Games of 2009: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

By Johnny Minkley Published 24 December, 2009

All change.

I didn't fully appreciate how good Uncharted 2 is until I played Halo 3: ODST. "Naughty Dog" is about right. The studio did, after all, ruin a game I'd been looking forward to all year. Bungie wasn't to know I'd play ODST right after the return of Nathan Drake, of course. But boy, that was a mistake.

How quickly does the familiar pall in the wake of fresh wonder. In Halo's case, how uninspiring the action, how rudimentary the characterisation, how drab it all felt after 11 hours and 21 minutes in Drake's wild world.

Halo 3: ODST's only crime was to be merely good. A good game can be judged on its own merits; a great one by the shadow it casts over others. Which might go some way to explaining ODST's hub world colour scheme.

Assassin's Creed II was the next to suffer. Now, this is a brilliant game and my Most Improved Franchise of 2009. But for the first few hours it was that same nagging, hollow sensation of drabness. The wooden acting, the stilted dialogue - it was all so 'videogame'. And that wasn't good enough anymore.

It's a chemistry thing. There is a palpable emotional connection between Drake and his two love interests, Chloe and Elena. Uncharted 2 isn't the first game to capture vocal and physical acting simultaneously. But compelling performances, a strong script, masterly direction and technical wizardry imbues these digital creations with real human warmth and depth of feeling.

'Games of 2009: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves' Screenshot 1

Yes, I know it's just a cheesy Hollywood adventure. But it's also a videogame and in this context chemistry between characters is the shock of the new; the fulfilment of a medium's promise.

Some more context (and spoilers lie ahead, kids): the treatment of sex in Uncharted 2 and Assassin's Creed II. The flirtatious, sexually charged banter between Drake and Chloe feels convincingly real. As she makes her dignified exit in the final scene, quipping, "You're going to miss this arse", it works because you care about the characters. And probably her arse. The same goes for the loved-up teasing between Drake and Elena as the adventure fades to black.

In Assassin's Creed II, sex is reduced to a Quick Time Event. Ubisoft is toying with the nature of interactive entertainment here - explicitly so with the final command for the player to "interact". But holding physical intimacy at arm's length for laughs feels a little adolescent next to Uncharted 2.

Naughty Dog also manages a cinematic feat alien to most of its clunking peers: subtlety. Nothing better illustrates this than the moment the player first catches sight of the monster in the mountains. Having stumbled upon the ravaged corpses of wolves in a cave, Drake and his charmingly unintelligible companion press on. As the player thrusts Drake across a cavern and onto a natural ladder of craggy ledges, the camera zooms out to reveal a snorting, yeti-thing bristling in the foreground, gone in a moment.

It's not hard to imagine a less confident, less able developer introducing the creature with all the stylistic restraint of Michael Bay directing Graham Norton. Instead, Naughty Dog understands the power of understatement, and so a fleeting glimpse that registers just long enough for the player to recoil in shock (well, I certainly did) casts a heady backdrop of fear, suspense and uncertainty to the following playable section of which, at that precise moment, the protagonist is only dimly aware.

It's a standard cinematic device but, crucially, one the interactive experience enriches: as Drake emerges from the cave, full camera control is restored to the player whose first instinct is likely to look around nervously, trying to eyeball the creature somewhere in the dark crevices of the frozen, gusty canyon.

But that's just a flash of artistic self-assurance. Naughty Dog's growing mastery of the medium and the action-adventure genre is most fully expressed, perversely, in the game's least intensive scene. Tom captured the elegance and structural import of the mountain village stage wonderfully in his review, so I won't labour the details.

Revisiting the sequence for this article, I was reminded that while Uncharted 2 is unashamed popcorn entertainment, it is popcorn entertainment that allows the player time to breathe, to reflect, to absorb the most glorious vistas rendered in a videogame.

'Games of 2009: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves' Screenshot 2

Amongst the many stats the game tracks is the time Drake spends 'standing still'. At completion, I had stood still for precisely one hour, 22 minutes and 39 seconds. Most of which was spent just looking.

