Games of the Generation - Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

The definition of a AAA Sony game - character driven and with a sense of scale designed to awe

All this talk about the next generation has me on edge - I won't be able to buy my way into the next wave of consoles for quite a while. But it also has me feeling nostalgic for the game of the past eight or so years. Uncharted 2 takes pride of place here - the first in a series looking at the best games of the generation.
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One of Uncharted 2's puzzle sequences.
Image: Naughty Dog

Uncharted 2 is the rare confluence of aesthetic, mechanical and design goals, with a team capable of executing them. 

It's one of the most successful communications of a designer's intention to a player in recent years – you'll move fluidly through almost every scene, you'll understand what your character is doing there and why, and you'll feel for Nathan Drake - root for him when he's down, cringe when he's uncomfortable and smile with him when he's happy. 

The developers at Naughty Dog set out to add depth to their roguish protagonist – a calculated move to take Drake from his roots in Indiana Jones and to recast him as Han Solo. Here he becomes a man with a past he might not be proud of, and a personality more suited to Uncharted's core gameplay mechanics of shooting and snapping necks.

Among Thieves opens with an extended heist sequence introducing a quest, and a cast of characters with varying levels of allegiance to Drake. But the heist is just the preamble to a round-the-world adventure.

The way the game renders snow is one of its
many technical triumphs
Image: Naughty Dog

Drake, we learn, has a string of past associates and has been involved in some less-than-above-board archeology down through the years. Some of those former friends are happy to see him and some are holding grudges, but none of them are to be trusted.

In this darker world, the violence of a third person shooter should feel right at home. Uncharted Drake's Fortune (2007) drew criticism for the gap between its happy go lucky tone and violent gameplay. It doesn't quite work however - you'll kill 1200-plus armed and aggressive thugs along the way.

The game has a roughly 70:30 split between combat and exploration. Normal cover-based shooting is built on with the introduction of basic stealth mechanics and a hand to hand combat system much improved from the original.

'Last year's model' - an awkward meeting
Image: Naughty Dog

The result is a range of options for the player about how to approach most situations. Combat is taken out of the traditional horizontal arenas and into a more vertical setting. Often the player needs to react to the approach of enemies while clinging to a ledge or otherwise exposed. The usual split between combat and exploration is broken down effectively.

There are problems however. Stealth is an excellent addition when used to create more options for the player. It's less useful when the game's designers force it on the player. And a couple of boss battles severely brake up the flow of the game - their simple attack and repeat gameplay structure not clearly communicated to the player. 

The sense of scale runs all through Uncharted 2
Image: Naughty Dog

There are stand-out moments here that have yet to be equaled - including by the game's disappointing sequel. There's a battle against a tank in a devastated Nepalese village and a shoot-out on a high speed moving train that spring to mind. But in many ways it's how Uncharted 2 handles its character interactions that give the game its lasting appeal.

Drake finds himself wrapped up in an awkward love-triangle and the strong bond between him and likable father-figure Sully is further developed from the first game. Uncharted 2 doesn't flinch from hard hitting scenes of violence but can just as easily deliver touching moments such as the game's ending - one that delivers a real feeling of resolution. Those moments outweigh the slightly hokey fantasy turn that the game takes towards the end.

Uncharted 2 never lets up. While the action is always ramped to eleven, Naughty Dog knows how to vary the pacing of its games in a way that keeps players wanting more. And all that is held together by a strong narrative and some of gaming's most memorable characters.

Gameplay footage in the accompanying video was captured off-screen using a digital camera. All content (other than my scripting) is copyright of Naughty Dog and Sony Computer Entertainment.