It's been a long time since Uncharted 2 came out (at least in gaming time) and it's been longer since I last blogged about the disappointment that was Prince of Persia. However, I'm back and I have a lot to say about games that have come out recently! Look forward to much more writing!

For many, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune was the first game that people truly had to have for the PlayStation 3. Of course, this was back in 2007, when the PS3 had a dearth of software and many were calling it a defeated system, barely a year after it came out. Two years later Sony's behemoth has been getting on its feet, slimmed down, and been getting lots of fun games, but even at $299, people are still looking for reasons to buy a PS3. Naughty Dog, one of Sony's bankable studios, has been hard at work on Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, and could be one of the best games this holiday that nobody is talking about, lost in the Modern Warfare 2 hype. Does Uncharted 2 mark a new era for interactive storytelling, or is it going to flame out like a nuked fridge?


Yes, I know the box art is wrong!

For those that played the first Uncharted, you continue the story of Nathan Drake (played by the witty Nolan North), who is now looking to track the lost ships of Marco Polo and find Shambala, another mythical city much like El Dorado in the first game. Of course along the way you get your typical action movie trappings of betrayal, plot twists, and sexual tension courtesy of your hitherto-unknown girlfriend Chloe. The story is pretty good, but you have to admit that it is almost as stock as you can get for pretty much any action movie plot since Die Hard. Don't play this game if you're looking for a story, pretty much any betrayal, plot twist, or anything like that can be seen from a mile away, not to mention some spotty dialogue every here and there.

But you didn't come here for the story, did you? No, you came here for the sexy action and graphics! And yes, the graphics are awesome. Probably the most photo-realistic graphics I've seen ever, and I really don't put much stock into how the game looks. Mind you, this was just running on a 720p HDTV. If you run this on a big screen HDTV with 1080p and surround sound, you'll probably have one of the best-looking and sounding games ever. Uncharted 2 truly does feel like a movie. Other nice little touches are enemy chatter, and Nate also telling his adversaries to "bring it on," when he's in an intense firefight.

As I played through the game, I tried to remember my experience with the first Uncharted. I did remember a bunch of things that I hated about it: balancing on logs using the SIXAXIS, throwing grenades using the SIXAXIS, and some finicky aiming, and a stupid hand-to-hand engine. Thankfully, both of those have been eliminated. Grenades are not as abundant as they were in the first game, but that's probably because Naughty Dog knew that you were going to have a much better time aiming than last time, making your grenades doubly effective. The aiming has also been tightened up from the previous game, although your spectrum of weapons is still VERY limited.


This game is purdy...

One of the biggest complaints I had with the first game was the rhythm-based hand-to-hand combat system. That has also been thrown out in favor of a more traditional system, which relies on you just mashing buttons, although you can have a combo broken and get your butt planted firmly on the ground as a result if you don't counter back. There isn't much incentive to do it though, because you won't get the double-ammo drops like you did in the first game (another thing I thought was silly). What I do like though is that the game's hand-to-hand action is much more stealth-based, meaning you could theoretically go through a good chunk of the game without shooting anybody. There will be times where enemies will be actively searching for you, and you have a chance to move around and take out enemies quietly to thin their numbers and make it easier for you if you do get spotted (and you likely will).

The best addition to the game however, is undoubtedly the new multiplayer mode. Call of Duty 4 this isn't for multiplayer, but there is a leveling system and there is also an option to purchase new items and perks with money you get from killing opponents and completing objectives. You get a standard stable of matches like Team Deathmatch, Zone Control, Capture the Flag, Slayer, et. al. There is also online-co-op, but it isn't throughout the entire campaign, just for certain scenarios. Oh well, any co-op is better than none. In addition, the multiplayer plays exactly like the single-player, which is refreshing, especially considering so much of the single-player requires you to navigate your environment.


And you thought Sly Stallone had it rough in Cliffhanger.

Despite a few shaky bits, Uncharted 2 truly is one of the best games for the PS3, and one of the best games of the year. With a game that truly looks and plays like an interactive movie, a robust online mode, and tons of small touches that make the game practically irresistible to people who like action games, you have yet another reason to buy a PS3 right here.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves gets my highest recommendation at a 5 out of 5