You could argue all of this is just window-dressing. But Uncharted 2 is also an exceptional game, brilliantly conceived and superbly executed. It isn't perfect. It sags a little in the middle during the inner-city sections; some of the pitched battles towards the end are frustratingly imbalanced; its run-and-gun mechanics aren't as refined as, say, Gears of War 2; and it suffers the same curious affliction that also struck BioShock and Batman: Arkham Asylum - Rubbish Final Boss Syndrome.

Yet none of these flaws prevents Naughty Dog's sequel being by a (draw) distance my favourite game of 2009. Above all it reminds me why I continue to play and love videogames, a feeling captured best by a handful of gaming moments down the years: Space Harrier's immortal: "Welcome to the Fantasy Zone! Get Ready!"; the mountainside run in level two of Strider; the first time I made Mario fly in Super Mario World; the freedom of Mario 64.

In Uncharted 2, I felt it climbing to the roof of Hotel Shangri-La and gazing out at the mountains of Nepal. A sense of wonder.

Uncharted 2 is gaming's Avatar moment in 2009. It won't be for James Cameron's straight-to-DVD dialogue that people remember the most expensive movie in history. But as a 3D spectacle, once you've seen it, everything changes. Uncharted 2 is a watershed moment in videogames that redefines what can and should be expected of cinematic interactive entertainment. I have a feeling Nathan Drake will be ruining other games for a while yet.

Check out the Editor's blog to find out more about our Games of 2009.

Picture of Johnny.

About Johnny Minkley

Eurogamer TV's Johnny Minkley is a veteran journalist with a lifelong passion for games and the games industry. He uses Twitter more than most people use air.

Read more articles from Johnny by visiting the Johnny Minkley archive page.

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Comments (78) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • El-Dev #1 2 years ago

    The final boss was rubbish but the rest of it was amazing. The sections with rain are superb.

  • zztopp #2 2 years ago

    Quite a bit silly to bash ODST. Uncharted 2 has the better single player mode, but ODST's multiplayer package reigns supreme. No serious purveyor of online multiplayer gaming plays Uncharted 2's derivative multiplayer modes when you have options such as Halo3/ODST, Modern Warfare 2, Resistance 2, and others.

  • Mark1412 #3 2 years ago

    Yeah don't really get the bashing thing either... Bit tactless but at least now there should be a fiery comments section.

  • Hunam #4 2 years ago

    I enjoyed Uncharted 2 a lot, but it didn't pick me up and shake me, it just kept reminding me how lazy some game developers (the things smashing around in uncharted 2 are amazing to look at) are and how spectacle isn't everything as I kept comparing it to Uncharted 1 and I have to say, I much preferred the former which I have played a fair amount of times by now. Still one of the best games of the year though.

  • shotgun44 #5 2 years ago

    Brilliant game. After borrowing the first off my mate, I couldn't wait for a sequel. And my God, it's the most beautiful (console) game ever!
    Edited by 1 at 24/12/09 @ 00:21

  • uglygamer #6 2 years ago

    Uncharted 2 is a better single player experience than ODST, and ODST is better online. Thing is though I dont think Halo ODST was really meant to be a full game rather an expansion pack built on a 2 year old engine until they realized they can cash in on the Halo franchise and was worth selling as a standalone product and maybe then add a little extra content to the game. It would definitely be worth waiting to see how Halo reach compares to Uncharted 2 rather than Halo ODST.

  • GamesConnoisseur #7 2 years ago

    The point is not to compare which is the better game, head to head but how DOMINATING Uncharted 2 were in the minds of the gamers and that ANY other games, ODST would have difficulty coming up to measure against.

    Applauds how Naughty Dog had produced such a classical game, sure its has its flaws but on the whole the presence is so strong and beautifully made. Still after 4 or so playthroughs, I couldnt play it again, too predictable and samey.

    However the replays after a long absence should be certain to restore my awes and amazements in a year or so from now, and again a few years time and so forth.

    A strong GOTY contender.

  • Dizzy #8 2 years ago

    What an idiot way to start an article.

  • JediMasterMalik #9 2 years ago

    An excellent run down on one of the best games of the past few years at least.

