It seems that Sony has finally managed to get the one killer game on their PS3 console. Not that there weren’t any good exclusive PS3 games out there, but none of them actually makes you buy the console so you can play this game. And we will not keep you waiting and tell you that Uncharted 2 really is that game. It is… AWESOME. Read further to find out why.

The events in Uncharted 2 happen two years from where the original game left you. This time, Nathan Drake will first try to steal an antique oil lamp from a museum in Turkey. From there, through some very interesting story developments, Drake will learn more and more about Marco Polo’s doomed voyage home from China in 1292. This is a very interesting topic by itself, considering the fact that Polo departed with 14 ships hosting 600 passengers and returned home with a single ship and 18 passengers. Marco Polo kept a very tight and detailed journal of his expeditions but not a single word was found about what happened to the lost ships.

Returning to Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, we must say that the script and the voice acting are perfect. There are few scripts and few voice actings in all of the entertainment industry (movies and TV shows included) that can really compete against what the game has to offer. In fact, the whole balance between cutscenes and the real action is amazing. The atmosphere is very similar to that of a movie, which was one of the producers’ goals even in the first game, and I can tell you that there are few movies out there that will keep you this tense, make you laugh so much or make you so sad like Uncharted 2.

The visual quality of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is also something spectacular. And when stating visual quality, it is not just the realistic rendering of the landscape, it is also about the animations: for instance, when you get close to a fire, the character will use his hand to protect his face from the heat. The snow effects are the best you can get in the video game industry, the lighting is great, the characters look good enough and the landscape is amazing (we especially liked the level in which a train was passing through the mountains). What does that matter anyway, when the detail level is something beautiful all by itself?

Because the game looks great, there had to be some bang to it (just to make good use of the graphic engine). And Uncharted 2 really provides. There will be a lot of killing in the game. And if you have such beautiful goals, you also need some leverage. This translates into handguns, automatic weapons, shotguns, tranquilizer gun and even a minigun for when you feel really angry. The weapon implementation is also something the producers gave a lot of attention to. For instance, the FAL assault rifle has a red dot sight, just so you can do things in class. If you feel like you don’t need technology to teach your enemies a lesson, Drake has some nice unarmed skills that you can use. These come in handy when you want to be silent, especially since Uncharted 2: Among thieves is not the constant mindless shooting action (like the Serious Sam games, for instance). You also need to play things clever sometimes. This is why the character will turn over tables, swing ropes (it is possible to swing in any direction) and so on.

There is something special in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves that is really hard to explain, and you will have to play the game yourself. Just know that there are enough things you can do and explore in the game to keep you satisfied on the “bonus” category.

There is little we can say about the gameplay without creating a spoiler but we figure this conclusion should catch the game’s essence: it looks great, the cutscenes and the voice acting are amazing, the detail level is impressive and it also creates a perfect atmosphere. What more do you need ?