But How’s The Story? Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

October 23, 10:39 AMBaltimore Video Game ExaminerJennifer Volpe

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Don't let go, Nate!
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A new rule has been implemented in my house: No one is allowed to play Uncharted 2: Among Thieves without everyone watching. It's not that my roommates have confused the cinematic PlayStation 3 game with a modern Indiana Jones movie. The game's engaging story of treasure hunter Nathan Drake being dragged into searching for mythical items has everyone hooked, making this the best PlayStation 3 game I've played this year.

Two years after the events of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Uncharted 2 begins with a simple mystery: In 1292 Marco Polo sailed home from China with 14 ships laden with treasure and over 600 passengers. However, when Polo arrived home over a year later, there was only one ship, 18 passengers, and no documented explanation. When Nate's friend Harry offers him the chance to help answer the mystery of Polo's lost fleet, Nate can't refuse. But after Harry's double-crossing lands Nate in a Turkish prison for three months, the once-simple plot turns into a race to find the fabled Cintamani Stone located in the heart of Shambhlala. This takes Nate to faraway places like a war-torn Borneo and the Himalayas, all the while hoping he's one step ahead of both Harry and a Serbian war criminal named Lazarevic who are working together to find the mythical wish-fulfilling Tibetan gem.

Uncharted 2 isn't the typical action/adventure/puzzle-solving title. While there is shooting, it doesn't dominate the game. While there is puzzle-solving, it's not engrossing like a Legend of Zelda title. Each element is carefully woven into the main plot, tied together with witty, believable dialogue and character interactions. In many cases, the characters actually say what the player is thinking, like uttering a curse word when a grenade is tossed Nate's way, or shouting, "You've got to be kidding me!" when a tank thinks it's an ATV trying to maneuver down a back alley. Even the premise of the game is based on both history and mythology, tying together the mystery of Marco Polo's lost fleet with Tibetan legends, making the game just that much more appealing.

The most important element of Uncharted 2 is the characters. Back-stabbing and double-crossing individuals keep players so engaged they do not want to put down their controllers. My favorite character is newcomer Chloe, Nate's former flame who may or may not be working with Harry and Lazarevic. She helps Nate out a lot during the game, but whenever a confrontation with the enemies pops up, suddenly she switches sides. Chloe beautifully gives off all the vibes of the classic double-agent, even gaining Nate's trust she's on his side, but there's just enough doubt in Chloe's tone and actions to leave players wondering what her true agenda is.

One of the most impressive things about Naughty Dog's action/adventure game isn't the photorealistic graphics, but the spot-on voice acting. There's a reason why the characters interact so well on screen, why the pixels move in a very realistic fashion. The main cast was actively involved in Uncharted 2's creative process, including doing their own motion capturing for the characters while recording their dialogue. A video game voice cast working together to record dialogue is extremely rare, let alone providing the motion capturing for in-game cinematic scenes. IGN has a video of one of the acting sessions. Check it out; it's really neat to watch.