  • Jimster71 #10 2 years ago

    Uncharted 2 is an awesome game. So many nice touches and so well put together. My other half thought I was watching a movie for most of the time I was playing it. Game of the year by a long way.

  • bmxbandit #11 2 years ago

    So much truth in article.

    This is been a year of ups and downs ... but having played 'the best' ... Uncharted 2 is hands down the most complete game this generation.

  • 3william56 #12 2 years ago

    @Dizzy - I disagree. Roger Ebert said Avatar was a "Star Wars" moment - in that it changed the way you look at movies from now on. Uncharted 2 is the same. It changes the standards, raises the bar, and what might have been a great game last year, is now average or poor when it comes after something that so comprehensively rewrites what is possible on a console (Halo did the same for FPSs, Mario 64 for platformers). Go back to Half Life 1 now, and the once lauded storytelling looks like amateur hour - that's progress, and long may it continue. It's a very valid point to make on the impact Naughty Dog has had on the entire games industry, and how anyone coming after UC2 has a hell of an act to follow.

    Stick your girfriend in a room next to Angelina Jolie, and you'll see what I mean.

    Game of the Year - easily. Game of the decade? Certainly one of the contenders.

    But, oh my god yes. That final boss really was such a throw back (and triply so after everything else was sooooo good). What the hell were they thinking??? Would have rather had God of War's crappy QT event. Glad UC2 had one more mind boggling sequence afterwards to wipe that sour memory before the end.

  • VandelayIndustries #13 2 years ago

    Couldn't agree more with the article, summed it up beautifully!

    As for the ODST thing - fortunately I played it before Uncharted 2, but I see the point. Uncharted 2 has coloured my view of subsequent releases.

  • dl0ad #14 2 years ago

    "Marco..."

  • man.the.king #15 2 years ago

    @Dizzy

    "What an idiot way to start an article"

    I agree. While Uncharted 2 is (for me, at least) one of the best console games of this generation on any console and best game of this year, there was no need to bring in ODST into the article (unless the author/editor wanted to spur fanboy comments, that is :) )
    Edited by 1 at 28/12/09 @ 20:22

  • Mark1412 #16 2 years ago

    "one studio that is capable of making a game THAT good."

    Valve or Rockstar? I can't decide either. I loved Uncharted 2 and Naughty Dog, but I don't think they're quite up there with the biggest boys just yet. I imagine one day they will be, not quite yet though.

  • RESIDENT_nEVILe #17 2 years ago

    Talent and pride.

    For me that's what sets Uncharted 2 apart from the throng. ND took onboard the complaints and fixed nearly every technical issue with their game-engine. You can see the love in every carefully placed pixel, in every nuance of the game.

    The mechanics may not be completely original, it has its flaws, but this is one of the finest games ever crafted.

    PS-Nice work Minkley :)
    Edited by 1 at 24/12/09 @ 03:41

  • banjo21 #18 2 years ago

    Finished this last night. Great game - best on PS3 by far. Much much improved over U1. Still a little combat heavy, and the combat is easily its weakest point - but still a fine game.

    Dont get all the "missy thought it was a movie not a game" - eyes must be faulty on some human models as its no more realistic from 10 foot on a 32" LCD than Pac Man.

  • Scimarad #19 2 years ago

    Uncharted 2 does show everything else up, unfortunately:(

    "and so a fleeting glimpse that registers just long enough for the player to recoil in shock (well, I certainly did)"

    Me too!!

  • zztopp #20 2 years ago

    Finished it, enjoyed it, but Uncharted 2 won't be remembered much 5 years down the line. Its exactly how Crash Bandicoot was lauded as an alternative to Super Mario 64, but was infact a good looking game with great presentation and rip-off gameplay mechanics. BTW, Crash Bandicoot was also a Naughty Dog series...it looks like Naughty Dog can't be original at anything and presentation/gfx seem to be their sole focus.
    Edited by 1 at 24/12/09 @ 05:52

  • jimr9999us #21 2 years ago

    Almost enough of a game to make me pick up a ps3...

