Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Critic Reviews

A veritable master class of all-round game development. From a sensational single-player experience that never takes any short-cuts and maintains its story's mythological credibility right to the end to the co-operative online play to the robust, balanced, and just plain fun multiplayer modes, this is a package of content that more than earns its $60 price tag... this season's biggest PS3 victory.

Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. It looks amazing, plays like a dream and the voice-acting/story-telling will hook you in right from the off. PS3 officially has it's a killer-app and a million tears are shed by 360 fanboys.

Unless you're born without thumbs, eyes or a sense of humour, it's obvious that Uncharted 2 is a 10/10 game after two minutes of the first level...It's the most complete, polished and fun adventure game - and maybe just game - on PS3, and it's absolutely essential.

Could use many words to describe Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, but I will just use one. Too beautiful.

Whether or not the multiplayer sticks, however, is arguably a footnote, because at the core of Uncharted 2 is an action-adventure masterpiece whose minor flaws are washed away on a tide of rhythm and spectacle - one that would still be an essential experience even without the option to pull your friends off cliffs and play capture-the-heirloom.

It takes elements from a lot of games - the exploration of Tomb Raider, climbing of Prince of Persia/Assassin's Creed, combat from Gears of War and stealth from Splinter Cell, yet it amalgamates all of these elements perfectly into one package. You can't compare it to any other game.

Naughty Dog have created an amazing movie adventure on the PS3 with unparalleled graphics, fantastic dialogue and amazing platforming elements. There is no need to wait for the film version of this game, as it's already arrived in everyone's living room. Unmissable.

Uncharted 2 does not reinvent the gaming language, but pushes this genre to new limits. If you don't have a PS3, buy one to play this game.

The A.I. is a little suspect, the camera can be stubborn, and you will die your fair share of cheap deaths. But it's still a fantastic effort and Naughty Dog deserves full credit for building upon the momentum of the first installment. PS3 owners should definitely experience it, especially if they liked the original.

Uncharted 2 is simply a vast improvement over its predecessor, and it's a damn great PS3 game. Let's leave the "are games art?" question for another time; what Uncharted 2 proves is that games are, at the very least, craft. Just as Raiders is Spielberg at the top of his game, Uncharted 2 is Naughty Dog at the top of theirs, and further proof that they are masters of their craft.

The spectacular combination of generation-defining visuals, high adventure and cinematic intensity makes Uncharted 2 absolutely essential. There aren't any reasons not to own this game.

Uncharted 2 is one of the most memorable video games ever created. Not because it is particularly innovative, but because the mixture of shooting, climbing, creeping, thinking, laughing and simple astonishment works perfectly.

The sequel to the masterfully crafted Uncharted: Drake's Fortune manages to up the notch to a whole new level, the result being the best adventure we've seen on this generation of console hardware. Praise be infinite when looking at the different aspects of the Uncharted 2 experience: fantastic graphics, great cast of characters, superb level design, masterfully directed movie sequences, fun combat and a well told story all make up what is undoubtedly a landmark of game design. Add to this a great online co-op mode as well as fun multiplayer modes and you get a game that by itself is a reason to buy a PS3.

Uncharted 2 is a magnificent example of how this generation can infuse movie production quality with enjoyable gameplay and maintain a sense of fluidity throughout the feature presentation. The sheer craft on display throughout every single moment deserves every accolade it receives; truly Naughty Dog has delivered a generation-defining experience that is worthy of buying/borrowing/stealing a PS3.

No game is perfect. But Among Thieves does so many things incredibly well, that any miniscule faults that may have crept in the final game don't matter at all. Gamers that buy Uncharted 2 will be breathless after playing through one of the most incredible and intense adventures ever. The dialogue and the humour are the icing on the cake.

Uncharted 2 is not innovative. But everything in it is better than in the first chapter. And everything seems nearly perfect. It is simply the new standard for the action adventure genre. A perfect mix between single player and multiplayer and something that will pave a new way for videogames. Any other production in the future will have to look at it. As we said at the beginning: the perfect game doesn't exist...but Naughty Dog seems really interested in finding a way to bring it to us.

Among Thieves is not a reinvention of the genre, more a definition. A sumptuous adventure that enthrals from start to finish, a cast that you'll fall in love with and a tale that's better scripted, directed and paced than most Hollywood blockbusters. It is a testament to the extraordinary talent at Naughty Dog and a glorious celebration of what video games can be when they play to their enviable strengths.

But the character interaction and the superb story will stay with players long after they've escaped its final trap.

The words “cinematic experience” have been used to describe the game so often that they are probably cliché by now, but it’s something that simply must be said. I found myself saying “just one more chapter” for hours; I never wanted to stop playing, and I never wanted the game to end.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is everything you could ask for in a videogame: immensely satisfying and challenging gameplay, a great story with likable characters, a stunning audio-visual experience, plenty of replayability, and by the time the game ends, the feeling that every dollar spent on buying the game was well worth it.