Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Another older game.

I'm throwing this one in because I figure I need to talk about games I actually liked. Hopefully there are some people out there also who will check this out after reading this if they haven't, also.

First off, let me get it out of the way, this game is repetitive. Not bad, its just, they never really changed the formula throughout the course of the game, so it started to feel tedious after a while. However, the focus of this game is the story, which is quite a good one. If you haven't played the original game, don't worry. They are really only interconnected in the same way that final fantasy games are. The difference here is that the cast is the same.


So, repetitive. The game has 2 modes: platforming, and killing. You're always doing one or the other. The platforming is the better of the 2. Puzzle solving, maze navigation, jumping, its got your standard stuff here. Its done very well, so that is a huge positive, and there are some things that really get you thinking. No cheap deaths or anything like that, just hard learned lessons.

As for killing mode? Well, this isn't so good. I hope you are good at headshots, because if you aren't, you're going to die. The cover system in the game is nice, and really helps to give you breathing room, but there are very few gun fights in the game that aren't 70 to one, with people constantly showing up behind you from out of nowhere with grenade launchers (the other times its hulking guardians who take 14 clips of ammo to kill). You'll get killed a lot, and eventually you'll get frustrated and run in with a hardon and a headache trying to get past the part to get on to the next, at which point you will succeed and be like "why wasn't it that simple the first time?" I know dude, its aggravating.

Did I mention it was repetitive? After that gun battle, you'll be on to the next platforming bit. But its ok, cause this is the fun part of the game. Who'd have thought NOT killing people was fun? Enjoy it while it lasts, cause soon you'll be smack dab in the middle of another gun fight that involves more head shots and dodging errant grenades. Or snipers. Or walking tanks.

So, let's focus on the story for a minute. As I said, its one of the best around. This game has you chasing after a lost relic called the cintamani stone. Only its not really a stone, its crystalized tree sap. Some people call that amber, but its blue in this game, so sapphire is more appropriate.

Again, this is a video game, so someone is looking for it for their own nefarious reasons, and its your job to find it before they do. The journey takes you all over the eastern half of the globe, starting in Turkey and ending in the middle of the himalayan mountains. This variety is nice, as it really shows off the developers dedication to making detailed worlds. They take no shortcuts here. The game looks amazing.

The game has your standard cast of characters: cocky hero; love interest; bad guy; and you general repertoire of supporting characters. The parts are all well written and acted, so the believability is high. This is good, you get connected to the characters. There are no, cheesy, sappy, or cliché moments or characters. Its predictable, but then, what isn't these days? But its good, and that's what counts.

Like I said, the game is definitely worth playing. Pick it up if you get the chance. As far as replay value, there is actually a pretty good bit. Throughout the game there are treasures to collect, and doing so earns you money that you can use to buy game modifications like weapons and unlimited ammo and the like, so if you ever get bored you can pick the game up and have fun just playing it to play it. That kind of thing is nice. There is also a multiplayer option for the game if that's your thing. I'm not really into it, so I never messed with it.

If you do play this game and enjoy it, I recommend picking up the original.