    But then i remember i'm an actual gamer, and boot peggle back up.

  • drumbaby #22 2 years ago

    In the section where I've just blown up the tank. It's a great GREAT game to be sure...but --

    I thought the first one was more FUN. I thought it had better flow, better atmosphere, and the locations were more beautiful. I'm not talking snazzy textures or screen-tearing here....I'm talking locations that actually inspired me to go 'Wow'. The submarine section springs to mind.

    Imho the first game (technical failings aside) should have got a 10 and the 2nd (technical supremacy aside) a 9. I think the 2nd over does it on the cut scenes and also the vehicle bits. It doesn't flow as well as a piece of narrative, and I resent having the game interrupted quite so much for a (even semi-playable) cinematic.

    All imho, of course.

  • Freek #23 2 years ago

    The final boss was a bitt pants, but nowhere near as bad as Uncharted 1's end boss. That was almost a crime against gaming and the designer who thought that was fun needed his/her head examined.

    But still, GOTY for me.

  • freakzilla #24 2 years ago

    You're gushing a bit too much, the game is good and the graphics equal to some good PC games but you're just pulling stuff out of your ass.

    This is a standard action adventure game that provided good bit entertainment nothing more.

    Game reviewers are impressed far too easily. This isn't an attack on Uncharted BTW.

    Edit: Actually I think I should give the game a bit more credit for (some of) the level designs, especially the blizzard ones and the village as well as the JAW DROPPING textures the mirror room really impressed me, I really looked for low res and blurry textures and didn't find any.
    Edited by 1 at 24/12/09 @ 08:04

  • Dizzy #25 2 years ago

    @3william36 Apples and oranges. I had the misfortune of playing uncharted 2 after playing Dwarf Fortress and was shocked at how limited Uncharted 2 was. See what I did there? Anyway starting an article by being negative about another game is not very professional. Both games have different aims and fans to please and both had totally different dev cycles and budgets. There was plenty of scope to praise Uncharted without going into childish statements. Back to Dwarf Fortess!!

  • RedSparrows #26 2 years ago

    can someone please explain to me why (beyond the incredible technical achievment of recreating a fantastic looking city) Assassins Creed 2 is in any way a good game?

  • S.J.Rogers #27 2 years ago

    I totally agree with this artical...

    I am a MASSIVE Xbox 360 Fanboy, but Uncharted 2 is my game of the year.

    It really is a masterpiece of gaming fun and so the rest of my 360 playing friends can also enjoy the game i have been lending out my PS3 with the game.

    I enjoyed ODST and MW2 but for the single player game and the enjoyment i got. No other game has EVER come close to Uncharted 2.

  • El-Dev #28 2 years ago

    Ah the evolution of trolling, instead of people coming right out and saying a game is shit they now come out and say it was alright, nothing special when clearly it is something special. I prefered it when people were honest in their trolling.

  • Geordiemp #29 2 years ago

    Uncharted series is one of the few that when I finish on hard start almost straight away on crushing.

    I actually love the coop sections in UC2, would have been the perfect game if could have played COOP all the way through. Can take an hour to beat on some difficulties for each part, and there are 3. Also the other coop modes as well. Want more, please.

    Never bash HALO, I always think of it as a great coop game, in that it excels. As SP, it sucks against many peers.

    If sony would let ND share that engine (its in another league), would we buy anything else ?
    Edited by 1 at 24/12/09 @ 09:13

  • Ebicurry #30 2 years ago

    I loved U2 as well but MGS4 looked smoother imo.

  • Godhather08 #31 2 years ago

    Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is easily the best game of the year for me, other games coming close would be Dragon Age: Origins, Demon's Souls and Killzone 2.

    Technically both U2 and KZ2 are one step ahead of the rest in 2009.
    Edited by 1 at 24/12/09 @ 09:21

  • man.the.king #32 2 years ago

    @Geordiemp

    "Uncharted series is one of the few that when I finish on hard start almost straight away on crushing. "

    Me too. After finishing Uncharted 2 on Normal, I started up Hard. As soon as I finished that, I started it on Crushing. Have the Platinum trophy for that game :) (The hardest trophy for me was the "Steel Fist Expert" trophy)
    Edited by 2 at 24/12/09 @ 09:23

  • jpj84 #33 2 years ago

    Definitely game of the year - for me, it ruined Arkham Asylum (started playing that after finishing UC2)

  • Petulant_Radish #34 2 years ago

    You're all benders. Merry Christmas.

