Nathan Drake is a mess. When you start the Uncharted 2 Among Thieves walkthrough, he’s literally bleeding out in a train car dangling over a Himalayan precipice. It’s stressful. Honestly, it’s one of the best openings in gaming history because it doesn't give you a tutorial on how to pick flowers; it teaches you how not to die while gravity tries its best to kill you.
Most people coming back to this Naughty Dog classic—whether on the original PS3 hardware or the Nathan Drake Collection on PS4/PS5—forget just how much the pacing shifts. One minute you're sneaking through a Turkish museum, and the next, you're leveling half of Nepal with a grenade launcher. It’s chaotic. If you’re looking for a way to navigate the 26 chapters of this globe-trotting madness without screaming at your TV, you've gotta understand the rhythm. The game isn't just a shooter. It’s a platformer. It's a puzzle game. It’s basically a playable summer blockbuster where everything is constantly exploding.
The Early Game: Stealth and Verticality
Chapter 2, "Breaking and Entering," is usually where players hit their first wall. You’re in a museum. You can’t kill the guards. Well, you can, but you have to do it quietly with tranquilizer darts and neck snaps. If you trip an alarm, it's game over. The trick here isn't just being fast; it's about looking up. Naughty Dog loves verticality. Most people get stuck because they’re looking for a door when they should be looking for a yellow pipe or a slightly discolored brick.
Follow Flynn. He’s annoying, but he knows the path. When you get to the courtyard with the guards, stay on the rooftops as long as possible. The AI in Uncharted 2 has a specific "search" pattern. If they see a body, they'll congregate there. Use that. Throw a brick or make a noise to pull them away from your objective, then slip past. It’s way easier than trying to stealth-takedown every single guard in the building.
Once you hit Borneo, the kid gloves come off. This is where the Uncharted 2 Among Thieves walkthrough turns into a cover-based shooter. Here’s a pro tip: don’t hug the cover. That sounds stupid, right? But if you stand a few feet back from a pillar while aiming, you have a better angle of fire and the enemy AI has a harder time flanking you. If you "snap" to cover using the circle button, your field of view narrows. Move manually. It’ll save your life on Crushing difficulty.
That Infamous Helicopter Fight
You know the one. You’re in Nepal, the city is a war zone, and a Hind helicopter is trying to turn you into Swiss cheese. This is Chapter 6, "Desperate Times."
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- Don’t stay in one building. The helicopter will destroy the walls.
- Use the rooftops to move in a circle.
- There are M32-Hammer grenade launchers scattered around. Don't waste them on the infantry. Save every shot for the bird.
- When the helicopter fires its missiles (you’ll hear a distinct locking-on sound), roll. Don't just run. Roll.
Chloe Frazer will be yelling at you the whole time. Ignore the stress in her voice. Just keep moving. The moment you stay static in Uncharted 2, the grenades start raining down. The AI is programmed to flush you out of cover, so if you stay behind one box for more than ten seconds, expect a red indicator at your feet.
The Mid-Game Grind: Trains and Turrets
The train sequence. "A Rock and a Hard Place." This is where the game earns its reputation. You’re moving through various cars, and the wind is whipping, and the music is pounding. It's incredible. But it’s also a gauntlet of armored enemies.
Standard bullets do almost nothing to the guys in full Kevlar. You need to knock their helmets off. A well-placed grenade or a few headshots will pop the helmet, and then a single follow-up shot finishes them. Or, if you’re feeling brave, run up and use the melee combo (Square, Triangle, Square). It’s risky, but it’s faster than wasting three magazines of AK-47 ammo.
When the tank shows up later in the mountain village, don't panic. It feels like a scripted "run for your life" moment—and it is—but you actually have to fight back eventually. Look for the RPGs. They are always placed near blue buildings or behind stone walls that the tank can't immediately crush. You’ll need about three to four hits to trigger the next cutscene.
Solving the Shambhala Puzzles
Not everything is about shooting people in the face. The puzzles in this game, like the one in the Temple or the giant map room in the Himalayas, can be real head-scratchers if you don't look at Nate’s journal.
Press Select (or the Touchpad on PS4). Look at the sketches.
In the "Path of Light" puzzle, you're reflecting beams of light using mirrors. The journal shows you exactly which symbols correspond to which statues. If the light is hitting a statue and nothing is happening, you probably have the height wrong. Some of those mirrors need to be tilted up or down, not just rotated. It’s a classic 2009-era puzzle mechanic, but it still holds up because the scale is so massive.
The Guardian Problem
Once you get into Shambhala, you meet the Guardians. These guys are blue, fast, and they don't use guns. They use crossbows and physical strength.
- Shotguns are your best friend. The SAS-12 or the Pistole (the sawed-off shotgun pistol) will stagger them.
- Don't try to outrun them. They are faster than Nate.
- Pick up their resin grenades. If you see a glowing purple orb on the ground, shoot it when a Guardian is nearby. It deals massive splash damage.
How to Beat Lazarević Without Losing Your Mind
The final boss fight against Zoran Lazarević is polarizing. Some people find it easy; others find it impossible. If you try to shoot him with your gun, you will lose. He has infinite health. The only way to damage him is by exploding the blue resin pockets found on the trees and walls around the arena.
Wait for him to get close to a resin clump. Shoot the resin. It explodes. He screams. Repeat this about eight to ten times.
The trick is staying ahead of him. Lazarević moves in a predictable path, but he’s fast. You have to keep a steady distance. If he catches you, he’ll grab you by the throat, and you’ll have to mash buttons to escape, which usually leads to you getting blown up by the next explosion. Run in a large figure-eight pattern around the center of the map. This keeps you near the resin spawns while giving you enough space to dodge his grenades.
Making the Most of Your Playthrough
If you’re going for the Platinum trophy or just want to see everything, keep an eye out for the 101 treasures. They shine with a small white glint. Usually, they’re tucked behind crates or hanging from pipes you wouldn't normally climb.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is a masterpiece of pacing. Even years later, the transition from the snowy mountains to the lush jungles feels seamless. The voice acting from Nolan North (Nate) and Claudia Black (Chloe) gives the characters a weight that most games still struggle to replicate.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Run:
- Prioritize the "Pistole": It’s a one-shot kill at close range and uses handgun ammo slots. It makes the armored enemies in the later chapters trivial.
- Master the "Blind Fire": When enemies rush you, don't aim. Just tap the fire button while behind cover. It’s surprisingly accurate and keeps your head down.
- Check Nate's Journal Regularly: It’s not just flavor text; it literally contains the answers to every major mechanical roadblock in the game.
- Use the Environment: Look for red barrels or propane tanks. The game’s physics engine loves explosions, and a single tank can clear an entire wave of mercenaries.
The trek to Shambhala is long, but it’s worth it. Just remember to keep moving, keep your head down, and when in doubt, look for the yellow handholds. You'll get there.