the mystery of Marco Polo's journey and face off against a new, ruthless enemy. It's a brilliant story and is told extremely well. The writing is first-rate, with snappy lines, great dialogue and lots of twists and turns. The pacing is excellent and features some amazing moments that really drive home the action blockbuster feel, even more so than Drake's Fortune. One of the best things about the story is that it never lets up, and takes a surprising turn in the second half, where we are introduced to new, immersive locations with mysterious developments. It's really great and interesting, and it's something you'll want to see multiple times. Another good thing about the game is the villain. He's a lot more interesting and intimidating than Navarro in Drake's Fortune and is memorable in that respect.
The character development in the first game was great, but its been turned up a notch here. The movement, lines and feel of the characters is natural, and the conversations, witty remarks and dramatic scenes are effortless, and really bring the filmic quality to the game. Drake is even better this time around, and feels more rounded. Harry and Chloe are great and Lazarevic, the antagonist of Uncharted 2, is both intimidating and interesting, and is never one-dimensional. The presentation is impeccable. The cut-scenes are some of the best I've ever seen. The improvement in quality of these cinematics is nothing short of astounding, and watching a side-to-side view of the two titles will reveal an eye-opening difference in visual quality. Characters look even more amazing thanks to perfect use of motion capture, and their expressions and movements are superb. In fact, the very first cut-scene, introducing Drake in one of the most suspenseful openings I've witnessed in a long time, is a jaw-dropping step up from the original.
I have to talk about the visuals now, and when you see Uncharted 2 in action, you'll be blown away. This is, without doubt, the best-looking game of all time, and a miraculous improvement on the first title. I've already spoken about the incredible character models, and the animations are phenomenal, but the technical aspects of Uncharted 2 are genuinely mesmerizing. Astounding lighting and texture work are real highlights, and the many different varied environments are a sight to behold. Lush jungles, urban streets, underground tunnels, building interiors and temples all look astonishing. The game later opens up to stunning snow-laden mountains and vast ice caverns. The architecture of these environments is amazing and the art style is second to none. One of the most impressive visual details is the water, which is breathtakingly realistic. Drake's shirt and pants get wet, water splashes when Drake rolls and there are puddles everywhere when enemies fire at you. The other effects like fire, smoke, explosions and other details are also amazing, as well as snow that clings to Drake's shoes and jacket. The detailed vistas are staggering, the framerate is perfect and there is no more screen tearing. Seriously, the visuals are faultless. You'll be in awe at Naughty Dog's incredible achievements here.
The sound design is faultless, too. The voice acting is, again, some of the best around, with Nolan North, Emily Rose and Richard McGonagle reprising their roles as Drake, Elena and Sully respectively. They all do another incredible job, and the rest of the voice cast is simply terrific too. I've already talked about the effortless, well-written dialogue, and the sound effects are superb. Guns sound a lot better now, and they actually feel impactful this time around. Enemy chatter is more interesting and, if a soldier is killed, they will ask them questions and if they do not receive an answer, they will tell one of their squadmates to check it out. It's awesome. The score is improved to a fault as well, and Greg Edmonson has composed one of the most epic and memorable scores I've heard in an action game. Using instruments suited to the levels and dynamics of Uncharted 2, he has delivered a superb soundtrack that feels nostalgic and unforgettable. The orchestra swells at perfect moments during the absorbing cut-scenes, and it makes the action all the more exhilarating.
Gameplay is where I found many issues with the first game, but here things have been drastically improved. First, let's talk combat. Drake's Fortune's gunplay was unwieldy and frustrating, and further marred by its level design. In Uncharted 2, I found very little frustration. The gunplay has been given a large overhaul, and it now feels tight and exciting. The guns are better to shoot and the aiming is a lot smoother and more responsive this time around. Gunfights take place in more interesting locations and the cover mechanics feel tons better. Drake can run and switch into opposite cover with ease, rolling and vaulting objects is better, and the overall controls are tighter than before. There are some nice new touches that add a great deal to the gunplay. Instead of equipping grenades like in the first title, here they are no longer part of your loadout. Now, they are simply a feature in the top corner of the screen, and L2 launches them, meaning you won't have to mess around equipping them before throwing. As well as the projection reticule for grenades, Drake can throw them from cover, and the animations of this is a lot better. There are some nice new weapons too. The Pistole is a powerful two-barrel pistol that looks and feels like a miniature double-barrel shotgun. There is also a crossbow, minigun and an awesome grenade launcher than outdoes Drake's Fortune arsenal in every way. Melee combat feels a lot tighter too, and blocking and evading an enemy punch, followed by a range of cool finishes like throwing them over your back, kicking them or sliding under them and subsequently kicking them in the air, feel very satisfying and are very fun. There are also combos, where Drake can punch, uppercut and elbow enemies against walls, during a gunfight and on vertical ground.
