Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

For those of you who have a PS3 at home---Uncharted II: Among Thieves is the Action/Adventure game of a lifetime.

The writing is far superior to any game ever made. The story is as rich as a movie and the characterization is more developed than you could ever imagine in a game. The main character is witty and likable---with a touch of smart ass intertwined. The supporting characters are well acted. Claudia Black, of Farscape fame, is tremendous as Chloe and Emily Rose is excellent as Elena. You actually see the character interventions develop their relationship --- something you don't even see in movies nowadays.

The action is superb. Though you have to laugh that someone hired hundreds upon hundreds of thugs to stop one man.

There are a few tight spots that frustrated me in the game, but the overall experience was excellent. A game that once you are done you feel good about it.

Of course it is only on the PS3 and it will be the best Action game of all time---I feel sorry for those who do not have a PS3 to experience it---but if you have a friend who has one, see if he/she will let you come over and experience one of the best console games of this generation.

Uncharted II:Among Thieves----10/10 stars---awesome If this is made into a movie, the voice actors look the part and would be the best choices for the roles.

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

Pros:

• Great story and characters
• Simple but effective gameplay
• Great cinematic action set pieces
• A-grade voice acting and animation
• Excellent graphics
• Great level variety / also adding some level elevation also
• Companions are helpful
• Great puzzles

Cons:

• Bullet spongy enemies

Verdict: Near perfect adventure game that improves on the original in all ways possible. One of my favourite games of all time.

10/10

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 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.