Editorial Reviews: Product Description Fortune hunter Nathan Drake returns in UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves a pulse-pounding third-person action-adventure/shooter created by award-winning developer Naughty Dog. Down on his luck Drake is lured back into the treacherous world of thieves and mercenary treasure-seekers he had sought to leave behind. When a mysterious artifact propels Drake on an expedition to find the legendary Himalayan valley of Shambhala he finds himself embroiled in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse against a fugitive war criminal who?s after more than just the fabled riches of the lost city. Caught in a web of deception and plunged into an increasingly deadly pursuit that tests the limits of his endurance Drake will be forced to risk everything ? but has his luck finally run out?. Amazon.com Product Description table border=”0″ tr td a name=”product_description” Follow-up game to 2007’s critically acclaimed iUncharted: Drake’s Fortune/i, the PlayStation 3 exclusive iUncharted 2: Among Thieves/i is a continuation of the adventures of Nathan Drake, a fortune-hunter with a shady reputation and an even shadier past. Chock full of all the action, adventure, cinematic story elements and beautiful graphics that set the first game apart, iUncharted 2: Among Thieves/i adds deep online multiplayer options, including co-op and competitive campaigns, and a whole new supporting cast of characters, making it yet another must-have title for the PlayStation In 1292 Marco Polo departed the court of Kublai Khan in China with 14 ships filled with over 600 passengers and crew. Eighteen months later only one ship remained and 18 passengers survived. Marco Polo never revealed what happened to these lost ships. Embarking on a quest to find the lost fleet, fortune hunter Nathan Drake soon realizes Marco Polo was hiding a much bigger secret – he had gone on a secret expedition to find the mythical kingdom of Shambhala and to recover the legendary Cintamani Stone, the “Wish-fulfilling jewel” of Buddhist mythology. With this new information Drake settles on a new course, following Marco Polo’s trail through a diverse range of exotic environments.
This quest also pits him against a new, more formidable adversary – a ruthless, rogue paramilitary leader with a private army and a relentless ambition to recover the stone for himself. p/ bGameplay/bbr/ Although gameplay in iAmong Thieves/i is similar to that of the previous game, there are several major differences. The most important of these is the addition of several online multiplayer options. Unfortunately, no offline multiplayer could be included in the game due to the impact local split-screening has on the game’s graphical quality. Thankfully though, the online modes included cover both co-op and competitive play. See the feature list below for details on these. In addition to play modes players can also expect a wealth of new gameplay features including a new stealth gameplay mechanic and altered climbing mechanic–both of which are extended to the AI of enemies; the ability to create cover by flipping over certain found items; the use of riot shields for defense and offense; and a complete lack of loading screens. p/ bKey Game Features/b ul liPowered by Naughty Dogrsquo;s new 2.0 Engine Technology./li liOpen layout allows players to take an aggressive or stealth approach to combat./li liFree-flowing “traversal gunplay” adds a unique vertical element to standard 3rd-person shooting mechanics./li liAward-winning cinematic story presentation./li liA Deep Single Player Campaign ul liAn expanded cast of characters who reflect different facets of Drakersquo;s character, including Chloe Frazer, Drakersquo;s current partner and new romantic interest./li liVaried and exotic locations ndash; from lush, green swamps and dense urban environments, all the way to the ice and snow of the Himalayas./li liUnrestricted combat allows you to take an aggressive or stealthy approach to combat./li ul liFree-flowing “traversal gunplay” adds a unique vertical element to familiar cover-based third-person shooting mechanics, allowing you to engage in combat from any position.
in the environment ndash; even while climbing and hanging./li liIntroduction of new traversal and free-climbing mechanics allow Drake to navigate through the environments more fluidly and naturally./li liGunplay and combat enhancements, including an expanded melee system, and a variety of enemy types with advanced AI routines. High-quality cinematic presentation of scenes, characters and dialogue, all rendered within the Naughty Dog Engine 2.0./li liDramatic in-game events that make you an active participant in the cinematic experience./li liFull character interaction with dynamic geometry./li /ul liUtilizes Naughty Dog Engine 2.0 purpose-built for the PlayStation 3; utilizes the PS3 technology to hit a turning point in technology innovation by recreating reality and capturing human emotion./li liNo visible loading ndash; a Naughty Dog hallmark ndash; returns along with technology improvements in major game systems such as lighting, shadows, ambient occlusion, animation technology and physics, among many others./li /ul liA Wide Variety of Online Multiplayer Options./li ul liCompetitive Multiplayer/li ul liCompetitive multiplayer gameplay includes up to 10 players in heroes-versus-villains matches./li liDeathmatch: Up to 5 vs. 5 with customizable or pre-set game modes./li liPlunder: Unique style of multiplayer that encourages team work to transport a treasure across terrain horizontally and vertically over obstacles./li liPlayer boosters give you a variety of options to customize your characters to your play style or to provide an advantage over opponents./li /ul liCo-op Multiplayer/li ul liUp to three players work together in cooperative modes to accomplish set objectives with increasing difficulty and against special enemy characters./li liCombo system encourages further teamwork to increase a point total and currency multiplier./li liWeapon upgrades let you customize your weapons to your play style or provide an advantage over opponents./li /ul /ul liGeneral Multiplayer Features./li ul liRobust party system allows you to remain with your friends in matchmaking and custom matches.
/li liCustom matches allow you to customize maps and modes which your party wishes to play./li liCurrency gained in multiplayer matches can be combined with currency gained in single player missions to unlock additional content and upgrades./li liCharacter animations and environments taken from single player campaign maintain visual fidelity with no degradation./li liGameplay and character mechanics identical from the single-player campaign, ensuring user familiarity and same level of quality./li liHeadset support./li liProprietary Naughty Dog Engine 2.0 network code captures a broad range of gameplay data for statistics reporting on the web and for functionality like Cinema, which allows players to watch replays of matches./li liCutting edge technology such as cloud-based computing allows for scalable online infrastructure to provide optimal player experience.
