Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Uncharted 2 has easily been this years most anticipated title for the PS3. Not only because of the mind-blowing presentation Naughty Dog gave the gaming-press during the E3 event, but also because of the games' predecessor with which, despite having it's share of mistakes, they've set a pretty high standard for themselves.

Well, Uncharted 2 blows that standard completely to pieces. The formula used in part 1 has been tweaked & perfected in every aspect of the game-play, characters, plot, visuals, voice-acting, humor and the list just goes on. They have listened to the criticism concerning mistakes made in the first Uncharted & corrected them where needed. (For one, the exploring/platforming/puzzling & gun-play parts are well balanced now.) From the gorgeous, epic graphics & score to the smallest audio & story details, you can just sense the love they've put into making this game..which is not just a game anymore, really. It's more of an interactive movie, and one that can easily compete with a triple-A, Hollywood production; a bit predictable and maybe a little cheesy at times, but pumped full of action. Add to this an addictive online multiplayer and co-op system, and you've got yourself a winner.

The story is about the charismatic treasure hunter, Nathan Drake, whom gets sucked into yet another epic, thrilling quest. This time he sets out to find the lost ships of Marco Polo, after being recruited for a job by an old friend. His quest will take Drake all over the globe, from the wet, suffocating jungles of Borneo, to the icy Himalayan Mountains around Tibet. So you can expect more jaw-dropping views, eerie ancient temple sites, inventive Indiana Jones-style puzzles, bone-dry and cynical humor from the protagonist & some very fun gun-play. I doubt veterans of part 1 need any further details, and as for the rest of you..well, you'll just have to believe me when I say I really can't give away too much about the plot. Trust me, I'm doing you a favor. And just in case you're wondering, you don't necessarily have to play Drake's Fortune before playing Among Thieves, although I highly recommend it.

So, the conclusion is pretty simple and straight-forward; If you are a PS3 owner, go and buy this game today!

UNCHARTED 2 REVIEW

I've never played the first uncharted so i didn't know what to expect when i first played this one. Word has it that it basically was just a combination of gears of war and Indiana Jones all in one. It's so much better than both. The story stars Nathan Drake a fortune hunter who's been out of work for a while until a friend, Harry Flynn, offers him up a job to help him out on an expedition to find Marco Polo's trail to shambalaa. Eventually Nate has been double crossed and what follows is one of the most amazing,intense, and thrilling story to be told in a video game.

Gameplay consists of 4 things duck and cover gun-play, stealth, puzzle solving and parkour style navigation through environments (my personal favorite) I was just amazed on how much variety there was in the game play department and was just unprepared for it so much. The set-pieces are top notch and every single one of them feels like it's been ripped out of a summer blockbuster flick. There is a scene in the game where you are in a building trying to fight off a chopper along with soldiers pouring in until suddenly the chopper fires missiles at the building causing it to collapse and as it is being collapsed you are still trying to fight off soldiers until finally you are to take a leap of faith and BAM you are in the next step through the thick of the battle. Now keep in mind this is all happening in real time and it's not a cut-scene.

The characters in the game are developed pretty well and the voice acting is some of the best i've heard in a video game in a long time and really helps develop the story greatly when it comes to cut-scenes. This is actually one of the video games that i wouldn't mind to sit back and watch the cut-scenes it feels like you're watching a live action movie almost. I was completely hooked into it

FINAL VERDICT--9.5 out of 10

I would've given it a perfect 10 but there are a few flaws like some textures popping in but as i was playing through it all that was the only flaw i found in the game but it hardly ever happens. All in all this was one of the best games I've ever played in my life so far. definitely on my top 5 and If you have a ps3 you'd be crazy if you choose to skip this amazing title.

Uncharted 2 Among Thieves may well be the best PS3 game to date, although such a compliment will raise the skepticism of both XBOX fans and some MGS fans in your living room.

I have to admit that included me, a MGS fan who considered MGS4 the end of my gaming career. However, some articles also placed Uncharted 2 as "the first video game ever to make a block-buster achievement". That was an exaggeration for sure. I can name several games which contain good involving stories, kicking-ass presentations and terrific visual effects that made a bundle of production values and blockbuster qualities. MGS series, Escape form Butcher Bay, GTA4, etc. Besides, I can find some underdeveloped parts and potentials as well, like the organic combination of platforming and gunfights can be better, blah blah blah.

That's all the negative side. Now, we can talk about the good side of the game. First off, Uncharted 2 might be the first "Jaw-dropping" visual experience I've had in playing a video game. All the visual-excellent games were prematurely over-hyped and got your eyes saturated, therefore the actual experiences were not so shocking. However, still images or one or two typical scenarios don't do Uncharted 2 justice, you'd have to play it through yourself to get this one-of-a-kind experience. It's a proof that graphics alone can make a difference in a game and make a game shine.

That's not saying the other parts of Uncharted 2 are not good. The actions and platforming are also really engaging, if not a little too adrenaline-bumping. And the story is also well thought-out with a loads of fun. The characters-centered presentation never gets old, just like the distinctive personalities of Nathan Drake, Elena and Chloe. After all, they don't want to get too serious.

I guess IGN and Gamespot both gave GTA4 and MGS4 a perfect 10 for these games' depth and game-play. Now they both gave Uncharted 2 a 9.5. In my opinion, it's not essentially for game-play, but for the core value of it--jaws-dropping graphics and presentation that could keep you coming back.

10/10. The most satisfying gaming experience I had in a while. P.S. I am also a movie fan.

When Uncharted was first released back in 2007 it initially came under fire as a Tomb Raider clone. Critics said based on the trailers that it looked like Lara Croft had a sex change and that it would lack originality.

When the game was actually released however the critics were silenced and the title was critically acclaimed.

A sequel was inevitable and unsurprisingly was met with positivity once again, but why?

Uncharted can be compared to Tomb Raider, they are hugely similiar titles but in this guys opinion Uncharted has far better plots.

Uncharted 2 see's Nathan Drake and familiar faces travel the world in search of Marco Polo' lost fleet. Once again the game is enormous in size, wonderfully written, full of likeable characters, decent puzzles and a wealth of originality.

Ontop of this is flawless voice acting led by Nolan North and the husky goddess Claudia Black.

Uncharted 2 delivers as successfully as the first game and as a whole is near flawless. A fantastic addition to a franchise that is nothing short of phenomenal.

The Good:

Incredible score

Very good voice acting

Perfectly crafted level design

The Bad:

Couple of frustrating moments

Things I Learnt From This Game:

Claudia Black could tell me I have cancer in my butt and I'd still melt

This game is great to say the least and is a awesome modern day adaption of the infamous Indiana Jones film; for a game of course. Granted some call it a rip off of the Indy series, I call it picking up where Indy left off. Nolan North does a great job voicing the character Nathan Drake and his dialogue is superb; very realistic. I've read reports of a film adaption for the first game. Personally I'd love to see Nolan North play Nathan Drake in the movie. If the fans reviews of the Drake series are any consolation, the film will be a hit. I think a BIG part of the Drake Series success is highly in part do to the fact SCEA is the maker of the games. Sony Computer Entertaimnet America or SCEA, the creators of the Playstion 3 system essentially, know how to make PS3 games better than anyone pretty much. Why's that you ask? They know how to build a game to it's strengths. Working with what they know the system is capable of and making sure the layout of the buttons is easy to get used to. This is grade A gaming in my eyes. Action, Adventure, Great Story Line, and some humor mixed in to boot. This series is great and is only getting better.