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While this kind of thing is most evident in the action sequences, it's by no means limited to them. When it's required to squeeze under a low hanging cave wall for example, rather than opt for the utterly superfluous "crouch" mechanic, instead, a unique (as in, used-only-in-this-instance) animation shows Drake realistically contorting his body to make the squeeze. It all just makes the game feel so -- for lack of a better term -- real. Perhaps more than any other game I've played, Uncharted 2 gave me the impression that I was connected to a living world, guiding a living actor through physical set-pieces rather than manipulating a little digital character across a screen. It's the difference between feeling connected to what you're seeing and disconnected.

It also helps that as far as action narratives go, this one is great. Easily on par with any Hollywood offering in the same genre, Uncharted 2 presents a fun and compelling story full of dynamic and rounded characters. Like the original, the plot revolves around the plundering of some lost and priceless historical artifact, this time around it's the Cintamani Stone, a gem lost in Marco Polo's return voyage from China. It's interesting and told well, but frankly, the 'whys' of this game don't really matter all that much. Uncharted 2 is at its creative best not when we're learning about the mysterious history of some ancient relic, but rather when we're listening to the witty back and forth of its characters.

In addition to Drake, two characters make their return from the original. There's Elena, the idealistic and adventurous journalist, and Sully, Drake's wise-cracking mentor and partner. New to Uncharted 2 is Flynn, a former partner of Drake whose been hired by the ruthless Serbian warlord, Lazarevic, to retrieve the stone; as well as Chloe, Drake's beautiful and exotic ex and now third corner of a love triangle with Drake and Elena.

The game's sub-title says it all, with the exception of Elena, each of the characters are resourceful, distrustful, and greedy -- but most importantly, all are exceptionally witty. Not surprisingly, characters like this go a long way in creating funny banter, but the performances of Uncharted 2 lift the game far beyond the literal meanings of the written words themselves. The chemistry between the actors brings to life all of the subtext and hints of a rich shared history that would simply have been lost under lesser talent. Clearly, the Indiana Jones influence went beyond the "plundering adventurer" premise, because just like in those George Lucas serial tributes, I simply can't imagine these characters working as well as they do with different actors in the roles.