Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is the highly anticipated sequel to Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. I first caught a glimpse of the sequel at this year’s E3 Expo at the Sony Press Conference. I had not yet played the first Uncharted game but I was very impressed by what was shown and could not wait to play the game! I purchased the game a few weeks back but before I could play it, I had to play the first Uncharted. You can read my review of Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune here.
I literally finished the first game and jumped right into this one. Some of the controls were updated – hints moved from L2 to UP on the D-pad; Aiming grenades moved from L1 + SIXAXIS controller to L2 + right stick or SIXAXIS controller and throwing grenades moved from holding L1 + R1 to L2. You can cancel the throw by using the Triangle button – which I NEVER mastered, for some reason, and threw many unnecessary grenades much to my chagrin. The “Brutal Combo” disappeared and it became an action button reaction if grappled by an enemy. Another change is the camera focus when in a weapon’s aim mode. Once trained on an enemy, the enemy comes to focus and everything around it goes out of focus. This was a little distracting at first and once I figured out what it was, I didn’t mind it. We also get a Store, where you can buy enhancements to weapons, alternate outfits, and game tweaks as in the first Uncharted except you have to earn medals or find treasures in order to earn the cash to purchase these items and some things aren’t unlocked until you complete the game. The biggest addition to the game was the introduction of Multiplayer with a variety of game types like Deathmatch, Elimination, Plunder, Turf War, King of the Hill, Chain Reaction, Survival, Gold Rush, Co-Op, and Machinima. Unfortunately, the co-op mode is NOT available as local co-op play so Norm and I were unable to try it out. I have also been having issues with my PS3′s Internet connection, so I have not yet been able to try out the multiplayer. I did try a match during the closed beta and it looked like a lot of fun but since I hadn’t played the Uncharted series yet, I was very unfamiliar with the controls and did rather poorly. I was plagued with countless updates every time I tried to login so I eventually just gave up, but that’s an issue with the PS3 and the Internet and not with Uncharted 2.
While there were a few changes to the control, the game stayed relatively the same allowing Naughty Dog the room to really focus on the story and how they were going to tell it. The game opens with a rather dramatic scene and game play sequence where you find yourself, as Drake, on the outside of a just wrecked train that is hanging from the side of a snowy mountain. WTF?!? It was an awesome opening and quite unexpected how you had to crawl about the train – and 360 degrees around it – as well as watch for falling objects. I soon realized that this game was going to take me on an awesome journey. As with the first installment, Uncharted 2 spins a great story in a cinematic way making it a joy to watch and to play. Since there is no local co-op mode, this may be a game for a spouse to watch you play. There are however, several game difficulty modes ranging from Very Easy to Crushing, ensuring that gamers of all levels can enjoy the game. I played the game on Normal as I always do and had little trouble getting through it. There were some very difficult moments in the game and I found that after several tries that I just had to shut the game off and take a break. When I started it up again with a fresh mind, I was able to get through it lickety-split! There were some buggy moments in the game as you can see in the video I made when I found myself stuck inside a gear.
I had to reload the game but the game is very forgiving and saves rather often. There were a few other buggy moments as well – more than I recall than in the first game – but again, nothing that didn’t either work itself out or wasn’t fixed after reloading. The game also has a rather long load time although it is generally when you first start the game and anytime you load a game. The load times during the game are virtually non-existent and the game is probably loading the next levels as you watch the cut scences. The game is a bit longer – featuring 26 chapters – than the first game, which only had 22 chapters.
The game is still rather combat heavy but still features some puzzles and climbing feats. The graphics are excellent as was the first game and the score is equally as great. Written by Greg Edmundson, who also did the first game’s score, he takes you further into the game by using key instruments native to the area being explored. This is most evident in the Tibet levels where most of the game takes place. You can hear the singing bowls and gongs that are a signature of that region.
If you are a fan of the action/adventure genre or are a Tomb Raider fan, this game is most certainly for you. Run to your nearest game store and purchase this game.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is rated T for Teen and is available now exclusively for the PS3.
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