An absolutely remarkable jump from the original installment, Uncharted 2 is filled to the brim with ambition, creativity, and heart. Unfortunately, it's also weighed down by a surface level plot, lack of narrative subtext, meaningless action, stiff movement, boring platforming, and overall complacent core gameplay. Ironically, despite being an overtly flawed title in the series, it still manages to gain an 8/10 from me, as its highs are far more prevalent than its lows.

Ultimately, Among Thieves is an incredible, quality, exciting title that tries too hard to get away with things the audience knows it cannot actually achieve, such as deep storytelling & varied gameplay, Naughty Dog wouldn't manage to fully achieve an adequate balance of narrative, gameplay, and action until the release of Uncharted 4 in 2016.