Saturday Night Gamer: Why Uncharted 2 Is More Addictive Than Crack

I’ve been playing Uncharted 2 for a week. I’m losing sleep. I’m addicted. And that’s not even thinking about the Twitter functionality.

Small admission to start off with: I’ve never played the original Uncharted. I’m not sure if that works in my favour or against me writing about the sequel though.

From the opening sequence, you can see that this game is designed to be a cinematic experience. The camera angles, the sequence of action, the soundtrack all screams big Hollywood Blockbuster. Even the script, something that generally doesn’t play a big role in an action game, is engaging and witty, which all contributes to making a totally immersive experience.

It helps too that the controls are simple and responsive. There are no complex combinations of button presses to master, just a series of action sequences, interspersed with the odd puzzle to crack and movie sequence. But no matter what you’re doing in the game, it feels like you’re driving the plot forward.

And the plot is gripping. Treasure hunting, museum heists and Eastern mythology all play a major part. Your character, Nathan Drake is a charming rogue with an exceptional run of good luck. And after the first couple of stages of the game, you honestly feel a rapport for the swashbuckling hero. Especially after you’re stabbed in the back… But I’ve said too much already…

I’ve half played through a multiplayer game to check out the inbuilt Twitter feature. I died a lot. But unlike traditional deathmatches, there’s a fair amount of focus on hand to hand combat. The ability to grab enemies and throw them from the top of buildings is something you have to experience – hopefully on the giving, rather than receiving end like me.

Considering the game is being given away for free when you buy a new PS3 Slim at the moment, I’d say it’s time for non-PS3 owners to invest. If you’ve already got a PS3, then Uncharted 2 enters the must-buy arena. I’m not quite done with the single player adventure, and I want to tackle multiplayer again, but even after just a week, I can honestly say that Uncharted 2 is one of the most rewarding games I’ve ever played…