Uncharted: Drake's Fortune was the previous game in the Uncharted series. As a somewhat early title for the Playstation 3, it was a short-but-sweet fantastic cover-based shooter with platforming and mind-blowing graphical awesomeness. Now comes Uncharted 2, the highly anticipated sequel. Will Uncharted 2: Among Thieves surpass high standards set by Drake's Fortune, or will it crash the hype train of expectations? NOTE: I wrote this a long while ago and I'm simply cross-posting from my article here (epic plugs). I've edited this review to better suit the requirements for RomU's reviews. The story starts off with Nathan being convinced by his friend Harry Flynn to uncover the mysteries surrounding Marco Polo's lost ships on the disastrous voyage back home from China almost 800 years ago. With lost treasure also being involved, it becomes serious business to Nathan, as he sets out with his fellow thieves. Obviously, things don't go as planned, and a murderous villain with some psychological issues gets thrown into the mix. All the characters are all likable, with realistic attributes to everyone, and astounding voice acting. It's all believable and very immersive to Uncharted 2's experience. No one is a heavily armored supersoldier, and more or less an average person trying to make a living and survive. It may not sound like much, but it's a very well written story. The character development is excellent, coupled with the amazing voice acting. Drake and pals chatter back and forth between each other in-game, which leads to some hilarious discussions or backstory. Also, Uncharted 2 is very funny, as one liners from characters are hilarious when it's intentional. The plot takes Drake to various locales in Uncharted 2, so you never feel like you're in the same environment all the time. That's all I'll say about the plot, I suppose. The gameplay in Among Thieves stays very much the same as that of Drake's Fortune. With over-the-shoulder gunplay, cover-based combat against other gun-wielding goons, breathtaking environment navigation and puzzle solving. Some noticeable tweaks to the combat is that the hand-to-hand attacks feel like they have more flow and are much more responsive, and that you now have a reticle when firing blindly from the safety of cover. Although the gameplay draws almost straight out of Gears of War, it's still high-quality gameplay, and it's very fun nonetheless. The platforming in the game is also great. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune had you navigating around the environment, jumping around platforms or traversing small ledges at high heights. It hasn't changed, other than the environments, and it's still awesome in Uncharted 2. There are a lot more times when you have to take leaps of faith while enemies are hot on your tail. It's simply exhilarating. I really want to point out that Among Thieves really doesn't have any times when the camera is cluttered and moving spastically. In most cases when you're moving in tight areas, the camera becomes uncontrollable and scripted to make players see the beauty of the game that the developers want you to see. There is a hint system that is mapped to a button in Uncharted 2, for when you're lost or don't know how to solve a puzzle. It's helpful in the sense that it basically tells you what to do. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves' campaign clocks in at about 3 or 4 hours more than that of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune's 8-9 hour campaign. It's an excellent cinematic experience from start to finish, and it never leaves you doing the same thing for too long. You could be dodging helicopter gunfire while shooting enemies in your way on top of a moving train, or stealthily traversing through snowy environments and silently killing enemies, and more. It's a game full of variety, and it's very memorable. Along with the single-player campaign, there are quite a few options for multiplayer. On top of a single-player mode, there is an entirely separate campaign mode for 3 Player Co-op, which maintains the same awesome quality of the single-player mode. It doesn't suck. There are also standard Deathmatch, Capture the Flag and Territory modes. However, the highlight of the competitive multiplayer component of Among Thieves is the Plunder mode. It's a Capture the Flag-like game where two teams are tasked with bringing the treasure back to base. The treasure is placed in the center of the map and can be picked up by players to be brought back to score. The treasure can also be thrown, either to pass it on to others or a desperate throwaway when the carrier is near death. It's full of high adrenaline, action-packed, heartpounding gameplay. The multiplayer also has a perks system that allows players to enhance their characters with all sorts of modifiers, like having more ammo, accuracy and more. Sure the multiplayer system feels ripped straight from Call of Duty 4, but it's still very well executed. The sound design is also great in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. As mentioned before, the voice acting is extremely good. The sound effects of the guns are of utmost realism, and the sounds from the environment, like plants rustling in a calm breeze are all realistic. Words can't describe how amazing the sound is executed in Uncharted 2. I just love it. If you didn't notice the graphics before, you better notice it now. It's among the best. It's Among Thieves. I have bad puns, please bare with me. The details in everything are pure eye candy, and I love how Naughty Dog has such an attention to detail. Apart from graphics, the animations in Uncharted 2 are amazing. It really adds to the visuals, and makes the game feel more immersive and real. The running, the jumping, fist-fighting and more, they all feel true to life. That's all I really need to say about Uncharted 2's graphics and visuals. Overall, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves may not have that much originality to it, but whatever game it "rips off", it's all executed excellently. Great gameplay, lots of play value, great writing, it's actually funny, and it's got amazing graphics. It's a must-buy for all Playstation 3 owners. Graphics: 10/10 The highly detailed environments, characters and animations are amazing. Sounds: 10/10 From gunshots, to voice acting, to orchestra soundtrack, the sound design is absolutely brilliant. Gameplay: 9.5/10 Great cover-based third person shooter with excellent platforming, but the difficulty can be a tad inconsistent at times. Presentation: 10/10 Awesome scripted events and nice firefights and platforming puzzle sequences are well executed. Lasting Appeal: 8/10 Although you can easily find a multiplayer match full of people, the game artificially increases replay value by not unlocking all of the difficulties at once, forcing completionists to complete it several times just to be able to beat it again. PlayStation Magazine Overall: 21/20 And the more serious Overall: 47.5/50
