Rising from small beginnings to grow into one of the all-time great PlayStation exclusives, the adventure series Uncharted has written its name into gaming legend and redefined its genre. Peerless in design, the adventures of Nathan Drake are as cinematic and rich as most blockbuster movies, moving at a mile a minute and putting players into the shoes of a bona fide gaming icon.
With a remastered package for the PS5 dropping earlier this year in the form of the Legacy of Thieves Collection, as well as a big-budget movie starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg, the Uncharted brand has far from fallen into legend. Novices to the exciting world of the Uncharted series might be confused as to where to start. Though the series doesn’t boast a vast roster of games, would-be players aren’t spoilt for choice with regard to the franchise’s consistent quality. From AAA releases to spin-offs and even a few very enjoyable Vita releases, it can be hard to pick the best point to begin. However, one release stands above the rest for new players, and that is Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.
What's Uncharted 2: Among Thieves About?
Released in 2009, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves ended up being the rarest of beasts: a sequel that far outdid the work of its predecessor. The first game, Drake's Fortune, did an admirable job at introducing the characters, tone and spirit that would go on to define the franchise. However, Uncharted 2 would become everything that makes Naughty Dog's iconic IP great, embodying it in its purest and most enjoyable form. With a Metacritic score of 96 pushing it into the rarefied atmosphere reserved for the finest video games of all time and a slew of flawless 10s to accompany its lightning-fast sales, Among Thieves carved out its own legacy as being the definitive Uncharted experience.
Set two years after the events of Drake's Fortunes across a variety of locales and locations, Among Thieves sees Nathan Drake teaming up with a former associate, Harry Flynn, and an old flame, the indomitable Chloe Frazer, to seek out a Mongolian oil lamp. This lamp, for somewhat circuitous reasons, will aid Drake in finding the lost city of Shambhala and the legendary Chintamani Stone. Drake must beat the likes of Flynn and the mercenary war criminal Zoran Lazarević to the prize. The mile-a-minute adventure takes the famous treasure hunter from the streets of Istanbul to the snow-capped heights of the Nepalese mountains.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Achieves Genuine Gaming Greatness
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is a masterwork, an epic, joyous thrill ride of non-stop action. From the very start, it has its foot on the accelerator and only continues to speed up as things progress. If ever there was a game to showcase the technical hardware of the PlayStation by pushing it to its limits, it's Among Thieves, a title that encapsulates everything good about seventh-generation console gaming.
In what is perhaps the greatest opening sequence ever brought to the pixelated screen, a sentiment echoed by none other than J.J. Abrams, Among Thieves begins with Nathan Drake desperately clinging to the back of a train hanging over a snowy cliff edge. In the most palm sweat-inducing sequence possible, the player is tasked with getting Drake to scramble his way up the carriages. Uncharted 2 hooks players from the very beginning, giving new players a good taste of what the franchise is all about. A seminal piece of work, Among Thieves is an absolutely essential play for gaming fans everywhere.
From such an unbelievable opening, Uncharted 2 simply gets better and better. Its diverse range of locations always provides stunning backdrops to its pulsating action and clean, smooth gameplay. Playing Among Thieves is an experience that is perhaps more cinematic and more heart-stoppingly exciting than practically any blockbuster movie one could care to mention.
Tomb Raider might have paved the way for the Indiana Jones-inspired treasure hunter genre, but Uncharted took the ball and ran with it to eclipse the series that came before. Uncharted 2 is an exhilarating, high-stakes joy that veterans of the series and newcomers alike can enjoy. Available on PS Now, there is no logical reason for gamers not to seek out Among Thieves and bask in one of the most enjoyable pieces of media ever released.