By Robert Ramnauth (Editor-in-Chief)
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is the sequel to developer Naughty Dog’s 2007 video game, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. The game gives players control of Nathan Drake, a treasure hunter whose mission is to find out the truth behind an unsolved historical mystery: the ill-fated journey of Marco Polo’s crew.
Since the game’s reveal in late 2008, it quickly built up hype about its pending release. The first Uncharted is often cited as the defining game of the PlayStation 3, so Among Thieves had a lot to live up to.
It doesn’t disappoint. But more than living up to high expectations from notoriously difficult-to-please video gamers, Uncharted 2 manages to accomplish something most games can’t even dream of: it serves as a showcase for the unique storytelling power of the industry.
Many games are content with the basics of gaming: the world/a woman needs saving and it is up to the main character, usually an unstoppable man who looks like he’s on steroids, to set things right (usually by shooting everything in sight and spouting very macho lines that show how manly he is).
Among Thieves largely ignores these stereotypes. The game opens with Drake lying inside of a train that is hanging off the side of a cliff on a snowy mountain. He is wounded; there are cuts and bruises all over him, and he’s bleeding out of a bullet wound to his stomach. It’s a scene that immediately humanizes him, making him more relatable as a person.
Drake isn’t a superhero; he’s a human being. As players make their way through the game, he grumbles about being outnumbered all the time and makes smart remarks about the over-the-top situations in which he finds himself. He occasionally stumbles as he climbs up stairs. He often is saved by the women he is traveling with, a fact they enjoy teasing him about.
On top of having the most likable and human cast of almost any video game to date, Uncharted 2 is full of excellent writing. Drake’s self-deprecating one-liners and the characters’ senses of humor make the story a pleasure to experience.
The gameplay is similar to that of the original. Players control Drake as they explore lush jungles, war-torn areas of Nepal, and the snowy peaks of the Himalayas. A cover system allows Drake to duck behind rubble and stick to walls, which comes in handy because enemies will do everything to outthink and outgun players. Instead of run-and-gun tactics, players are forced to think about the best way to tactically take out swarms of enemies, who are led by one of the most brutal villains in recent memory.
In addition to gunplay, Among Thieves has players climbing around huge environments similar to a Tomb Raider game. Puzzles punctuate the action, many of which are challenging but never obscure. The game also has an excellent online multiplayer for those who prefer to compete against other people instead of participate in the story.
The most impressive aspect of the game is how every component works together to make Among Thieves more than the sum of its parts. As an industry, video games are often dissected into smaller parts: graphics, gameplay, sound and story. Though each of these elements is excellent, in Uncharted 2, they all work in tandem to lift the title into a sublime experience.
Among Thieves shows that when it comes to video game storytelling, the industry is very close to achieving a unique spot among books and movies. If game developers want games to be taken more seriously, they’re going to have to lighten up and start having fun with their stories.
