About halfway through Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Elena-a journalist turned action hero sidekick-noticed an inscription on the ring of Nathan Drake's iconic necklace. "Sic Parvis Magna," as he explains, was Sir Francis Drake's motto; greatness from small beginnings. And is there any better motto suited to represent the jump from the series debut to its first sequel than that? Uncharted 1 was received well upon release, but it doesn't hold up to modern scrutiny very well, and it's generally considered the worst of the series by far. But Uncharted 2? It's considered by many to be the best in the series, and by some to be one of the best video games ever made, especially at time of release. Hailed as a game changer in the 3rd person action-adventure genre, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves remains an incredible step up from its debut and a definitive reversal of the sophomore slump trope, even if it does fall for some of the same traps as its predecessor.
The typical action movie sequel is all about taking everything good about the original and making it bigger, better, with more danger and higher stakes. A lot of movies end up losing a lot of charm this way. For Uncharted 2, it's anything but. This game is chock full of huge, imposing set pieces-tense and thrilling action scenes which always have you on the edge of your seat. The precedent is established immediately; the game begins in medias res as Nathan Drake awakes on a crashed train, suspended off the edge of a cliff. It's one of the most impressive and jaw-dropping openings in any game, and for the most part, Among Thieves lives up to the expectations set by its introduction. It's here where the differences between Uncharted 1 & 2 are most apparent; whether you're infiltrating a Turkish museum, fighting through a Nepalese temple, exploring Himalayan ice caves, or indeed that opening scene, (which the developers knew was so impressive, they let you play it twice) Uncharted 2 is all about creating massive and memorable scenes which live in the mind far beyond its length. It provides a great sense of variety and scale, and acts as a great backdrop for the actual gameplay.
That gameplay-being 3rd person shooting with some climbing or brief puzzle elements-hasn't changed much from the original, but Uncharted 2 shows that it didn't need to change as much as it may have seemed. It's not perfect; aiming from cover is a bit inconsistent, and enemy AI isn't always the best, but it's surprising how little the core gameplay has to change when the structure around it is so massively improved. Less mobs with huge health pools and less encounters with the supernatural zombie stand-ins both contribute to this game's flow and overall enjoyability. There are still some lessons to be learned, though; Uncharted is a series that should never have boss battles, and both of the ones in this game probably provide the exact opposite of the thrilling experience the developers were going for.
And that's probably not helped by the cast, either. Uncharted 2 is undoubtedly fondly remembered for its lovable main characters, and rightfully so, as they deliver another great performance here. (Although it might be a little too quippy in some parts.) But the main villain in this game is just as uninspired as the first, and his accomplice isn't much better off. It's a shame that, for a character as charismatic and fun as Nathan Drake, that his first two games haven't had anywhere near a worthy foil. And for all his historical knowledge and creative solutions, the puzzles here aren't anything to write home about either. They're technically an improvement from Drake's Fortune, but it's unlikely they left anyone scratching their head for very long. Still, they often served as a welcome reprieve from the gunplay, and any chance for more dialogue in this smartly-written game is usually well taken.
To many, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is where the series really began, and it's not hard to see why. It nearly doubled the sales of its predecessor, achieved outstanding critical acclaim, and helped set the standard for both the Uncharted series and the character-based action game as a whole. This was one of the first games which had enough epic scenes that made you feel like you were playing an action movie, and the graphics to back them up. As a result, it's an incredibly immersive title, especially in its first two-thirds. And even if it doesn't necessarily stick the ending all that well, or fix every single issue that existed in Uncharted 1, the leap in quality has only gotten more noticeable as time has gone on. To take what was a generic, relatively uninspired 3rd person shooter and turn it into this, in only two years? That is immensely impressive. Greatness from small beginnings, indeed.
The typical action movie sequel is all about taking everything good about the original and making it bigger, better, with more danger and higher stakes. A lot of movies end up losing a lot of charm this way. For Uncharted 2, it's anything but. This game is chock full of huge, imposing set pieces-tense and thrilling action scenes which always have you on the edge of your seat. The precedent is established immediately; the game begins in medias res as Nathan Drake awakes on a crashed train, suspended off the edge of a cliff. It's one of the most impressive and jaw-dropping openings in any game, and for the most part, Among Thieves lives up to the expectations set by its introduction. It's here where the differences between Uncharted 1 & 2 are most apparent; whether you're infiltrating a Turkish museum, fighting through a Nepalese temple, exploring Himalayan ice caves, or indeed that opening scene, (which the developers knew was so impressive, they let you play it twice) Uncharted 2 is all about creating massive and memorable scenes which live in the mind far beyond its length. It provides a great sense of variety and scale, and acts as a great backdrop for the actual gameplay.
That gameplay-being 3rd person shooting with some climbing or brief puzzle elements-hasn't changed much from the original, but Uncharted 2 shows that it didn't need to change as much as it may have seemed. It's not perfect; aiming from cover is a bit inconsistent, and enemy AI isn't always the best, but it's surprising how little the core gameplay has to change when the structure around it is so massively improved. Less mobs with huge health pools and less encounters with the supernatural zombie stand-ins both contribute to this game's flow and overall enjoyability. There are still some lessons to be learned, though; Uncharted is a series that should never have boss battles, and both of the ones in this game probably provide the exact opposite of the thrilling experience the developers were going for.
And that's probably not helped by the cast, either. Uncharted 2 is undoubtedly fondly remembered for its lovable main characters, and rightfully so, as they deliver another great performance here. (Although it might be a little too quippy in some parts.) But the main villain in this game is just as uninspired as the first, and his accomplice isn't much better off. It's a shame that, for a character as charismatic and fun as Nathan Drake, that his first two games haven't had anywhere near a worthy foil. And for all his historical knowledge and creative solutions, the puzzles here aren't anything to write home about either. They're technically an improvement from Drake's Fortune, but it's unlikely they left anyone scratching their head for very long. Still, they often served as a welcome reprieve from the gunplay, and any chance for more dialogue in this smartly-written game is usually well taken.
To many, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is where the series really began, and it's not hard to see why. It nearly doubled the sales of its predecessor, achieved outstanding critical acclaim, and helped set the standard for both the Uncharted series and the character-based action game as a whole. This was one of the first games which had enough epic scenes that made you feel like you were playing an action movie, and the graphics to back them up. As a result, it's an incredibly immersive title, especially in its first two-thirds. And even if it doesn't necessarily stick the ending all that well, or fix every single issue that existed in Uncharted 1, the leap in quality has only gotten more noticeable as time has gone on. To take what was a generic, relatively uninspired 3rd person shooter and turn it into this, in only two years? That is immensely impressive. Greatness from small beginnings, indeed.