Stealth is also a better option as well. Unlike Drake's Fortune, where stealth was a needless and difficult thing to undertake, Uncharted 2 realizes this and makes it a worthwhile inclusion. You can grab enemies from behind and break their neck, throw them against the wall and grab them and punch them into unconsciousness. Stealth is very satisfying, and chaining together a number of stealth kills and clearing out an entire areas of guys is thrilling and rewarding. Enemies drop grenades, weapons and ammo when they are killed quietly, so there is an incentive to doing this. There is a sequence at the beginning of the game where being spotted is an instant failure. It can be annoying at times because of the lack of navigation. There is no guidance for this section and it mars the otherwise well-designed stealth.
As for the level design, Uncharted 2 excels here too. Gunfights are more exciting thanks to the environments, and things aren't as linear this time around. Though still on a pre-determined path, you still have a slightly more flexible array of options for gunplay. The environments themselves are larger and more vertical, which means you can fight against enemies not just on the ground this time, but also on rooftops, building ledges and more. The good thing is, enemies can also do this too. Many enemies you'll fight are situated in fixed positions on rooftops or other aerial environments, and this makes shootouts more exciting and challenging, as you'll be looking from all sides. You can also grab enemies and throw them off ledges to their death, and push them off too, which is very cool. Throwing a grenade while hanging from a ledge and shooting from ledges are other interesting inclusions, which mixes up the shooter formula considerably. However, there are many situations where more than one wave of enemies will spawn at one section, which feels a little repetitive. Multiple enemy variants can make it seem a little crammed, too, but the action is still immense, if not extraordinary because of this.
Uncharted 2 has also improved on the AI. Though they are still prone to throwing a grenade at their own feet, they are more determined and numerous. They take cover more and often throw grenades, forcing you out of cover. Exposing yourself to gunfire is a little more forgiving than what we saw in the first game, but you'll still need to find cover. There are some new enemy types this time, which is great considering Drake's Fortune's repetitive enemies. There are armoured enemies who carry shotguns, who are pretty challenging if stuck in close quarters. They also throw pinpoint accurate grenades so mixing up your play style against these enemies is important, but they can be killed through headshots. There are also masked guys who carry grenade launchers, guys with laser-sights return, and are as deadly as ever. There are also large, brute enemies who carry miniguns and are very intimidating. Lastly, there are RPG enemies and another enemy that I can't spoil. Just know that there is a big improvement on the different type of enemies you'll face, so you won't be shooting generic pirates for 8 hours.
There are plenty of moments in Uncharted 2 where the perspective of action gaming is ramped up a notch in terms of eye-opening spectacle. I won't spoil everything, but know there are some exciting moments such as a thrilling helicopter battle, a dizzying assault on a moving train, a tense trek through snow-laden mountains and a tense firefight during rainfall. It's these moments that make Uncharted 2 such a memorable experience. Some situations, like the train sequence, are dynamic in terms of the environment, which is constantly moving, effecting the combat immensely. Because of the turning, the speed and the direction, accuracy is important and movements are crucial, and it's one of the standout sections of the game.
Next, onto the platforming side of the game. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune established a great foundation for aerial traversal of the environment, with lots of jumping, climbing, shimmying and hanging from objects in the world. In Uncharted 2, its as enjoyable as ever. The environments are larger and more varied, meaning traversing the world is more interesting and exciting. You won't get stuck as often, and there are many signals and pointers in the game that will allow the gamer to be engaged by the platforming without frustration or confusion. Like I mentioned earlier, hanging from ledges and shooting or throwing grenades adds to the combat, and it's also a thoroughly entertaining feature. It's not standout, but at least its there. There are some sections where you'll need to shoot things down, give your friends boosts to obtain access to ladders and other tools for climbing and also climb and run away from collapsing structures and pathways. Walking and climbing around the environment, observing the world and figuring out where to go next is the name of the game, and its fun. Uncharted's platforming is never repetitive and always feels fantastic, and it's just as excellent here.
However, it still has its imperfections. Drake has a tendency to jump at a wall instead of on a ledge at time, which leads to a 100-foot drop to his death. There are also some minor issues where ally AI jumps to a ledge. If you jump to that ledge at the same time, you'll bounce off them and fall. Maybe it's just a programming thing where you'll need to wait for them advance, but it can be irritating if your on a speedrun of want to platforming as fluidly as you can. Also, if you want to run or jump off a ledge or building, Drake will grab the ledge before descending, which can be annoying when you just want to quickly jump off. None of these issues mar the experience (or the score), but they can be small complaints when observing the platforming.
