4/5 ★ – peacebrendanp's review of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.

What a great game. It's leagues better than it's predecessor. Writing, acting, gameplay, it all feels so much better this time around. And, with only two-years development time between entries? Crazy work. There is such a good cast of characters here. The villain, Lazarevic, does not have a crazy amount of depth, but he plays the part of military-evil-guy very well. The stakes are higher this time around as well, with many twists and threats. However, the game never elevates the stakes so high as to take away from the grand-adventure at play here. One thing this series does very well is scale, and this entry that is especially so. You feel this great sense of scale with every environment, and it really portrays the stakes at play with every jump and set-piece that takes place. And, my god, the set-pieces are the ever more grand and a bit more dynamic this time around. Events like the train crash and the hotel make any set-piece in the first game feel like a footnote. The globe-trotting adventure is on display here, too. You'll hop from Borneo to Nepal, with a lot of different settings that make the game feel like an adventure. It really makes the location of the first game feel one-note. The story is pretty engaging, and well thought out. Every character has a unique personality, and while they lack critical depth, they are fun and witty characters to be around. There are a number of times throughout my playthrough that I just chuckled to myself due to banter. Motives don't matter here, the characters are on an adventure, and that's what they intend to do. I appreciated the Elena and Drake situation-ship, as it does raise the stakes for Nathan. I wish there were a bit more depth with Chloe, as she flips-script a number of times, and while we know it's just to save her own skin, it would be nice to see a bit more reason for it. Regardless, it's a simple yet fun story. I love the integration of history with this series. The first game was about Francis Drake's run-in with El Dorado, the mystical city of gold, and the interpreted implications of this tale, and why it was never found. This second entry is about Francis Drake's founding of the Chintamani Stone, and it's ties to the Tree of Life, and ultimately why it was never found either. Both entries play around with the idea that around World War II, the Nazis went searching for these two mystical things, presumably to find something that could turn the time of the war for them. Regardless, all of these small historical details, while played around with loosely, are really fun for people that like history or alternative history. The gameplay is vastly improved, but not without it's issues. Nathan feels leagues better to control here; it still feels arcade-like, but animations are improved and controls feel more precise. Combat feels better too, with gunplay being slightly improved, especially given there a more weapons at play. The shooting is still very simplistic and arcade-like, but death-animations and ragdoll look better here. It's still pretty static feeling. Hand-to-hand combat feels way better than the first, with the "brutal combo" being replaced with a "counter" action. It just flows much better. Still, the combat all-around is very static, and compared to some modern games, feels pretty simple. You will encounter many deaths that feel cheap and undeserved. In some ways, it harkens back to older games that were more simple and fun in nature. But, there will definitely be some frustrating moments. Thankfully, checkpoints are mostly forgiving. Many enemies will feel more like bullet-sponges, in a genre where there should be a bit more dynamism at play. The final boss fight is tense as hell, and I appreciate the gaminess of this sequence, despite it feeling frustrating at times. Also, the stealth mechanic that was kind of in the first game, is back here. In the first game, it's really not even there, I just know it's possible to at least kill an enemy without other enemies being alerted. Well, here, there is a bit more of an idea of stealth, but it's never implemented any sort-of noticeable degree. You do get a bonus-item for completely kills while in stealth, which is nice. But, you will most likely never be able to take more than two enemies down before you are detected. Collecting treasures is fine. The treasure models are detailed, and provide something pretty to look at, but it ends there. The environmental story-telling that was introduced in The Last of Us, is sorely missing in these previous entries. And, while it's not necessarily "noticeable," as the game moves too quick to notice, it is something that I wanted to note down. The soundtrack feels iconic here, to me. It's easily recognizable, and serviceable to the game as a whole. It's fun, and light. The soundtrack makes the game feel like an adventure. Maybe not my favorite soundtrack of all time, but definitely nostalgic. All-in-all, a great game. The game has aged in some ways that drag it down. But, it looks pretty, with environments being varied and more detailed (especially those vistas/sky-boxes). The platforming sees the biggest improvement, with feeling more dynamic and precise (despite some times where Nathan will just not grab onto a ledge that you definitely jumped towards, creating a sometimes inconsistent experience). The story and writing is good fun. You can probably complete this game in 8-to-9-hours. A really great revisit, though one a playthrough that I probably don't need to return to anytime soon. A very nostalgic game for me, and one that has settings and set-pieces that feel comfy to re-experience. Looking forward to seeing the game systems improve with each entry, and reliving the next couple of experiences. Console Played On: PS5 (PS4 Remastered via The Nathan Drake Collection) Game Played: 05/2024 - 05/2024 Review Written and Published: 05/16/2025