Get a Map, An Uncharted 2 Review
Luke Earhart
October 29, 2009
Filed under A & E
The creator of Jak and Daxter and many other jewels, Naughty Dog, made a game called Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune in 2007 as a PS3 exclusive. Long since then people had thought that a sequel would be pretty awesome.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves greeted our store shelves on October 13th, and since I thought it might be good, it’s the first game in months that I’ve bought without renting. The story, gameplay, and multiplayer make this game one of the best this year, and a must buy for the PS3.
Two years after the events of the first, Nathan Drake is chilling in some tropical town. Don’t worry, the story from the first one doesn’t really matter much, so you can jump right in. An old friend contracts him for a heist job, jump starting the game with a very National-Treasure like feel. An adventure across most of the world incurs, filled with back-stabs, old faces, and demon yetis. The whole point of the story is Drake and the gang attempt find Marco Polo’s lost fleet which Polo was said to have sunk in the sea from a storm, but no one has ever found it. This game mixes the real world with the Uncharted universe so well, movie quality is an understatement.
Along with this excellent story, the gameplay comes top notch. It feels very Tomb Raider, the shooting is a lot like Gears of War, but the guns feel like they actually do damage. The platforming aspect of the game is very fluid and intuitive, the only problem I had was in a certain ice cave where everything looked climbable. Many of the action sequences have you just doing a run-for-cover-then-shoot method. This was the case in the first game at least. Now, enemies throw grenades at you like they think it’s a game of catch. Basically, every now and then, the game just makes you move effectively giving you a less stagnant game.
Another cool thing about the game is its stealth gameplay. The controls sometimes feel awkward, and some spots feel impossible, but the enemy AI (Artifical Intelligence) is somewhat lacking, making it easier.
The multiplayer gives a few fun options like treasure capturing or the usual deathmatch. Teamwork plays a large role in the treasure game. You can throw the treasure to your teammates allowing very cool moments. The deathmatch feature can be very funny especially since most new players (that can’t play very well) visit. These players will, at random, jump to their deaths or just run at you blind-firing. Either way, it gives you laughs.
I can’t explain to you how much I loved playing this game. It is up there for my game-of-the-year pick, and is definitely in the top three. The story gets very enticing with many twists and turns, mixed with a great gameplay that keeps you hooked, and even some multiplayer that adds to the replayability. This is hands down one of the best Playstation 3 games out there. Critics agree with my view, and the Uncharted 2 scores are out the roof. If you own a PS3, buy this game, immediately.