Puzzles are the third main portion of Uncharted 2, and here they are great. The number of puzzles in this game is probably the same as Drake's Fortune. They are more enjoyable, very intelligently designed and easier, which makes them more engaging. There is no library puzzle (thankfully) and they are all well though-out. They are easily solved by again viewing Drake's journal, which contains very smart illustrations and diagrams of each particular puzzles, with detailed but not overly obvious clues. The cool thing about the puzzles is that they don't feel misplaced, and fit each theme of the environment and story very well. While in the original game you may have sometimes randomly moved or pressed things in hope that they were in the right order, here they are a lot more manageable but still rewarding. Hearing that signal of something opening or moving is a great one, and makes you feel pretty smart come the end of the game.
The game is a solid 10 hour experience, but is a reason to return - the form of treasures. Like in Drake's Fortune there, these collectibles (now increased to 101) are worthwhile to find, mainly due to the now accessible stats that track how many you've found in a particular chapter. It's now a lot easier to find them, and a lot more enjoyable to veered off the beaten path.
For the first time in an Uncharted game, there is a multiplayer component and, with regards to the quality and nature of the single player game, it is an excellent inclusion. The frantic pace and platforming-shooter hybrid gameplay of the series is in full swing, which makes in one of the most unique multiplayer games around. There are a rich array of options here, and the thought gone in to the experience is immense. Competitively, there are some familiar modes like deathmatch, team deathmatch, capture the treasure (a capture the flag variant) and a zone control mode, among other modes. There is a ranking system (with a level 80 cap) which is incredible, allowing you to buy perks – like faster reloading, more ammo, more agility – with cash earned from playing matches and killing enemy players. The map designs are inspired by environments from the single-player experience, and the platforming side of the game is here too, which means you can roll, shimmy and quickly climb and traverse the environments, which places a new dynamic on multiplayer gaming, and its great. Its a great strategic balance of cover, high ground shooting and much more.
This seamless transition from the single player is also evident in the co-operative aspect of the multiplayer. There is a survival mode for up to four players, where they must fend of enemy waves, which get progressively tougher as the wave count rises. It's something that's been done before, but its a fun mode and works well in Uncharted's gameplay. There is also a straight co-op mode for three players set in scenarios based around the single-player. As opposed to simply finishing the entire game together, here you play through sections of a level to find treasure and rescue people for example. While it may sound straightforward, its anything but, with enemies veering from all directions, as opposed to a single direction like in the single-player. Teamwork is crucial here, as even on easy, this mode can be very challenging, but also very fun.
I'm very grateful that Naughty Dog saw fit to include a multiplayer mode in Uncharted. I'm sure lots of people – probably even myself at one point – complained that an online component would cramp the game's style, and that it would be a half-baked, tacked-on multiplayer that offers little alongside the amazing campaign, but we were all wrong. Naughty Dog have integrated a smart, intelligent and incredibly fun multiplayer suite that will hook you long after the story is done. I've completed Uncharted 2 four times now and still want to venture in the multiplayer mode to rank up, buy more perks and fight my way to that level 80 cap.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is an absolutely outstanding game, and a truly incredible improvement on the foundation of Drake's Fortune. The gunplay is a lot stronger, the story is fantastic and the puzzle and platforming aspect has seen improvements. The visuals have raised the bar for games in the future and the presentation is amazing. Not only that, but you also get a fully-fledged, well designed multiplayer and co-operative suite that is as engaging as anyone would have expected. You'll do well to buy Uncharted 2. Not only is it an amazing action game, its the best PS3 game to date and also one of the best action games of all time.
SUMMARY
Presentation 10 – The story is brilliant and characters are great, but its the impeccable presentation, astonishing cut-scenes and great writing that set this game apart.
Graphics 10 – This game looks astonishing. Everything is artistically and technically faultless and every little detail with wow you. You have to see this game in action to truly believe it.
Audio 10 – Superb voice acting, fantastic sound effects and an incredible score that fits the theme of Uncharted 2's story beautifully.
Gameplay 9.5 – Despite some gameplay gripes, Uncharted 2 is an excellent action epic from start to finish.
Replayability 9.5 – A jaw-dropping 10-12 hour single-player that's worth playing again, unlockable bonuses and a remarkable multiplayer suite that will have you hooked until a third title.
Overall – 9.5/10