The team over at Naughty Dog have put together an amazing third-person adventure game. Uncharted 2 is a PS3 exclusive that has really been turning a lot of heads.

From the very first scene, Uncharted 2 shows off a technical prowess and refined artistic composition that’s above everything you’ve ever seen. The locations, set pieces, camera angles and lifelike animation; it takes everything you’d expect from a third-person adventure and does it better.

In the middle of all this tension the game cuts back and forth to flashbacks of the discussion that got you into this mess; Drake having joined new female character Chloe on a quest to find Marco Polo’s lost fleet of treasure-filled ships.

The jaw-dropping visuals totally compliment the experience. You wouldn’t identify with Drake’s plight nearly as much if he wasn’t so lifelike. His interaction and reaction to scenery and situations is phenomenal.

Sometimes it’s so well done that you think it’s a cutscene, only realising that it’s gameplay when you notice Drake standing still, awaiting your control. For in-game cinematics, it’s unparalleled. Slightly better, even, than Metal Gear Solid 4.

Silent takedowns are far easier now. Just tap X when near an unsuspecting enemy and he gets it. These takedowns are great because they’re reactive to scenery and character positioning. Drake will intelligently pull enemies over walls and elbow them in the throat, push them over cliffs, slam their heads into walls, or snap their necks depending on the situation. All you have to do is press a button.

On a negative point – and there clearly aren’t many in this game so let’s get this out there – it’s not always obvious which ledge, rock or incline you have to climb next. On multiple occasions you’re thrown into a massive open cave or urban environment full of climbable-looking detail and have to find the ONE ledge that you can actually grab onto to continue the game. It’s not always obvious. That’s perhaps one downfall of having such detailed environments.

But the game redeems itself with a hint system that detects when you’re wandering around like a noddy. With a tap of the d-pad it points you in the right direction. Naughty Dog missed nothing.