Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Reviewing a game like Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, seems pretty redundant when the world and its mother knows how magnificent it is. Mere words cannot do justice to developer Naughty Dog’s labor of love that is the prettiest, most intense and breathtaking game I’ve played in recent times. It is not without its share of minor flaws but nothing in the world can take away the fact that if you as a gamer don’t play Uncharted 2, you suck. It’s really that simple.

Uncharted 2 is a direct sequel to 2007’s Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, but there’s no continuation of a plot over here. Drake’s been approached by a fellow fortune hunter to retrieve Marco Polo’s treasure that’ll help them find the entrance to the mythical kingdom of Shangri-La. Doing so will take him and his entourage all over the world as they partake in some of the most intense cinematic moments you’ll encounter in a game till date. Most games make you relive really cool looking moments via cut-scenes or quick time events but Naughty Dog’s technical beast grabs you by the family jewels and makes sure you’re in the driver’s seat at all times.

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If you’ve played Uncharted, UC2 will seem like familiar territory. The game’s essentially divided into two aspects – platforming and combat (that includes gunplay and hand-to-hand). Like its predecessor the platforming in UC2 remains painfully linear, which means you can’t climb a ledge if the game doesn’t want you to. Considering the technology driving this game, this comes across as a bit of a disappointment.

Gunplay as well as the hand-to-hand combat system have been revamped a bit. It still doesn’t feel 100% natural and there will be times when Drake will stick to objects you really don’t him to since dropping down to lower surfaces and taking cover are the same button. Another issue I had with the combat was that the enemy AI was remarkably accurate throwing 99% of their grenades perfectly at my feet. It may not sound like a hindrance but trust me, it become a real bitch during the last few levels.

Speaking of the last few levels, I got the feeling that Naughty Dog kinda ran out of steam during those parts. The game’s remarkably paced from the start till the very end but during the last three missions it becomes a tedious grind as you take on wave after wave of well armored enemies who like I mentioned earlier throw insanely accurate grenades at your feet. Not helping matters is the fact that your buddy (controlled by the game’s AI) can be pretty useless during those segments leaving all the work up to you.