Uncharted 2: Among Thieves – Platinum (PlayStation 3)

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is the sequel to Naughty Dog’s 2007 game Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. The story picks up a few years where the first one left off, following the previous games fortune hunting hero, Nathan Drake, as he searches around the globe to try to solve another of the world’s unsolved historical mysteries; this time regarding the famous merchant/explorer Marco Polo, who in 1292, mysteriously came back from a journey having lost 13 ships and 500+ passengers, with no explanation ever given on what had happened to those ships. After Drake gains knowledge of an ancient relic and a mysterious Himalayan Valley that may be connected to Marco Polo, he sets out on an adventure to discover the secrets of Polo’s lost fleet, which he hopes will lead him to one of history’s greatest undiscovered treasures.

The gameplay of Uncharted 2 remains pretty similar to the first game. It consists of cover-based shoot-offs, fast-paced escape sequences and death-defying stunts fairly reminiscent of those of the Indiana Jones movies. Some notable changes include stealth-action segments in the game, which force you to move through certain areas hiding in cover from the hordes of pirates who await to kill you. The wall-climbing and cover mechanics have been heightened to a new extent, allowing free movement over walls and more items for Drake to use as protection. Drake spends most of the time alone, but during large parts of the game he is also accompanied by fellow treasure hunter Harry Flynn, Elena and Chloe where they are controlled by the computer. During certain sequences Drake needs to solve minor puzzles and the most complex ones require him to study notes in a book. Some of the locations visited include Turkey, Borneo and Nepal.

Multiplayer modes are entirely new to the series. Among Thieves features both competitive and co-operative play, allowing you to play the game along with friends and people around the world. Competitive game modes include “Deathmatch (Team Deathmatch)”, “Plunder (Capture the Flag)”, “Elimination” and “Chain Reaction”. Co-operative includes a mode called “Gold Rush”, in which you along with two other people must work as a team to face off against waves of enemy AI as you guys try to capture treasures and return them back to your base. Each round does not only have more enemies, but they are a lot stronger too.