Explosive new Uncharted 2: Among Thieves gameplay from E3 2009

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves gameplay screenshot
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves sees the return of fortune hunter Nathan Drake in the sequel to Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, exclusively for the PS3. Developed by Naughty Dog, the game is one of the most anticipated for the PS3 so naturally it was a big highlight of Sony’s E3 2009 agenda.

A pulse-pounding third-person action-adventure/shooter, in Uncharted 2 Drake finds himself down on his luck, and thus is lured back into the treacherous world of thieves and mercenary treasure-seekers he had once 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?

Here is the official E3 2009 single-player story trailer.

In addition to the single-player game Uncharted 2 will have a robust multiplayer mode that Naughty Dog has put their “blood, sweat and possibly a few tears” into for the “past few years”. The beta is now available to play for those who have purchased early copies of INfamous as well as subscribers to Qore (the PlayStation Network video magazine). If you want a taste of the game’s multiplayer the beta will give you access to 5-player competitive and 3-player co-op modes.

In the co-op players will take on the roles of Nathan, Sully or Chloe in missions that will have players doing everything from gunfighting to platforming to performing team-based objectives. Additionally players will need to make sure to heal each other when one is critically injured or help each other out when someone is grabbed by an enemy. As this is co-op, going off alone is a sure way to get yourself killed.

As far as the competitive multiplayer is concerned, you will be up to play with up to ten friends in modes called Deathmatch and Plunder, as well as others that have yet to be revealed. Deathmatch features “heroes” and “villains” with the teams split into two teams of five players. In this mode you will be able to select what character from the single-player game you want to play as (such as Nathan Drake himself, Sully or Chloe). Players can also select two Boost Abilities to help them defeat their opponents.

Plunder is basically a third-person shooting capture the flag mode where each team must try and steal their opponents treasure that is located in the center of the map and carry it back to their base. Whoever is carrying the treasure has to contend with slow movement, although they can throw the treasure away at any point. Either passing it on to a teammate or simply throwing it away from opposing players.

See Uncharted 2: Among Thieves in action in this gameplay developer walkthrough video.