Nathan Drake is back in what is probably one of the most hyped up Playstation 3 games of the year. Anyone who played the original will know what a stunning title that was, bringing a new level of presentation and storytelling to our consoles, so can Uncharted 2: Amongst Thieves live up to the original and perhaps even surpass its greatness?

 

Let’s get one thing straight, Uncharted 2 is a stunning, epic adventure which grips you from beginning to end, it’s probably one of the most perfect games of this generation, both in the cinema style presentation and in its wonderful story telling. Nathan Drake is the type of character you can really relate to with his witty charm and clumsy, but lucky nature. Now a good story wouldn’t be that without twists, and this game has more twists than a tango competition. One minute you think you know what’s going to happen next, then something else will happen which will have you clinging onto your controller like it was your last meal. It’s brilliant and it’s compelling.

 

 

When you begin Uncharted 2 you actually start on one of the latter levels, this sees you climbing up a train, which is unfortunately hanging from a cliff by a thread, to add insult to injury Drake is also wounded having had a bullet through him. Once you make it to the top of the cliff and wander through the stunning snowstorms you eventually happen across a dagger and from here the story backtracks as you relive the events leading up to this moment.

 

Eventually it becomes apparent that Drakes mission will lead him in the footsteps of none other than Marco Polo in his search for the lost city of Shambhala. What follows is a frantic adventure which will see him being chased down by an army of evil soldiers, tanks and apache helicopters.

 

Something that really helps add to the game is that each of the characters you will meet seem to have a personality of their own, in fact it really is hard to trust anyone because of this. People who you think are your friends become your enemies and then your friends again, not only making Drake edgy but you as well.

All of the action which you remember from the first game makes a return, therefore you will find yourself solving puzzles, climbing up crumbling ledges, jumping over seemingly impossible gaps and trying to escape as the scenery falls from beneath your feet. It really is intense stuff and it all seems to have stepped up a notch from the original.

 

Combat is probably the most improved aspect of the game thanks in part to the environments in which you will find yourself fighting in. Whereas the first game was mainly based in the jungle, in Uncharted 2 you will find yourself not only fighting in jungles, but also war torn cities, snowy mountains and even on the rooftop of a moving train. All of this helps add to the combat as you no longer need to search for cover, in fact it’s everywhere which makes the action much more tactical.

 

Because of the nature of the environments, you can now also use stealth to your advantage more. This allows you to sneak up behind enemies and take them down silently, which on occasion is definitely the right thing to do, especially when there are around ten enemies guarding the area. While you don’t have to use stealth and can instead just shoot them, sometimes it does make life that little bit easier.

 

The enemies themselves are very smart and also very tough, they will constantly flank you or just plain run at you in order to flush you out of cover and take you down, and believe me when I say that they will take you down a lot. The enemies are also quite varied when compared to the original, the enemies now range from standard foot soldiers to heavily armored and armed soldiers who are seemingly impossible to defeat, though you will take them down eventually, if you use the right combination of tactics and weaponry.

 

One of the great things about Uncharted 2 is that it just gets better and better as you play through, your jaw really will drop at some of the sequences you will be taking part in and while there are moments when things quiet down, it is still a compelling experience throughout.

 

Telling a story in a game is as much about the writing as it is the acting and presentation and in this regard Uncharted 2 has it spot on. Those who didn’t think it was possible for Naughty Dog to step the presentation up should think again because they really have done wonders here. Each of the levels is stunning in presentation and design, with each seemingly being better than the next. One that particularly stuck out for me was the snow level seen at the start and halfway through the game as the falling snowflakes and the way the snow reacts to character movement is something else. Funnily enough I’ve not even mentioned the cutscenes which are in themselves pretty stunning, anyone catching a glimpse of these for the first time will probably think they are watching a movie such is their quality.

 

 

The acting has also stepped up a notch, if that was at all possible. I swear that sometimes it feels like you are watching a movie rather than playing a game such is the quality on show here. Each actor seems to say their line so well that you really do end up believe what’s going on around you. It really has set a standard in this respect that other games should follow.

 

As if the stunning single player campaign, (which will last you about ten/twelve hours) is not enough, Naughty Dog have also included a multiplayer option in Uncharted 2 and like the rest of the game this is of high quality. Options online allow you to play co-op matches such as Survival which has you trying not to get killed by the oncoming waves of enemies and there is also co-op levels which see you in various scenarios to complete while trying to fight off the levels numerous enemies. There are also plenty of other modes to play online such as Deathmatch, Survival, King of the Hill etc which all explain themselves and also work extremely well.

 

Uncharted 2: Amongst Thieves is without a doubt the most stunning game yet to grace any console. It has surpassed any game in terms of presentation and storytelling and has hopefully set a new standard in this area for others to follow. Anyone who owns a Playstation 3 must own this game because it’s an experience not to be missed.