It took years for writers and futurists to fantasize and pen the realm of technological marvels that mankind would cohabit. But it just took Naughty Dog a year to craft out an exhilarating experience that would come to define the vision this generation has often been dictated and discussed in the past.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves feels like snapping fingers, it fast, furious and explosive and by the time player comes to terms with its quality production values the game pulls the curtains down on the single player campaign and moves into its multiplayer turf where the quest continues either co-operatively or competitively. The structure of the narrative is fairly linear, as Nathan Drake is on the hunt for city of Shambala, the mythical kingdom nestled within the confines of Inner Asia and is rumored to house life’s eternal secret.
The trail that our valiant treasure hunter seeks is also being sniffed around for by our atypical Siberian antagonist (war criminal/terrorist) Lazarević. The plot is surprisingly tight and simple sans any twists and complications maintaining the flow of the experience enjoyable and managing to stray away from banality through the use of witty dialogue coupled with gorgeous animations that are evocative of dropping jaws and popping eyes.
The action laced visual bestiality comes forth right from the beginning of the narrative (which is actually retraced in the middle of the game) as Drake clamors up mountains, jungles, trains and rooftops. The dynamism of the environment is a pleasing to almost all of the essential five senses of the human body. Each sequence within the game is littered with instances which often take the player by surprise and make the network of objects around it immensely interactive. A prominent instance is upon the train which mimics the sequence towards the end of Mission Impossible. The constant motif of pushing the player forward in the most precarious sequences is heavily felt during this encounter of the game. As the witty heroics of our protagonist get deeper into the linear flow of events, these pre-defined sequences increase raising tension levels higher each time.
The single player campaign of the game is essentially divided into two formats which roughly alternate in each of the 26 chapters present, one is a platforming instance and the other are cover based action laden sequences. The game surprisingly also encourages the use of stealth in one chapter and places the technique option in certain other points as well. All three instances combined together give a wholesome package to the experience, but are not sans its set of flaws which shall be discussed later.
The PlayStation 3 oft late has been pushing the aura of visual splendor with its first party lineup. We’ve witnessed the desolated beauty of Vekta in Killzone 2 and Uncharted 2 annihilates the monochromatic color patterns of war by bringing forth a vivid and natural color palette which suits an individual’s visual sense whilst pushing through the game. There is outwardly form of no ugly screen tearing or texture pop in that would render the game ugly at times. Uncharted 2 visually feels like a virgin that blossoms as the hours go by and, each time the adrenaline rushes capturing moments of ecstasy, increases till the end.
This unadulterated flattery regarding its visual splendor and tenacity does imbibe numerous flaws that deter the experience for the player. The biggest issue that crops up during the game is the control mechanism, which is a bit clumsy. The option of finding cover during combat is not as smoothly implemented as in similar games within its genre on other platforms. During moments of intense combat a slight slip in the controls may end up resulting in player flying right in the face of oncoming fire or across a deep ravine spoiling the flow of sequence of events. The artificial intelligence powering the antagonist’s army is also on the weaker side that is not coherent with the game. The squad mechanics are rather weak and often the player finds himself standing against a bunch of mediocre opponents whom he can pick off with relative ease.
The platforming mechanics in the game are also rather simple and straightforward, there is no two way of doing things for Drake, it’s mapped out for even a novice player who has never used his cranium in his life. The biggest drawback in Uncharted 2 is perhaps the lack of replaybility, this feature although mitigated in a form of finding collectibles in each of the single player maps that aid in unlocking items of purchase in the multiplayer is not sufficient enough. The sense of excitement for the player will not be in a similar vein as he ploughs through the game for a second time.
The multiplayer maps also feature most of the mechanics that are found in the single player mode which result in both exciting and frustrating encounters. The awkward control moments have their set of issues whereas they also provide ample amount of intense combat mechanisms to keep it a stone’s length from other similar games. The machinima mechanism is a nifty feature to build and sustain a whole new breed of adventure plying enthusiasts crafting their own set of treasure stories.
The Final Word: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves probably defines this generation as no other game has done so far, it blends different genres, shakes it up with glorious visuals and is served to the player as the perfect drink for one of those dreary nights. This is must have for any PlayStation 3 owner and any futurist who wanted to see the pages of their book come alive in vivid detail.
Graphics: 10/10.
Gameplay: 8.5/10.
Sound: 9/10.
Budget Pocket: 9/10.
Overall (Not on an average): 9/10.