Uncharted is one of the most spectacular franchises to come to life this console generation. Naughty Dog’s 2007 release of Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, exclusively on the PlayStation 3, defined the power of the system and still remains one of the most visually outstanding games this generation.
After two years since the launch of Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Naughty Dog is back again with the release of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Surprisingly, Naughty Dog has surpassed what they did with the first Uncharted by a long shot. With a bigger and better single player experience, much improved visuals, and the addition of multiplayer, there is no doubt that any PS3 owner should pick up this game day one. Read more for the full review.
Now I am going to keep this review spoiler-free, but what I will tell you is that the game picks up a year or so after the events in the first. As expected, you play with Nathan Drake, the adventuring main character and protagonist of the Uncharted series, as well as join two thieves whose goal is to find Marco Polo’s lost treasure fleet.
As you progress through the campaign, you will notice that unlike the first Uncharted, you will take action in more than one set environment. As Nathan Drake, you will visit a snow-covered village, a destroyed Nepalese city, a swamp, and an ice cave. You even get to experience what it is like to be running on a moving train while shooting enemies and having to dodge a helicopter shooting missiles at you. The variety of environments used in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves presents the game with a much more diverse gaming experience than the first.
The story in Uncharted 2 is outstanding and in my opinion, blows the first one out of the water. The story keeps you intrigued throughout the whole experience and rarely diverges from the action and suspense. It will keep you wondering what will happen next and if you ever take a break from the game, all you will think about during the day is what will happen next to Drake and his acquaintances. I, along with many others, was quite disappointed with the ending in the first Uncharted and I can attest that this disappointment will not come with Uncharted 2. In the last 30 minutes of the story, you will be on the edge of your feet watching it conclude right in front of your eyes. Much anticipation is built up and nothing will be able to take your eyes and ears off of the suspense.
Anyone who played the first Uncharted knows how visually amazing the experience was. Uncharted still remains one of the best looking titles this console generation, but amazingly, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves conquers everything visually. As soon as the action unfolds, you will notice the graphical leap from the first to the second without having to squint your eyes.
Throughout the game, my jaw dropped to the floor and I was questioning what I was seeing right before my eyes. I could not believe how visually amazing the game looked and I have no idea how Naughty Dog was able to pull this off. Everything from the texture quality and lighting to the amazing cutscenes are perfect and not once did I ever run into a framerate drop or any tearing.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is the most visually amazing game I have played this console generation. Yes, Killzone 2 and Metal Gear Solid 4 both look absolutely stunning, but once you see what Naughty Dog has pulled off with Uncharted 2, you will know who now holds the benchmark for graphics on consoles.
There is no doubt that Uncharted 2: Among Thieves combines an intense action-packed story with fascinating visuals, but for the first time in the series, Naughty Dog has brought the element of multiplayer. When Naughty Dog first announced that Uncharted 2 would feature multiplayer, many gamers were worried that the online would be subpar or the single player experience would suffer greatly and I can confirm that neither is the case.
To say that the online experience is entertaining would be a monumental understatement. This is one of the best online experiences that you will find in any game this generation and in my opinion, is the best in its genre. Multiplayer brings a great variety of options and features to the experience. For competitive play, you get a vast amount of modes like elimination, team deathmatch, capture the flag (a treasure in this case), a zone control mode which requires you to capture them in a specific order, and more. Uncharted 2 also packs in co-op which allows you and two of your friends to jump into specific scenarios through the PlayStation Network. Lastly, Naughty Dog has packed in a survival mode, similar to horde mode on Gear of War 2, which will force you to work with your teammates in order to be successful.
Now while you are ripping through the campaign and online experience you will gain ranks and earn money which you can use to purchase perks and upgrades. You can even go as far as to buy an obese version of Drake which you can play as without having to worry about any disadvantages.
The maps contained in the multiplayer experience are adapted from the campaign with the same stunning design elements. Each map has many areas to take advantage of and find cover for, so in order to be successful in the online experience, I would recommend you learn the maps pretty well.
From what you have read so far, you may be asking yourself if there are any faults with the game. Just like any other game it does contain a couple blunders, yet very diminutive. One of the issues I experienced throughout the game was the hit detection. There are some times I will clearly light a bullet into an enemy’s head without any head protection and he will still be alive shooting. There are other times I will miss by shooting the top of his shoulder or a bit over the enemy’s head and it will register as a headshot. Although it is not a huge deal, that is one of the aspects I wish Naughty Dog would have improved upon. The other complaint I have with the game is the fact that I will be shooting an approaching enemy and he will come up to me and melee me. If I am lighting up my enemy with bullets he should not be able to control his movement, let alone throw this gun into my face. Once again, these are diminutive blunders, but do keep me from giving the game a perfect score.
Overall, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is a must buy for any PS3 owner out there that brings a intriguing single player experience, visuals that set the benchmark for this console generation, and a multiplayer experience that will keep you entertained for months to come. Although Uncharted 2 is not a perfect game, neither is any other game to come out, but the difference is Uncharted 2 comes closer than if not most, all.
Final Score: 9.5/10
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
written by saminseattle (PSN:gamesnskate), October 10, 2009
-
- +2
-
-
written by Nick McCandless, October 10, 2009
-
- +1
-
-
written by Dalton Cortner, October 11, 2009
Are the unlockable costumes playable in single player?
-
- +0
-
-
written by Lethal_Doze, October 11, 2009
-
- +0
-
-
written by Louie Villalobos, October 11, 2009
-
- +0
-
-
written by tmanmushroom, October 11, 2009
-
- +2
-
-
written by Draven71, October 12, 2009
Yes, there are about 30 different single player skins you can purchase with your in game money (As well as other cool things like playing through the game with the mirror world). There is a cool ass skeleton with glowing red eyes and heart too. You'll love this game, Nick did a great job with his review and hit the nail on the head.
-
- +0
-
-
written by WAR-PROPHET, October 12, 2009
-
- +0
-
-
