Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Review
A new endeavour for Naughty Dog, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune initially appeared on the PlayStation 3 in 2007 to much acclaim. Its sales matched, and in December of 2008, Naughty Dog confirmed they were working on a sequel, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Boasting an expanded cast and a completely new setting, Uncharted 2 looks to push the PlayStation 3 and take gaming to a new level - lofty goals, but are they realised?
Following the events of Uncharted, Drake has decided to take a break from treasure hunting. However, when his old friend Harry Flynn comes to him with an unusual proposition regarding Marco Polo, his curiosity is piqued and he sets out to retrieve the mystical object. Things don't necessarily go as planned though, and Drake ends up sitting inside a Turkish prison. Fortunately, Sulley and new character, Chloe Fraser, manage to get him out, thus allowing Drake to continue towards his ultimate goal - hunting down the location of Shamballah and the legendary Cintamani stone.
Things rarely go as predicted in the world of Nathan Drake, and his adventure will see him go through various locations including Turkey, Borneo, and Nepal. He will also encounter some friendly faces on his travels, and meet a new formidable foe in Lazarevic. Everything melds together seamlessly, from action to narrative; the pacing is extremely well tuned. Some of the scenery present is truly awe-inspiring and it's rare that anything will ever feel repetitive. The same applies to the story - it's full of plenty of mystery and adventure and while there may be similarities with other mediums, it still feels fresh. Of course there are the various twists and turns that happen throughout, and some may see them coming, but even so, the actual story is still extremely fulfilling and makes for an enjoyable experience. A lot more humour has also been added this time, so expect quips between the characters.
Gameplay in Uncharted 2 is fairly similar to the original title. Drake can perform many of the same moves again, but the majority of them have been finely tuned. Climbing now seems much easier, although there are still some awkward moments, and using ropes is a lot smoother. All of the platforming elements now seem to much more blended into the game, and there are more sections specifically dedicated to this aspect of the game. Players will actually have to look around to find their next path, and although it's often fairly obvious, the environments are much more engaging which makes the adventuring aspects of the game much more fun. There are also more events that happen throughout the game which allow the platforming elements to become truly integrated. Players need to climb objects to literally escape death as opposed to simply getting from A to B and it's these moments that are some of the highlights of the game from the perspective of heightened emotions.
