In 2009, everyone was talking about a train. Not just any train, but a vertical one. You remember that opening scene, right? Nathan Drake, bloodied and shivering, waking up in a derailed train car hanging precariously over a snowy Tibetan cliff. That single moment in Uncharted 2 Among Thieves PS3 didn't just raise the bar for Sony's hardware; it basically snapped the bar in half and threw it off the mountain. It changed everything. Before this, "cinematic gaming" usually meant a grainy cutscene followed by some clunky shooting. Naughty Dog decided that wasn't good enough. They wanted the gameplay to be the movie.
Honestly, it’s wild to look back at the leap from the first game to this one. Drake’s Fortune was a solid proof of concept, but it felt like a tech demo compared to the sequel. The sequel felt alive. The colors were more vibrant, the scope was massive, and the chemistry between Nolan North (Drake) and Claudia Black (Chloe Frazer) was electric. It wasn’t just about finding Shambhala or the Cintamani Stone. It was about the fact that the PlayStation 3 finally had its "killer app" that made the Cell Processor look like a stroke of genius instead of a developer's nightmare.
The Technical Wizardry That Pushed the Cell Processor to its Limit
Let’s talk about the hardware for a second. The PS3 was notoriously difficult to code for. Most developers at the time were struggling to get multi-platform games to run as well as they did on the Xbox 360. But Naughty Dog? They went deep. They used the SPUs (Synergistic Processing Units) to handle things like high-end physics and complex water rendering that most people thought were impossible on a console back then.
Evan Wells and Christophe Balestra, the co-presidents at the time, were very vocal about how they were using nearly 100% of the PS3's power. It wasn't just marketing fluff. You can see it in the "Urban Warfare" chapter. When a building starts collapsing while you are literally inside it fighting off a helicopter, that isn't a pre-rendered movie. That’s the engine. The geometry is shifting in real-time. You’re still aiming, shooting, and jumping while the floor becomes a wall. It was a technical masterclass that earned the game over 200 Game of the Year awards.
💡 You might also like: Why Batman Arkham City Still Matters More Than Any Other Superhero Game
Why the Nepal Sequence Still Wins
Think about the level design in the Nepal city streets. Most games of that era used "baked" lighting—static shadows that never moved. Naughty Dog implemented a system that allowed for dynamic light sources to bounce off surfaces. When a grenade goes off in a dark alleyway in Uncharted 2 Among Thieves PS3, the light spills across the brickwork and reflects off the puddles. It’s subtle stuff, but it builds an atmosphere that feels heavy and real.
The pacing is also incredible. You go from a stealthy museum heist in Istanbul to a frantic chase through a war-torn city, then suddenly you're in a quiet Tibetan village kicking a soccer ball with kids. It breathes. It’s not just constant explosions. That’s why it works.
The Chloe Frazer Factor and Character Nuance
We have to talk about Chloe. Adding her to the mix was a masterstroke. Elena Fisher (voiced by Emily Rose) was the "girl next door" moral compass, but Chloe brought a moral ambiguity that Nate desperately needed to play off of. It made the story feel less like a Saturday morning cartoon and more like a high-stakes heist thriller.
📖 Related: Will My Computer Play It? What People Get Wrong About System Requirements
- Nolan North's performance: This was the game where Nate became more than a Lara Croft clone. His "Oh crap" moments felt improvised.
- The Villain: Zoran Lazarević. He wasn't a complex, misunderstood soul. He was a monster. He was the perfect foil to Nate’s "lucky guy" persona because he was pure, calculated brutality.
- The "In media res" storytelling: Starting at the end and working your way back. It kept the mystery of how Nate ended up on that train alive for hours.
Is the Multiplayer Still Worth Remembering?
Most people forget that Uncharted 2 Among Thieves PS3 introduced the multiplayer component to the series. At the time, everyone was skeptical. "Why does a linear story game need a deathmatch mode?" we all asked. Then we played it.
It wasn't just a tacked-on extra. The traversal—the climbing, the hanging from ledges, the verticality—translated surprisingly well to competitive play. The "Plunder" mode (basically Capture the Flag but with a heavy gold idol) required actual teamwork. You couldn't just sprint; you had to toss the idol to teammates while under fire. It had a dedicated community for years until the PS3 servers were finally sunset in September 2019. It’s a shame, honestly. There was a charm to those maps like "The Village" or "The Sanctuary" that later sequels tried to replicate but never quite captured.
Addressing the "Ludonarrative Dissonance" Debate
You might have heard the term "ludonarrative dissonance" thrown around in gaming essays. It was actually popularized in relation to this very game. The idea is that there’s a disconnect between Nathan Drake the "charming, funny guy" in cutscenes and Nathan Drake the "mass murderer" who kills 500 henchmen during gameplay.
👉 See also: First Name in Country Crossword: Why These Clues Trip You Up
Does it matter? Not really. Uncharted 2 Among Thieves PS3 embraces the pulp adventure genre. It’s Indiana Jones. Nobody counts how many guys Indy shoots in Raiders of the Lost Ark. The game asks you to suspend your disbelief for the sake of the spectacle. If you try to apply gritty realism to a game where you fight a supernatural yeti in an ice cave, you're missing the point. It’s about the ride.
Looking Back: PS3 Original vs. The Nathan Drake Collection
If you’re looking to play this today, you have choices. You can dig out the old "fat" or "slim" PS3 and pop in the original disc, or you can play the remastered version on PS4/PS5.
There is something special about the original 2009 release. The Motion Sensor Function (Sixaxis) for throwing grenades was a bit polarizing, but it was part of the era’s charm. The PS4 remaster by Bluepoint Games is technically superior—running at 1080p and 60fps—but it loses the original multiplayer. Also, some purists argue that the original lighting on the PS3 had a specific "warmth" to it that the cleaner, sharper remaster lacks.
Actionable Steps for the Modern Collector
If you're a fan of the series or a retro game collector, here’s how to handle Uncharted 2 Among Thieves PS3 in 2026:
- Check the Disc Condition: The PS3 used Blu-ray discs which are fairly hardy, but the dual-layer nature of the Uncharted discs means they can be picky with older laser assemblies. If your PS3 is struggling to load it, the laser might be on its way out.
- Download the Updates: Even though the servers are down, you can still download the final patches. These fixed several "clipping" bugs and optimized the frame rate in the heavier forest sections.
- Physical Media Value: Unlike some rare RPGs, Among Thieves sold millions. You can find copies for under $10 at most used bookstores or retro shops. Don't overpay for a "Black Label" copy unless you're a completionist; the "Greatest Hits" version is identical in content.
- Try the Crushing Difficulty: If you’ve only played it on Normal, you haven't really experienced the combat system. Crushing forces you to use the "blind fire" and "cover swap" mechanics that you can usually ignore on lower settings.
The legacy of this game is undeniable. It paved the way for The Last of Us. It proved that Naughty Dog was the premier developer for Sony. Most importantly, it gave us a set-piece—the train—that developers are still trying to top nearly two decades later. It’s a landmark of the medium. If you still have a working PS3 hooked up to a TV, there is no better reason to turn it on than this. It still holds up. Seriously. Go play the train level again.