My journey through the Uncharted trilogy continued with playing Among Thieves. In terms of what's different from the first entry, there are a couple things that were changed and added in. As the player, you once again take on the roles of Nathan Drake. Going after a lost treasure/artifact spoken about by Marco Polo, you set out on a journey involving theft and and betrayal. Seriously there's a lot of double crossing and backstabbing even. You set out to various areas all on this mad grab for something known as the Cintamani Stone which is located in the mythical city of Shambala. Though most people would recognize it by its other name of Shangri-La. New characters and enemies arise along with the return of fan favorites like Sully and Elena.
Alongside the platforming and 3rd-person shooter elements, stealth was added in as well. It was somewhat of a headache in the sneaking mission early on where if you got caught that's it, game over. Other than that, you're given the option to sneak up on unsuspecting enemies and one hit knocking them out with the square button. Your artillery also hasn't changed much with several new weapons such as the crossbow, and the ability to throw gasoline tanks to explode on impact from a bullet. Cinematically, the game plays even more so like a movie and it was beautifully edited. It's easy however to point out when the game cuts to black though, which lets you know it's time to play.
That being said, holy crap are some of these sequences incredible and heart pounding. For starters, your tutorial involves Drake surviving a deadly train crash trying to rescue his friend Chloe. It's snowing, the train is hanging off a cliff, and you're climbing up hanging on for dear life. The camera panning alongside you as you get higher leaves you wondering what will happen next. Other parts involve you moving up the former train as it's moving at high speed.
Throw in some gun ships trying to kill you on said train, and that's a small portion of what Among Thieves throws at you. To no surprise, the voice acting is strong. Nolan North and crew give off an amazing performance, making the characters seem incredibly real. You actually feel for them when they're involved with the perils set upon them. The music is also enticing and really gets you pumped in some of the high points of the game. I played through on Normal difficulty and it took me I'd say 10-20 hours through the span of a few weeks. Mind you I was also playing various other titles alongside this. Definitely an interesting experience, going back and forth between this and Tales From the Borderlands!
One of my issues with the first game was that controlling Drake was a nightmare at some points. Especially with the platforming elements and jumping off cliffs on accident. I'm happy to say that Naughty Dog changed things up to make Drake control a little more tighter. Trying to jump in the wrong direction will yield no result instead of an instant death. There were some points where I'd die over and over again, either in a shootout or going through obstacles. Also to a disappointment at some level, the back half/section of the game proved to be a struggle and even an annoyance at some points again. Though I guess it's to be expected when you're that close to clearing through the main game. As mentioned in the first game's review there was no multiplayer so the Campaign was what I experienced.
Should you Play this Game?
Yes! Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is another thrilling adventure for Nathan Drake and company. Stellar storytelling, complex platforming and high stakes shooting moments. I'd be willing to go out and say you do not have to play the first game to understand this as it's mostly standalone. Though if you play through the Uncharted Collection, you may want to play the first game prior to this!
