Back when the PS3 launched roughly 2 years ago, a lesser known game, featuring a swashbuckling treasure hunter, was released.  The game quickly earned high praise from various publications and soon became one of my favorite games of all-time.  It was one of those rare games that you could play through multiple times and each time be stunned by its greatness.  The story, graphics and gameplay (minus some small gripes), all came together to create a game that felt like a great action flick.  Since then, the hype has been building for Naughty Dog’s sequel.  Expectations were through the roof.  If this game was going to succeed, it really would need to be absolute perfection.  Now that the game has been released to the masses, I can safely report that this game delivers on all levels, easily making it a candidate for game the year.

To those unfamiliar with the series, Uncharted stars an Indiana Jones like character named Nathan Drake.  He is rugged, witty and one that never has a plan of action.  Uncharted 2, similar to the first installment, has Nathan traveling the world looking for lost treasure.  However, he is never alone on his adventures, with other treasure seekers always one step behind him, trying to steal from his glory.  Drake is on the hunt for the truth behind the mysterious disappearance of the famed Marco Polo’s ship fleet.  The storyline is straight forward, with multiple plot twists, but you never get lost as to what is going on.  This is helped by the amazing voice acting and great story telling that Naughty Dog has crafted.  Cut scenes are a joy to watch, and sometimes you are still in control of your character during these amazing, interactive cinematic “moments”.  At one point, you will find yourself fighting in a crumbling building, where the floor is slanted downward.  With bullets flying by, and the floor slowly crumbling beneath your feet, you have to navigate across the room, jump out a window and into another building.  It is something that has to be seen to understand the quality of game design that went into this masterpiece.

Great AAA titles tend to usually have stunning graphics that take the game to the next level.  This game looks beautiful.  It truly showcases the raw power that can be tapped with the PS3.   Naughty Dog has obviously figured something out about the processor within the system to create a stunning piece of art.  Yes, I said art.  The textures are all great, the animations are varied and lifelike, and the camera work gives it all a cinema like quality polish to the game.  While playing this game you will find yourself stopping and just staring at how good Uncharted 2 looks.  Unlike some other games that look great, Uncharted 2 has a good variety of landscapes that you traverse throughout the game.  From frozen tundras, to humid jungles, you never feel like you are playing some rehashed levels just to make the game longer.  Each chapter (26 in total) has its own distinct feel to it, making each level something to get excited about.

Not only does Uncharted 2 have an amazing single player campaign, the developers also decided to throw in a multiplayer mode.  When I first heard about this game containing a multiplayer mode, it somewhat scared me.  I was afraid that it would be a complete afterthought that would seem tacked on, and take away from an otherwise amazing game.  This is not the case whatsoever.  The multiplayer mode is a blast to play and will keep you coming back for more.  Up to 8 players can compete in deathmatch and objective style games.  Money is earned throughout each match for completing certain tasks, which can then be used to purchase upgrades, boosters (similar to perks in Call of Duty), character skins, and concept art.  This is also accompanied by a complete leveling system that will keep you coming back for more.

Uncharted 2 is such a great game, that it feels almost pointless to talk about the small gripes that I had with the title.  There are times where the cover system doesn’t work perfectly, but this is a minor detail that does not take away from the game at all.  Sometimes you will want to cover behind a wall, but you will end up sticking to the opposite side, leaving you wide open to bullets and grenades.  Other than that, the game really is so good, that I feel it’s not even worth mine or your time reading about any other negative remarks I may have (which at the moment, I can’t really think of any glaring issues).

Uncharted 2 does pretty much everything right.  With amazing graphics, exciting gameplay, and a storyline that makes you want to play through until the closing credits, this is the type of game that you will want to play again and again.  It is also one of those games that your friends won’t mind watching you play.  It is that good.  If you own a PS3, go pick up this game.  If you don’t own a PS3, go buy one and this game.  If you don’t have money, find a friend who has a PS3 and make him buy the game so you can watch him play.  If you don’t have any friends, well then you are just shit out of luck.