Uncharted 2 Among Thieves may well be the best PS3 game to date, although such a compliment will raise the skepticism of both XBOX fans and some MGS fans in your living room.
I have to admit that included me, a MGS fan who considered MGS4 the end of my gaming career. However, some articles also placed Uncharted 2 as "the first video game ever to make a block-buster achievement". That was an exaggeration for sure. I can name several games which contain good involving stories, kicking-ass presentations and terrific visual effects that made a bundle of production values and blockbuster qualities. MGS series, Escape form Butcher Bay, GTA4, etc. Besides, I can find some underdeveloped parts and potentials as well, like the organic combination of platforming and gunfights can be better, blah blah blah.
That's all the negative side. Now, we can talk about the good side of the game. First off, Uncharted 2 might be the first "Jaw-dropping" visual experience I've had in playing a video game. All the visual-excellent games were prematurely over-hyped and got your eyes saturated, therefore the actual experiences were not so shocking. However, still images or one or two typical scenarios don't do Uncharted 2 justice, you'd have to play it through yourself to get this one-of-a-kind experience. It's a proof that graphics alone can make a difference in a game and make a game shine.
That's not saying the other parts of Uncharted 2 are not good. The actions and platforming are also really engaging, if not a little too adrenaline-bumping. And the story is also well thought-out with a loads of fun. The characters-centered presentation never gets old, just like the distinctive personalities of Nathan Drake, Elena and Chloe. After all, they don't want to get too serious.
I guess IGN and Gamespot both gave GTA4 and MGS4 a perfect 10 for these games' depth and game-play. Now they both gave Uncharted 2 a 9.5. In my opinion, it's not essentially for game-play, but for the core value of it--jaws-dropping graphics and presentation that could keep you coming back.
10/10. The most satisfying gaming experience I had in a while. P.S. I am also a movie fan.
