Say what you want about the PlayStation 3, but when developers want to make an exclusive game on the system, they usually go all out. With the exceptional graphical capabilities and the innovative minds in the video game industry, it is not surprising that the PS3 games can rate as some of the highest available now. Their title Uncharted: Drake's Fortune had universal acclaim, both for its exquisite beauty and its entertaining storyline as explorer Nathan Drake tried find his ancestor's treasure. A little bit Lara Croft and a little bit Han Solo, Drake is snarky, smart, and engaging as a lead character. When its sequel, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, was announced and promised to be better than ever, PS3 users were both skeptical and hopeful: could they surpass an already excellent game and take it a whole step further?
Yes, yes, and more yes!
Uncharted 2 takes place roughly two years after the first game, and it stars Nathan Drake again getting himself into trouble over expensive artifacts. Characters from before do return to this game, including partners Sully and Elena, although not until a little later in the game. It starts out with Nate teaming up with two new people, British thieves Harry Flynn and Chloe Frazer. They have discovered that an artifact (a lamp) is being held at an Istanbul museum, and it may have the secrets to what happened to Marco Polo's legendary lost ships. Nate and Harry manage to find the lamp and Nate receives the next clue, but he is double crossed by Harry, who is actually working for the real villain of the story, Serbian crime lord Zoran Lazarević.
It is up to Nate, Sully, Elena, and Chloe (who has agendas and a backstory with Nate all her own) to get to the missing ships and find out what happened before Zoran does. These ships may hold the key to unlimited power, and if it falls in the wrong hands it could do irreparable damage to the world. As Nate tries to navigate through danger and multiple betrayals, he has to ask himself what he really is: a hero or a thief. Can he be both? Is there profit in heroism? That's what you'll have to find out in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves!
Anyone who played the first game knows that the storytelling and voice acting for this series is phenomenal, but it is even better for the sequel. The world of Uncharted 2 is larger, more flexible, and more vicious. You do not just run around jungles and caves, but you find yourself in various locations such as the Himalayas, Nepal, Tibet, and landscapes like the jungle, snowy mountains, and exotic temples. This is where the intense detail of the PS3 graphics really shine; there's a scene where you are running on a moving train trying to get to the front. Instead of the background scenery being mostly the same, everything about it is unique and authentic, from the leaves to the electric sparking rails. This is one of the most beautiful games you will ever play, a real feast for the eyes, but be careful not to sit still and stare too long, or a bad guy will show up and shoot you! They used the Naughty Dog Game Engine 2.0, and apparently maximized (about 90%) the Cell's processor to make this game look that good. It looks effortless, but the team has to be applauded for what they accomplished.
On to the gameplay. It's a shooter like the first game with plenty of puzzle-style action. In a few scenes you'll hide behind pillars and benches to shoot with various guns (and even rocket and grenade launchers) at the enemy. There is usually plenty of ammo to go around, but it is occasionally smarter to use the stealth aspects of this game and sneak around. You can take out several of the enemies before even alerting them you are there, and this can be helpful in some of the more serious firefights that occur. Usually one of your in-game partners will be helping, and the AI is exceptional in that they never get in your way, and they're actually – gasp! – helpful. The AI enemies are also quite intelligent at times and will hide, coming out only to shoot at you, and they will also sneak up and take you out if you're not paying attention. This makes for real challenge in the gameplay. They've added ways that you can hang off of buildings, railings, and street signs now and use it as a shield as you aim from the top to shoot at others. There are several battles with helicopters where you have to think fast, and even one with the most annoying tank of all time. 
Now when you're not shooting wildly at enemies, you are trying to solve puzzles to get around. Sometimes this is as simple as finding ways to navigate when there are barriers in your way, and sometimes this includes actual puzzles you have to look at Nate's journal to figure out. You have the strategy of straight out fighting, and then the thoughtful process of platforming successfully. It all works as intuitively as you'd hope for, and so your brain is actively working in all parts of the game. You probably will die more than a few times as you try to work out where to go next, or when a big freaking tank blows you up when you turn the wrong corner, but don't get frustrated; the answer will come!
There is not enough good things to say about the voice acting and character design/development in this game. Claudia Black voices the dry and hardened Chloe, and Steve Valentine is another newcomer as Harry Flynn. Nolan North brings personality and humanity to Nate yet again, and both Emily Rose and Richard McGonagle return as Elena and Sully. At E3 they showed videos of the voice actors actually performing the motion captures of some of the cutscenes, and you can see how much of their actual personality and performance was added to the game.
So the game itself is just brilliant from beginning to end. When I realized I was almost finished with it, I wanted to stop just so that I would never have to finish. Luckily there are several difficulties I can play it on over and over again. The next piece of the puzzle is the multiplayer, which they added for this game. It can be competitive or co-op in particular maps and scenes, and the matches include straight out fights (Deathmathes) or teamwork objectives (Plunder/Capture the Flag). This is fun as hell. You can play as the 'heroes' (and take Nate, Elena, Chloe, Sully roles) or as the 'villains.' You already have this fantastic world and stunning graphics, so the interactive element between yourself and other players just really ups the ante. Not only do you have an excellent single-player game, but the multiplayer turns out to be well worth the effort. The only thing I didn't like was that you can't co-op in your home, due to Naughty Dog not wanting the split-screen to mess with their pretty graphics. I get it, but that means my friends have to get the game to play with me, rather then them trying it out here and then buying the game once they realize how great it is.
I'm not going to mince words, everyone: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is not only one of the best games I've played this year, but one of the best games I've played ever. It's definitely on the top ten list. It is gorgeous, funny, entertaining, interesting, challenging, and just an all around excellent experience for any gamer. It's fun from the beginning to the end, and then it just continues online! If you liked the first game, or if you didn't play it but enjoy good shooters with great story and personality, then this game is a must-have. It's already one of the most critically acclaimed games of the year and won awards from IGN, X-Play, and the Game Critics Award. What are you waiting for?
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is out now for the PlayStation 3, and it is rated T for violence and some language.
ComicsOnline.com gives Uncharted 2: Among Thieves 5 broken ruins out of 5.
