Gamer Unit

 

Naughty Dog is one of the best developer’s in the business of video games. Year after year, generation after generation they consistently turn out stellar games. From “Crash Bandicoot” to “Jak & Daxter” to the Uncharted series. It’s safe to say that they had massive expectations on them to deliver in this generation. Uncharted: Drakes Fortune didn’t disappoint, it was the highlight of the PlayStations launch in 2007. With Uncharted 2: Among Thieves however, Naughty Dog lifted the bar. They lifted the bar so high, it is impossible to reach those heights again.

 

The very intro of Uncharted 2 is exhilarating and perhaps a precursor of what is to follow. A relentless pursuit of a treasure across countries with genuinely likeable and witty characters unlike the usual cardboard cutouts handed to us. The story starts off about a year or so after the events of the first game and begins with Nate and a few fellow thieves working on finding Marco Polo's lost treasure fleet. Things aren't quite that simple and they end up going on a much grander adventure, one that takes them half-way around the world. From the Borneo Jungle to India to Nepal, Uncharted is an interactive movie which never ceases to amaze you. The top notch storytelling extends to the characters too, every character has an interesting personality and nothing seems weird or unnatural in their dialogues and communications with each other. The story itself twists and turns throughout the course of the game, as you might expect, and for the most part it's a solid tale. Nathan and his comrades go through a lot, so it does a good job of making you care and keeping you hooked until the end.

 

As for the gameplay itself, Uncharted 2 -- like the original, tasks you with gunfights, environmental navigation& platforming or puzzle solving. While a lot of the mechanics are identical to the first title, everything has been blended together a little better, especially the combat which was shaky at best. Uncharted 2 offers a lot more variety and options in how these sequences play out thanks to the fantastic level design. Rather than fighting on flat ground, almost every battle scene features multiple levels and areas to use to your advantage. This is one of those unique games that keep getting better and better as it goes on. The first half felt like a nice improvement in the gameplay department over the original , but once you hit the half-way point, everything kicks into full swing and you start getting into jaw-dropping sequences involving a sequence of a moving train which  is simply stunning on so many levels.The first half of the game is simply the calm before the storm. Although there are less puzzles this time, the ones that you do come across are complicated and very involving. Instead of peppering small interactive puzzles throughout the game, you'll come to roomfuls of things to solve, many of which are multi-staged puzzles and take quite a while to solve. What's cool is that instead of having Sir Francis Drake's journal, Drake keeps his own this time around that you can freely flip through incase you feel that you require a hint. And you'll need to, as some puzzles require multiple pages of clues and some of the puzzles took me nearly half an hour to figure out. The Uncharted series has always had a reputation of an incredibly responsive A.I and this game is nothing different. This time though, the companion A.I’s have been improved. They are highly intelligent and instead of being a hassle like other games, they actually help you take on the enemies. It really feels like they're with you rather than in your way, blowing your over and taing shots at an army of men. They think for themselves and do stuff that real people would do. The body animations seem realistic.

 

Naughty Dog has outdone itself with character and story immersion. It's impossible to talk about Uncharted 2 without mentioning its visuals.  there fantastic presentation in the cut scenes, but there are some scenes that you'll play in that will have your jaw on the floor. The world is packed with bits of detail that do not affect the gameplay, but manage to attract and immerse you into the   world and make you feel like this is a real place. The texture detail is astounding, the amount of random stuff everywhere is mind boggling, the lighting is some of the best we've ever seen and the overall art direction is phenomenal. And of course, let me not forget to mention the amazing animation, killer explosions and pretty much every other pixel on the screen. Uncharted 2 has redefined visuals in gaming in 2009.

 

MULTIPLAYER

I haven’t really played the multiplayer much as I am not a fan of Third Person shooters in Online Multiplayer, but the few matches I played were great fun and the various modes added variety to the mode. It consists of Team Deathmatch, Elimination, Treasure and a few others.  You can gain ranks, which then in turn allows you to buy perks (like the ability to hold more ammo or reload faster) with money that you earn while playing. Levels here are scenes adapted from the single-player game, so you're getting the same (epic) design elements with lots of spots to take advantage of, places to hide and use for cover in your escapades. For the cooperative stuff, you have a handful of options here. A survival mode is exactly what it sounds like - you and a couple friends hole up in a spot and take out wave after wave of enemies that get progressively tougher for as long as you can. It's fun and very challenging, but for my money the meat here is the co-op mode. Rather than playing through the entire game with a couple friends, you instead jump into specific scenarios that have you save some folks, grab a treasure or something like that. 

 

 

It's easily one of the best games on the system, blending fantastic presentation and visuals with gameplay that is practically second to none. Yes, the gunplay is a bit shaky but we can forgive Naughty DOg as they have managed to create a mascot of  PLayStation to rival Master Chief and to a lesser extent Mario. And then there's the stellar multiplayer ( not my preferred choice, but I see why people will like it) which you'll probably be playing until Uncharted 3 ships. No, Uncharted 2 is not perfect, but it's closer than   other game out there these days. Hats off naughty Dog, you have created a masterpiece.