  • frankfurter209 #35 2 years ago

    Uncharted 1 and 2 are such morally awkward games; they almost make me uncomfortable the way Drake's light-hearted carousing is juxtaposed with such relentless murder. Even COD isn't as psychotic as Uncharted

    Edit: not trying to shit on U2 it's an excellent game but that disconnect has always stood out in my mind.
    Edited by 1 at 24/12/09 @ 11:51

  • Artemis_Matsas #36 2 years ago

    "Polo!"

    Where's my trophy?
    Edited by 1 at 24/12/09 @ 10:04

  • Eighthours #37 2 years ago

    Definitely my GOTY, this. Brilliant stuff. Loved it. True, there were a couple of dodgy levels, but the ingenuity and sheer excitement of the setpieces made up for them, and then some.

  • Darren #38 2 years ago

    Great opening paragraphs there... I agree completely that Uncharted 2 is the closest thing we've had to a Hollywood cinematic experience (a good one that is), only in interactive video game form. The characterisation is superb, the story terrific and compelling and the gameplay to cutscene ratio is not only perfect but also almost totally seamless. One of the most perfect single player games I've ever had the pleasure of playing and, thus, my favourite game of 2009 by a mile... no... a light year! :)

  • spiny #39 2 years ago

    I liked the final boss as it wasn't the usual hunt-the-weak-spots-on-the--big-monster lameness.

    But yeah, definiteley GOTY.

    PS: Is the Marco..Polo thing an americanism? (Yes of course I know who he is btw :)).
    Edited by 1 at 24/12/09 @ 10:22

  • jimmyhill11 #40 2 years ago

    I haven't played ODST so can't commnent on that (don't have an xb360, but i was never that into HALO on xbox anyway), but I have played through a good deal of AC2, but can't be arsed playing it through to the end. It is a pretty good game, but frankly not good enough. It feels mechanical and the gameplay seems contrived. I am pretty sure this perception is influenced by either a consious or unconsious comparison with Uncharted2, so for me the point the author makes is relevent.

    No game has blown me away like Uncharted2 since Resident Evil4 back in the day. Its the only game my girlfriend has ever sat down and watched as I play it. Its cinematic thrills meshed with a game play that is fun do feel like almost like a new genre

  • Jelly_Head #41 2 years ago

    "Naughty Dog" is about right. The studio did, after all, ruin a game I'd been looking forward to all year.

    As in: "A naughty dog must have done it"? Nice to see you listen to the same podcasts as me!

    :-)

  • peterfll #42 2 years ago

    U:2 easily my game of the year.

    Haven't played ODST yet, it's on the Xmas list.

    Merry Xmas.

  • Ace_McCloud #43 2 years ago

    *sigh* God I really want this game. Oh well, hopefully it'll pave the way for similar goodness on a format I own in the future.

    Impressed to see this thread hasn't descended into a Halo farce. After reading the 1st 3 paragraphs I had to scroll down to see the damage, and to my surprise it's all pretty tame. Merry christmas everyone!!

  • swissorc #44 2 years ago

    I am really missing the point that everyone is trying to make for this game and I think if i could ask someone who has played it and loved it this much it would be this. If I have both a 360 and a PS3 why should I play this on a cold evening rather than Gears of War 2 which I have to say I absolutely loved. I'm getting a PS3 next year but this game currently stirs no interest to me what so ever and I don't feel like I'll be missing out if I don't pick this up. Am I wrong or is this game aimed only at people who only own a PS3 and not an XBOX360 (and may or may not be a microsoft hater) and wish to have a game which enables them to say HA now we have something you don't which is just as good as gears of war.

  • SeesThroughAll #45 2 years ago

    Interesting article about a very appealing game.

    But surely, it could have done without the needless ODST baiting!

