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Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PlayStation 3)

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves review

Game: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Platform: PlayStation 3
Genre: Action (Contemporary)
Developer: Naughty Dog
AKA: Uncharted: Ougontou to Kieta Sendan (JP)

Staff review by Zigfried

October 17, 2009

Much ado has been made of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, and for good reason. It's entirely possible that no other video game has ever come this close to replicating the motion picture feeling. Perhaps I should clarify: it's entirely possible that no other video game has ever come this close to replicating the summer action blockbuster feeling. After all, we must not forget the lofty achievements of Night Trap.

Treasure hunter Nathan Drake's second PS3 adventure actually surpasses National Treasure and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which is particularly noteworthy since Crystal Skull inspired Drake's quest in some very obvious ways. I would even go so far as to say that the fictitious Uncharted 2: The Movie would be the world's second-greatest film of its kind, behind only the legendary Raiders of the Lost Ark.

I would not say that Uncharted 2 is the second-greatest game of its kind. It's a thoroughly competent product, and certainly a pretty one, but fails to demonstrate daring ambition or conceptual innovation. Thanks to some incredible animation and voice-acting, Nathan Drake is a likable and believable character, but still a typical hero. Gameplay predominantly relies on long stretches of wall-climbing and straightforward shooting, but Uncharted 2 excels at neither. Also, the pacing is a bit misguided; I love watching heroes explore ancient ruins at the end of an enchanting summer flick, but the concept of large, empty spaces with no enemies and frequent climbing across rocks, climbing across gears, and climbing over statues does not translate to an exciting video endgame (although the grand finale itself is satisfying).

If I've dashed your expectations a bit, rest assured the game is still quite excellent.

This third-person-perspective adventure follows treasure hunter Nathan Drake in his efforts to prevent arms dealer Zoran Lazarevic from finding Marco Polo's fabled cintamani stone and becoming a god. Zoran makes a habit of shooting his own mercs in the head, so it's pretty evident that we don't want this loathsome chap as a god. Both ruthless and clever, Zoran is a compelling villain, and he never becomes "cool" enough that I wanted him to live.

From the start, the clues leading to the cintamani stone make more sense than National Treasure 2's ridiculous leaps of faith. Nathan Drake is obviously just as intelligent as Nicholas Cage's character, but doesn't come across as borderline delusional. That's a good thing. If you get stuck on one of the in-game puzzles (some mysteries are unraveled during cinematics), there are optional hints to highlight the next step. Most in-game puzzles revolve around finding the appropriate way to climb further into the level, or locating a hidden switch . . . and then climbing to reach it. There's a lot of climbing, which wasn't nearly as enjoyable on the second playthrough as it was on the first.

The environments that Nathan climbs through are rich in detail. A friendly Tibetan town shines with vibrant primary colors and teems with peaceful life -- quite a change from the smoky, war-torn streets of Nepal. Be sure to loot the village treasures while you're there, you devious knave!

Even amidst chaos and gunfire, the scenery often surprised me with its beauty. Step out of a dilapidated house and you'll see a golden temple across the garden. While searching for the temple's lost treasure, Nathan is more concerned about whether his ex and her cameraman are a couple (I had to wonder, too; the cameraman didn't seem smart enough to deserve her).

SPOILER: While inside the temple, I noticed a glimmer in the corner. I climbed up there and found a secret treasure. BRONZE ALTAR SPOON get! There are 99 more to be found.

After you climb to the top of a broken-down hotel*, the gorgeous skyline awaits. When you're done taking in the breathtaking view, there's a swimming pool on the roof. Nathan leaps in to play the Marco Polo kids' game . . . and he actually gets his ladyfriend to begrudgingly play along. This is random but clever stuff.

* If you're tired of reading about climbing, imagine how I felt actually doing it!

Some graphical touches are nice (such as enemies dropping grenades when you shoot them after they've pulled the pin), while others betray a lack of attention (such as snow hovering in mid-air as my feet dangle, or piles of snow not moving at all when I walk right through them). Plenty of games look better on the surface -- I'll throw Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 out there as an example -- but Uncharted 2 more than makes up for this with the characters' behavior and motion.

I was impressed early on when I saw the way Chloe chuckled at rival treasure hunter Flynn's goofy joke. I know it sounds stupid to be impressed by "chuckling", but it was the most natural and convincing laughter I've ever heard -- and seen -- in a game. Which is odd, considering the characters still look like plastic-skinned dolls with creepy glass eyes. This believable behavior, this stellar voicework, emanates from every character without exception. Consider me impressed.

In short, Uncharted 2 isn't good because it's pretty; Uncharted 2 is good because it's convincing. Through elaborate scripted events, the quest manages to be linear without feeling linear. The high-speed convoy scene in particular was jaw-dropping . . . until my second playthrough, when I realized I was basically playing Dragon's Lair. Watching Nathan jump from speeding truck to speeding truck in the snowy mountains is gorgeous, but the proper path is so pre-determined and the jump controls so forgiving that the scene is closer to an old-time FMV adventure than to the ball-busting, truck-hopping scene from Sega's Nightshade.

But I'll be damned if I wasn't on the edge of my seat the first time through.

While jumping from truck to truck, I still had to fend off Zoran's henchmen. Combat is pretty straightforward: guns put holes in peoples' heads, a streamlined melee system shows off Nathan's martial arts, and a competent "cover" system has been yanked from Gears of War. I also enjoyed grabbing propane tanks and tossing them at enemies, then bursting the tank while it was in the air (next to the target's head).

Now imagine doing all that with a bunch of other people. I've never been a big fan of multiplayer, but in a game that loses so much on the second play, it was a wise inclusion. More importantly, it's true multiplayer -- with entire teams pitted against each other -- that uses the ever-present "climbing" to positive effect. The insanity almost felt like a high-budget Power Stone, although I know that feeling will fade once everyone becomes more familiar with the maps. Money earned during multiplayer can be spent on single-player tweaks such as unlimited ammo; I just wish I could play locally with a friend (Uncharted 2's multiplayer is online only).

Even though the characters look like dolls with creepy glass eyes, I was glad when the love interest proved her sincerity to the hero. Even though the jungle's lighting is unconvincing, I was still itching to see the massive explosion after setting a half-dozen detonation charges . . . and I was pissed that the game didn't let me see the result of my effort. The outstanding helicopter scene at the hotel, a scene that I shall not spoil, more than made up for the disappointing jungle. From Nathan Drake's raid on a guarded Istanbul keep (reminiscent of Conan's raid on the Tower of the Elephant) to Nathan Drake's uncovering of a lost civilization (how do these people stay alive?), the adventure felt like a big-screen epic.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves has the right storyline, the right characters, and the right talent. What it lacks are a personal connection to its inspiration (Marco Polo's real-life history barely plays a part), pioneering creativity, and the escalating rhythm associated with top-tier action titles . . . but as long as you don't go into the experience with overly-heightened expectations, that's okay. A derivative adventure can still be pretty thrilling when it's derived from stellar source material.

//Zig

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