I play video games. Not as much as I used to (I am in college after all, I don't have the time or money to spend on things like video games), but every so often I do get a chance to sit down and enjoy one. I get especially excited when a game like Uncharted 2: Among Thieves comes along. I am a fan of the original and enjoyed it very much. But like most things, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune had its flaws. For one, for a game trying to recreate the pulp action feeling of an Indiana Jones movie, it relied to heavily on shooting. Now that would be fine to an extent, but the last third of the game was nothing but run here, hide behind this, shoot this, repeat. The first two-thirds of the game were great, filled with beautiful vistas, scaling huge walls, dodging traps and having huge shoot-outs with some fairly intelligent and challenging foes. But to say challenging would be an understatement though. There were times where I got so frustrated that I nearly twisted my controller in two. It seemed more like trial and error was the way to play rather than actually using a strategy. Sometimes it felt like I was progressing some sections on pure luck. I did manage to get through the game, but all of my cursing and sweating and near-endless repeats of the same section really didn't pay off in my mind. The end boss was a push-over and the ending itself was kind of a let down.
But enough of the original's flaws, what did I like about it? Well, for one, the story and voice-acting were top-notch, Hollywood blockbuster quality. The graphics (at the time) were eye-popping, though there were a few glitches. So yeah, despite it's flaws, I thoroughly enjoyed playing through the original Uncharted; so much in fact that I played it again a second time (and actually didn't have as much trouble as the first time) and was really able to see the great things about it.
So when I heard there was going to be a sequel (I knew there would be only a matter of time) I got pumped, but feared it would have the same flaws as the original and I would be cursing and screaming all over again. I felt like it would end up being like any other sequel and fall into the trap of trying to do things bigger and better than the first game and failing miserably.
Boy was I wrong.
Uncharted 2 blew away all expectations and raised the bar for interactive entertainment. It played like a movie, and I was in control. It actually felt like I was playing "Raiders of the Lost Ark", and gave me the same feeling of wonderment and thrill that I had when I first saw that movie when I was young. I have never played a game that was so engaging, exciting, and emotionally involving as this one. To show you how much I adore this game, I'm going to break this into four parts:
Story - This time around, we find Nathan Drake searching for Marco Polo's missing fleet. According to legend, he traveled to Asia with 14 ships and 600 men, all loaded with gold, and returned years later with just one ship, 16 men, and no gold. It's a gripping tale that's filled with twists, betrayal, love, and redemption, and it moves quickly and breathlessly. The story never got in the way of the gameplay, and the cutscenes (which looked incredible and were extremely entertaining) never held the game back, and I was always glad to set my controller down for a few minutes and see where the game would go next. But most importantly, the characters felt alive. I have never been so emotionally attached to a set of video game characters. The actors playing them did motion capture so they felt human and not robotic like some video game characters tend to feel. I cheered for the hero, booed the villains, and hoped that the guy got the girl in the end (he does). Overall, Uncharted 2 tells a story and it tells it very very well.
Gameplay - Here's the most important part of any game: how it plays. Unlike the original game that relied too heavily on gunplay, the sequel is well-rounded and extremely well balanced. Just when things start to get a little tedious, the game shakes it up a bit, slowing down a little. But it doesn't take long for it to crank back up again. And boy, do things get exciting. There are two sequences that I felt were truly amazing and had my jaw laying on the floor: one section where you are running on the rooftops in a slum in Nepal trying to dodge incoming fire from a helicopter, and another where Nate is battling across a moving train. The train section is truly amazing, as you have to fight your way to the front car while shooting enemies and dodging that troublesome helicopter again. It feels so cinematic and pulls you into the action so well that you feel like you are right there beside Nate fighting for you life. Aside from the occasional running and gunning, you'll be solving puzzles, doing crazy acrobatic stunts, dangling from ledges, sneaking through a museum (showing off the games new stealth mechanic, which is also excellent and well-implimented), and taking control of a bunch of vehicles. To put it simply, the gameplay in Uncharted 2 is what sets it apart from every game out now, and never ceases to amaze from start to finish.
Graphics - The first Uncharted looked really good, but Uncharted 2 is the best-looking game I have ever seen. The art design is amazing, everything runs smoothly, and the cut scenes look incredibly real. The best and most impressive feat is that the game is consistently good. No glitches, no screen tear, and no texture pop-up. The game looks exactly as it does in the cut scenes. You can't tell what's a cinematic and what's actual gameplay, it looks that good.
Music - The one thing I loved about the first Uncharted was the music. It was exceptional and matched the action on screen. The sequel's music is even better, as it adds to the feeling of the game. It sounds like something you'd expect to hear in a summer movie. Composed by Greg Edmonson, the score to Uncharted 2 is the icing on the cake; it's just another reason why this game is head and shoulders above the rest of the competition.
So there you have it. Uncharted 2 is just that good. Never have I played a game that I felt so compelled to finish. Every time that I sat down to play it, I was generally excited to see where it would take me next. Uncharted 2 took me places and showed me things that I never thought were possible, even in a video game. I seriously can't find a bad thing about this game; I was never bored, never frustrated, and never once was not blown away. Every aspect of this game is top-notch. To me, it never felt like a video game. It felt like watching Indiana Jones or Star Wars for the first time. It made me forget everything I knew about video games, movies, and entertainment. It transcends those mediums and becomes something else entirely. It sucked me in from the breath-taking beginning to the heart-pounding climax and never let go. Even when I wasn't playing it I was thinking about it. It took over my life when I was playing it. And is about to again, as I am playing trough it again. And I know for sure I'll be playing through it again and again.
But don't take my word for it, just play it and let it take you to another world.
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