  • Jelly_Head #46 2 years ago

    @swissorc

    If it stirs no interest whatsoever, then why are you posting here, I wonder?

  • ant72 #47 2 years ago

    I think U2 was one of the best cinematic games I have ever played. Really good story telling and a great tech achievement.

    "But surely, it could have done without the needless ODST baiting!"

    I agree.... let's talk about how crap MG4 is!

    Happy Christmas guys.
    Edited by 2 at 24/12/09 @ 11:49

  • laudy #48 2 years ago

    "If I have both a 360 and a PS3 why should I play this on a cold evening rather than Gears of War 2"

    You really should do whatever you want. If you need justification from someone, rather than use you own judgement and the great reviews UC2 got then I don't think anyone can help.

    "Am I wrong or is this game aimed only at people who only own a PS3 and not an XBOX360"

    As it's an exclusive title, like your gears of war 2, no, you're not wrong. It's a bit of a useless statement really.

    "and wish to have a game which enables them to say HA now we have something you don't which is just as good as gears of war. "

    This is tosh, so in this case, yes, you are wrong. In case you didn't actually read the article it talks about one of the many games of 2009.

    Merry Christmas! enjoy GOW2 as there have been plenty of cold evenings recently!

    MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!!!
    Edited by 1 at 24/12/09 @ 11:47

  • obscured021 #49 2 years ago

    did any one walk behind the yack in the mountain village? that made my day

  • patchbox360 #50 2 years ago

    UC2 and killzone2 reallly make you appreciate how far gaming has come from the days of mario - its makes you feel a little proud for some reason.

  • max66695 #51 2 years ago

    strange, I found the gameplay distinctly old fashioned. Pretty much the same as the first, albeit with grander scale. Good and solid but wrapped in the highly polished sheen of the presentation. The cinematics are unrivalled tho, absolutely amazing direction and voice acting. Truly a watershed for videogames. While I worry about a game being propelled to game of the year by polish rather than game mechanics. Its hard not to agree when its done so so well. Especially as it does much more to advance games than MW2 has.

  • poopmonster #52 2 years ago

    Absolutely spot on article, and I'm especially glad it brought up Assassin's Creed II.

    I played AC2 after Uncharted 2, and (especially on PS3) was completely unimpressed, and very disappointed, at how poor AC2 came across in comparison. The second great game of the year apparently, and another sequel.

    Yet where Uncharted II is leaps and bounds ahead of the first title (which was much better than Assassin's Creed I anyway), Assassin's Creed II is... the same. Sure they've fixed the whole "game gets real boring real quick" to a good degree, but it's clunky and unfriendly after playing Uncharted 2. The visuals are drab and sameysamey.

    Which is a shame, because if it wasn't for Uncharted 2, the visuals would be great. This is the hardest part of being a next gen developer: Getting the publisher to let you build on your last success, rather than just milk it without changing the ropes. All it takes is someone else to go that extra mile, and suddenly you aren't shining quite so bright...
    Edited by 1 at 24/12/09 @ 12:27

  • Verminox #53 2 years ago

    @swissorc - "why should I play this on a cold evening rather than Gears of War 2"

    Because the online multiplayer actually works.

  • darkphoenix #54 2 years ago

    I've finished ODST and Uncharted 2 together, and it felt completely right, no need for comparisons between such different and great games.
    I loved U2, but I don't join the incredible graphics = incredible game bandwagon...
    It is not even my GOTY on PS3, that place is reserved for Demon's Souls,and Killzone 2 should come in second place.

  • Badassbab #55 2 years ago

    I don't know what to do, I've got this game but yet to play it, got loads of others to play. If it indeed makes other games look crap than I might have to play it last.

  • CaptainQuint #56 2 years ago

    I got a PS3 for this game, having been (and still) an Xbox 360 gamer. Naughty Dog didn't let me down - £269 is a lot of money to spend just to play a game - but it was worth every penny. Incredible game. I've left Modern Warfare 2 for the time being and really gotten into Uncharted 2's multiplayer and it's really, really good. So good in fact that I reckon MW2 won't be seeing me again till well into the new year. Cannot wait for Uncharted 3, since it's all I really fancy out of the PS3's entire games catalogue, although Heavy Rain looks pretty interesting. Played and beat Killzone 2 a few weeks back, which was MEH.

