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An absolute treasure.

Yes, there's no such thing as a truly perfect videogame. All games have flaws, and it's never possible to really please all of the gamers, all of the time. With that being said, there are a handful of games in a generation which rise to the top in such a spectacular way that they are deserving of a "perfect" score. Enter one of the few, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves for the PlayStation 3.

Whereas the original Uncharted gave us a tasty sampling of Naughty Dog's potential to craft a blockbuster-style game, Uncharted 2 is that epic feast we have all been really waiting for. It's a roller coaster ride for the senses that doesn't let up until the credits roll. There's no aspect of the game that isn't as close to perfect as you can get (in videogame terms). Ridiculously satisfying gameplay, an intriguing, exciting storyline with exceptional voice talent, an ear-pleasing theatrical soundtrack, unmatched visuals and production values, and some other seemingly hyperbolic but 100% accurate raves. The real test of a fantastic game is the ability to suck players back into a game, time and time again. As of this review, I've almost played though the single player game twice. So, I blame the game itself for the review of the game being written a couple of days later than expected. The entire experience is just so damn enjoyable with oodles of incentives to never eject the Blu-ray Disc from your PS3. And that's not even factoring in the addictive, and unexpectedly fun competitive and co-op online gameplay modes.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is a story-driven, 3rd person action/adventure/platformer/shooter type of title. It's somewhat difficult to pinpoint the exact genre it falls into, though no matter what it is at any given time, the game is never less than enjoyable to play. Like Uncharted 1, the game is nothing at all like Tomb Raider. It's way more action packed than that. When Drake is not scaling the crumbling ruins of a temple or leaping from ledge to ledge while being pursued by a helicopter, there is plenty of cover-based gunplay mixed in with hand-to-hand combat and some stealth. There is some very light puzzle solving as well, but nothing that will take up more than a few minutes of your time. The various gameplay elements and story scenes transition seamlessly from one to the other. Almost every chapter is a winner, with maybe only 2 or 3 that had parts that bogged down a bit or were too focused on gunplay. The pace keeps it interesting and you're never stuck doing one thing for all that long.

The gameplay itself in Among Thieves is a more refined version of what was introduced in the original game. Drake is a nimble guy who can run, jump and climb with the best of them, and he can also handle a gun and throw a punch. The shooting is centered around stick-and-shoot style of control, with a robust, predictable cover system. Up close, the enhanced melee system provides more variety over what was found in Uncharted 1, with a single attack button (Square) and a counter/dodge move (Triangle). It flows much better than before and also leads to some rather varied, cinematic fisticuffs. In terms of combat, there are many ways to tackle a specific situation. You can sit back and attempt to pick off a rush of enemies, gear up with grenades and heavy weaponry for an all-out assault, grab a shotgun and crack those knuckles for some close-up encounters, or just sneak around the environment and stealth kill everyone in sight. Most of the time, it will be a combination of all of those, and it's usually oh so satisfying. Even when mixing together platforming, stealth and combat actions in one sequence, Drake does exactly what you intend him to do. It's actually rather incredible if you factor in the sheer amount of animation that he has and how different that some of those movements are.

The story mode should last around 10 - 14 depending on how much treasure hunting you do and the difficulty chosen. I personally spent several extra minutes combing the environments of each of the 26 chapters, so my play time was around 12 hours. Even then, just fair warning, Naughty Dog made locating the 100 treasures way more difficult than it was in Uncharted 1. Also included in the game is a Medal rewards system for reaching certain game milestones. This is both the same and different than Trophies, which are also obviously included as well. Medals (killing 3 enemies with a single grenade, for example) earn you cash, which can be spent in the in-game "Store" to unlock everything from characters skins, to weapons and tweaks, and behind the scenes videos and galleries. There's really a lot to do in the game.

It's fairly obvious by now that Naughty Dog is one of a very few developers in their own league when it comes to console game development. They really are the PlayStation hardware masters, and the game engine they have put together for Uncharted 2 is nothing less than jaw dropping. Proclaiming it to be the overall best looking console game ever isn't much of a stretch. I mean, there are not many games that can top Uncharted 1, let alone this vastly improved sequel. You could talk about the game's impossible looking textures, lighting and effects all day, but it's the animation, physics and environmental streaming (thus no in-game loading), that's the real star of the show. In addition to the layered, dynamic animation routines for the characters that provides for smooth transitions from one movement to the next, the way their bodies interact with the environment is probably about the most impressive thing seen in this generation. How Drake's feet realistically handle uneven terrain, or how he climbs and latches onto surfaces just looks so eerily natural. Another improvement in the game is in the physics department. Instead of rolling their own physics solution this time, Naughty Dog utilized the latest Havok engine, and the results are spectacular. You never get enough of interactive foliage and cloth being affected by wind, or structures blowing apart in the middle of an intense fire fight. There are also a few instances where entire screens or rooms full of objects and characters are manipulated at the same time.

As expected from a blockbuster movie style of game, the soundtrack is orchestral and very memorable, especially the familiar theme song and the more dramatic pieces. Depending on the level of action and the setting, the music can be anywhere from heavy and fast-paced, to sweeping and ethnic, and anywhere in between. The explosive and ambient surround sound effects are discrete and hard hitting when need be, and as mentioned earlier, the voiceovers are fantastic. Naughty Dog is one of the few developers to offer uncompressed PCM 5.1/7.1 audio, and with the proper HDMI audio receiver, the quality is mind blowing. It's hard to go back to plain old compressed sounding Dolby Digital afterwards.

Even if Uncharted 2: Among Thieves didn't have multiplayer or online functionality whatsoever, it would have likely scored the same. So, honestly, it's just a bonus. And to add competitive and co-op modes, well that's just uncalled for. The fact that they are both actually fun to play, and surprisingly different than many other multiplayer experiences out there, seals the deal. These online modes are ripe with platforming to go along with the shooting action. There are plenty of opportunities to climb, shimmy and traverse the environments, just like in single player. Most of the gameplay is exactly the same as well, so all those awesome techniques you've honed during the story mode translate into multiplayer and vice versa. You have a party system and matchmaking, and thanks to months of online beta testing, solid and smooth online play for up to 10 players (3 in co-op). The gameplay modes are enjoyable and the game encourages players to actually help each other during the match. Medals and cash can be earned while playing, as does experience which contributes to your ranking. Thankfully there are no online Trophies which require grinding of any sort, which in my experience (other developers please take note), can alter the way players actually play games online. It seems unrealistic that Naughty Dog could put together a satisfying and cinematic single player story mode, as well as a solid online mode in such a relatively short period of time, but they have.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is everything you could ask for in a videogame: immensely satisfying and challenging gameplay, a great story with likeable characters, a stunning audio-visual experience, plenty of replayability, and by the time the game ends, the feeling that every dollar spent on buying the game was well worth it.