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I won’t pussyfoot around the topic. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is an excellent game, and a worthy contender for the “Game of the Year” mantle.  The things that were “great” about the original Uncharted are now “excellent”, and developers Naughty Dog deserve our utmost respect for delivering such a polished and entertaining game.  If you haven’t yet played and completed the game, then go do it now.  It would be impossible for me to write an article that is even half as fun as the game is, so don’t waste your time here if you’ve not seen the credits yet!

Done? Good, wasn’t it!  I’m confident that if you’ve finished the game, then you’ll at least understand the nomination for Game of the Year, even if you don’t agree with it.  If you’ve defied my orders and not yet given it a try, then I’ll try to explain the quality that Uncharted 2 has that sets it head and shoulders above the 2009 elite.

I think the easiest place to start with singing the game’s praises is with its obvious good looks. The graphics are genuinely stunning, and are arguably the pinnacle of current console games. For someone playing Uncharted 2 for the first time, it’s the most obvious point to commend – the game looks absolutely delicious.  I always insist that good graphics are no indication of a good game, but it’s difficult not to be impressed by the way that Among Thieves looks. 

Even with the impressive collection of locales, each environment is stunningly detailed.  From jungle terrain to icy tombs to Tibetan villages, Nathan Drake’s surroundings range from “impressive” to “breathtaking”.  It’s difficult to play through the game without taking a moment atop a building (or a moving train) to marvel at the love and attention that has gone into creating such spectacular backdrops.  Each setting has been devotedly constructed, and the result is a world of variety that looks as real as the other side of your window.  Each puddle, boulder and leaf looks like a genuine act of nature, rather than the handiwork of some artist.

In the original Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, the superb characters, dialogue and voice acting were one of the game’s high points.  Once again though the sequel has taken it to a new level.  The characters are well-rounded and believable, and the fact that this is an action game doesn’t diminish the level of character interaction and development involved.  The dialogue is clever, sharp, and dare I say it, “real”.  It’s actually embarrassing, as it has only highlighted the gulf that exists between most other games’ stilted ham acting, and what could be considered natural dialogue.  The fact that each actor does both the voice acting and the motion capture for his/her part only adds to the believability of the people we see on screen.  The combination of the solid plot, the excellent characterisation and Greg Edmonson’s beautifully stirring music, mean that Uncharted 2 can be genuinely moving.  You actually give a damn about the characters, and are with them every step of the way.

Though the dialogue gives an air of verisimilitude that is almost unheard of in gaming, this is a rollicking rollercoaster of a game, and there’s no time or space for words like “verisimilitude”. This is a game full of frenetic action and spectacular set pieces that will have any player (or viewer) on the very edge of their seats. The story is hardly Dostoyevsky, but it’s not trying to be. This is pure Hollywood in game form.  It’s an explosion, a car chase, a witty one-liner, and a right hook to the sensory chops.  It’s designed to thrill and excite, and it does exactly that.

The story in Uncharted 2 is good.  Not just “game good”, but “film good”; on a par with the standard of your average summer blockbuster.  This is no mean feat as Uncharted 2 is very filmic in style, and it’s rare that a cinematic game has a tight narrative of cinematic (albeit Hollywood) standards.  The unfolding plot leads the game between its many locations, and the overall pacing is terrific.  The electrifying set-piece moments, that you would be lucky to get one of in other action games, are countless, but never to the point of exhaustion.  The cut-scenes total up to approximately an hour and a half, but they are never intrusive, and never last more than a few minutes at a time.

Many people had concerns (myself included) when Naughty Dog announced that the game would feature multiplayer modes.  The original Uncharted had no such feature, and it was great!  Why would we want Naughty Dog splitting their focus from the main quest to give us a half-hearted online option?  Right?  Well… not right, because the single-player is exceptional, and the multiplayer additions are terrific fun!  The main selling point of the game is undoubtedly the story, but the multiplayer is good enough to stand on its own two feet.  Naughty Dog have really hit the ground running on this point, and have delivered a multiplayer experience that is both unique, and comparable in its depth to the long-refined multiplayer modes from other games.  It feels like a natural addition to the game, and as there are both competitive and co-operative modes available, there should be something to suit every player.

Because the package is so excellent its flaws, however few, are far more apparent.  Like inclusions on a diamond, the imperfections are easy to notice. The cover system, though improved from the first game, is still not perfect. The transition between animations can be jerky at times.  There aren’t many puzzles to speak of, and the ones that do exist are insultingly simple.  Plus, enemies are still ridiculously accurate with grenades, and could probably find your shirt pocket with an improbable lob from the dark side of Timbuktu.  But while Uncharted 2 isn’t perfect, it’s easily the closest thing that 2009 has given us to an unfaultable and complete package.  The single-player story mode is a masterful example of game design, and both the difficulty and pacing are excellently balanced.  The multiplayer is a superb addition that will extend the lifespan of the game long past the moment the credits roll on the main campaign.

While Uncharted 2 doesn’t break much new ground, it does raise the bar of what we should now consider a “great” game. In that respect, Naughty Dog have given other developers something to aim at, but we will know that if they don’t reach the heady heights of Uncharted 2 then they could have done things a lot better! This moment of revelation may effectively ruin some games of past and future, as the many facets are inevitably compared to the excellent standards in Uncharted 2. Are the graphics as good as Uncharted 2? Is it as fun? Is the music, story, dialogue, characterisation, set-pieces, attention to detail, pacing, environments, voice acting, multiplayer features and animations as high-quality?  If we gamers are the ones asking these questions then we may be ultimately disappointed, but if developers are doing the same, then we can expect some more stunning games in 2010.  Naughty Dog have illuminated the path; we can only hope that other developers are able to walk it.

My pick for Game of the Year 2009 – Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 2.