  • shogo10 #57 2 years ago

    UC2 is definitely a technical accomplishment for consoles, and for me its almost a console classic, but not perfect as a lot of people have been claiming it is. The last few chapters had a few too many arena fights, with wave after wave of enemies, it got a bit too much that I had to stop playing the game for bit, and kinda of tarnished the experience for me.

  • HokutoNoKen #58 2 years ago

    Gamereactor:

    Best graphics of the year:

    http://ww w.gamereactor.se/aretsspel09/te... (Uncharted 2)

    Best game of the year:

    http://ww w.gamereactor.se/aretsspel09/sp... (Killzone 2)

    Gametrailers:

    Best Graphics:

    http://ww w.gametrailers.com/video/best-g... (Uncharted 2)

    Best singel player game of the year:

    http://ww w.gametrailers.com/video/best-s... (Uncharted 2)

    Best Third-Person Shooter:

    http://ww w.gametrailers.com/video/best-t... (Uncharted 2)

    Best Role-Playing Game:

    http://ww w.gametrailers.com/video/best-r... (Demon's Souls)

    Gamespot

    Best tech:

    http://ww w.gamespot.com/best-of/special-... (Uncharted 2)

    Best Shooter:

    http://ww w.gamespot.com/best-of/genre-aw... (Killzone 2)

    Best Competitive Multiplayer:

    http://ww w.gamespot.com/best-of/special-... (Killzone 2)

    Best RPG:

    http://ww w.gamespot.com/best-of/genre-aw... (Demon's Souls)

    Best Action/Adventure Game

    http://ww w.gamespot.com/best-of/genre-aw... (Uncharted 2)

    Game of the year:

    http://ww w.gamespot.com/best-of/game-of-... (Demon's Souls:)

    Eurogamer

    Game of the year:

    http://ww w.eurogamer.net/articles/euroga... (Uncharted 2)

    CVG (Computer & Video Games)

    Games Of The Decade: 2009

    http://ww w.computerandvideogames.com/art... (Uncharted 2)

    / Ken
    Edited by 7 at 06/01/10 @ 18:17

  • miiiguel #59 2 years ago

    Well, idk how you guys elect you goty, but my threshold can only be the ones which gave me the most intense/fun/social (not cumulative, necessarily) moments. And they were:
    Resident Evil 5, for the briliant coop mode.
    ODST, for being a long time fan of the series, and loved the new characters/story/horde mode with friends.
    Forza 3, for showing that sim-driving games can be for everyone.
    The Lost and Damned, even better than IV (true!), and so much better than Gay Tony (terrible voice acting, what were they thinking?, that Luis?! unbelievable!).

    Am also really enjoying Borderlands but I haven't played long enough. Although it seems it'll be quite a ride, it hasn't been so far, for the simple fact I only played a couple of hours.

    Merry xmas, to all.
    Edited by 2 at 24/12/09 @ 14:47

  • dnd #60 2 years ago

    only game i can remember that could distract my wife from facebook...i was secretly observing her watch me play it for 10-15 min at a time, hands hovering over the laptop :).

  • imamazed #61 2 years ago

    I have both, and Halo ODST is just a much better game :/

    Still, I can see why people liked this.

  • antasari #62 2 years ago

    A great cinematic experience. And technologically it spits in the face of those many developers whose multiplatform games have released with a PS3 version which looks like crap.

    But the game itself was good (OK very good) but honestly not great. More flipping levers in ancient temples, really that's not boring? A story-based experience which couldn't be bothered to force you to face waving your weapon at civilians living in a major city (Kathmandu)?

    OK comparing with ODST is stupid (boring game, and irrelevant game type in any case). I loved Uncharted 1, and this is better, and I'll buy 3 without hesitation, but it's still not GOTY by any stretch. (DEMON'S SOULS IMPORT IT NOW)

    Yet still yak petting = AWESOME

  • prettyboytim #63 2 years ago

    I've been meaning to play both Assassin's Creed 2 and Uncharted 2. Sounds like I should play Assassin's Creed 2 first...

