It's hot, too hot, and I've wrestled the controller from the paws of what must be the sweatiest Spaniard I've ever met. He doesn't look happy; he fell off the roof of that internet cafe 'a lot', so let's see if I can do any better.

I'm playing 2, of course, and I'm huddled in dimly lit corner of GamesCom Cologne, with the world's press (or at least enough of them to make like life uncomfortable) looking on. The first thing that strikes about Naughty Dog's sequel is the quality of the visuals on display.

The first game was a treat; arguably the best looking game the following the console's launch, but with this sequel the developers really seem to be upping the ante. This is as Tomb Raider should-be, all rich exotic settings, rock-solid controls and a plot ripped straight from the pages of a summer best-seller.

The extract I've been playing is set in the Himalayas, and our hero Nathan Drake has entered the thick of the just as some kind of war appears to have broken out. The streets are ravaged, debris littering the ground as smoke billows and burnt out vehicles quietly smoulder. The streets are deserted, colourful bunting still fluttering overhead the only sign that normal life once existed in this remote mountain city.

The world is beautifully detailed - I mean a real treat. the Engine 2.0 bringing the location to life in vivid detail. This is especially noticeable once you start clambering around on the rooftops, when the draw distance is most impressive, smoke drifting on the horizon in the late afternoon sunlight. As we explore we come across various foes, occasionally battling Nathan and occasionally take pot-shots at each other, and this is where the refined cover system comes in very useful - the ruined buildings and streets awash with places to take refuge.

Drake has his hands on a machine gun and a pistol, and it seems ammunition will be kept tight, making for some tense encounters as the ammo begins to run low. Hand-to-hand to combat is necessitated on occasion, and this too is looking better than ever; Drake's moves more mixed and more realistic than in the original game. Shades of Jason Bourne, dare I say it?

All in all, this high-altitude adventure chapter is perhaps more viscereal than we've ever seen Uncharted looking, while Naughty Dog mix up the fun via a few novel sequences, such as a chase through backstreets pursued by a blazing army truck, Drake stumbling over debris while desperately firing back of his shoulder at the on-rushing vehicle with his machine gun.

The climbing has also been improved, as ably demonstrated in this multi-tiered level. The cinematic cut sequences are also looking more polished than ever, Naughty Dog using this to highten excitement and evolve the plot - that will see Drake taking on some fresh new challenges, and meeting a few new faces - including romantic lead Chloe Frazer.

One of the things that impressed in this play-test was also the sense of freedom; not only in how you move through the level, but in how your approach combat encounters. The latter can also be undertaken while climbing and running, making for a more 'war-like' ambience, especially in the ravaged streets, overrun by the private army of a brutal treasure-seeker.

With a plot based on the forgotten treasures of Marco Polo, and the mythical Himalayan kingdom of Shangri-La, we're excited to see more on Uncharted 2 before the first-quater 2010 debut rolls around.

By Luke Guttridge