    (Although with the impending arrival of a Wii in our household I'll need to finish Super Mario Galaxy first....)

  • Turambar #64 2 years ago

    Not played either of them but in the case of chemistry between characters in Unch 2 I'm guessing a lot of that has to do with how awesome Claudia Black is.

    Good voice actors can make or break a game.
    Edited by 1 at 24/12/09 @ 19:21

  • JediMasterMalik #65 2 years ago

    Not just the quality of the VA but the wrtiting in the game is also excellent.

  • onyxbox #66 2 years ago

    He's not bashing ODST, just pointing out when a game like this raises the bar it's hard to follow it without being a bit dissapointed... I felt the same way about Modern Warfare 2 and Ratchet after playing UC2... Sort of empty and bored feeling.

    Damn you Uncharted!

  • richyroo #67 2 years ago

    I bought a ps3 just for this game. Havent regretted it!

  • Benraiben2k #68 2 years ago

    Brilliant game. Everything about it. I don't play online multi-deathmatch games much, so that aspect doesn't even come in to my view on this game. Solid, good single player story mode is what I like and what I got. My friend is (or was) an Xbox fanboy, he played Uncharted 2..loved it, and says its his game of the year too.

  • man.the.king #69 2 years ago

    @obscured021

    "did any one walk behind the yack in the mountain village? that made my day "

    I did! 'twas fun seeing Drake waving his hands in front of his face. BTW, did you know you could interact with the Yak by pressing "square" when beside it? That would result in Nate petting the Yak and you getting the "Beast" reward, which was 10000 points or something.

  • fluff_the_tiger #70 2 years ago

    Uncharted 2 completely took me by surprise, it really was something special. I had low hopes for it since the first game was ver mediocre (imo). Fantastic highs and lows, what a rollercoaster of a game

  • Dejinator #71 2 years ago

    Hear hear Jonny, hear hear. I loved this game as well if only for the fact that most games (excluding the likes of batman:aa) focus on the multiplayer aspect, which I am not a fan of. I am glad that they delivered a fantastic single player campaign even when developing the multiplayer parts and I hope they don't forget that in future games...

  • Dejinator #72 2 years ago

    He's above you, he's above you... He's below you, he's below you...

  • webcider #73 2 years ago

    We need a new genre sometime Interactive Movies : / its not even a real game ahh well congrats :) you do look pretty and all that...

  • autogunner #74 2 years ago

    I know what you mean Mr Minkley, uncharted was a fantastic game in whats been a year of great games.

  • des #75 2 years ago

    Pathetic article.

  • Wyrm #76 2 years ago

    Game Of The Year, hands-down.

  • jambo74 #77 2 years ago

    Who would have thought....a PS3 only game being GOTY

  • DrDamn #78 2 years ago

    @Farticus
    RE: Yetis
    You only really had to take one down like that though. Then it became important to carefully manage the ammo/weapon they drop as they were then one shot kills. The power of the Yetis was a good example of why you had to stop Lazarovic too - as they had been feeding on the sap from the tree.

    Fair points on the rest of it. I thought the end boss battle was fairly weak - though I think I made more of a meal of it than I should have.

    For me the game was about the variety in combat and pacing. The mix of stealth, gunplay and hand to hand made the battles a joy to play through. The puzzle/exploration sections were never that taxing - but made for a great respite from the gunplay.

    It was a fairly linear experience, but a blast to play through and also a good length in this day and age.

  • Badassbab #79 2 years ago

    I couldn't wait so had to play this game and boy is it good. It is chessy in a Hollywood summee blockbuster kind of way but the locations picked for the game really show off the graphical fidelity of the game. People keep going on about Killzone's graphics but next to UC2 they are bland and full of low quality textures. Plus UC2 controls way better.

    Semitope reckons ODST is rubbish but has barely played it (if at all, doesn't own a 360) so I'd ignore his comments. It's a good game but not UC2 good.