If there's one area of the game that's not really changed much it's in the puzzling. As with last time these brainteasers rarely evolve much beyond the simple pull or push something to open a locked door kind of thing we've been solving for years now. To be fair complex puzzles aren't really a core part of the experience and those that are here at least fit naturally into the world, but it's a still bit of a shame more hasn't been made of them.

Drake's Fortune, as wonderful as it was, did have one thing missing - a mode. Thankfully Among Thieves corrects this in quite spectacular fashion. A well stocked set of options allows a whole myriad of possibilities to be played out based on multiplayer staples like deathmatch, capture the flag and team games while the fact that you're controlling a character far more agile than the usual grunt brings an entirely new perspective to modes you may feel you've played to death in other titles. Levels you'll recognise from the singleplayer game are given a subtle multiplayer makeover often complete with their own ever interesting gimmicks, a meandering tank that kills whoever it can find being a perfect example. A enjoyable spattering of co-op levels give the multiplayer package a fully rounded feel, something of a first for a third-person game.

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Spending time with the original last week I was struck by how it remained one of the best looking games around even now, two years after its release and wondered if there was really much room for improvement in Among Thieves. Well, you'll be pleased to know that the simple answer is yes, in fact it's surprising just how much extra grunt seem to have found within the PS3's high tech innards. Put it this way, if there's a better looking game around at the moment I've yet to see it. The attention to detail is simply astonishing at times with every little part of the world shown as much love and attention as the next. The startling fact that by Naughty Dog's own estimates the original game used a mere thirty percent of the PS3's processing power compared to Among Thieves which apparently clocks in at above ninety tells its own impressive story.

As you'd expect Nolan North and Emily Rose return as Nathan and Elena respectively and both are on top form here, as in fact are the entire voice cast. Until you've witnessed it for yourselves it's hard to convey just how well realised the games characters actually are. The leads especially benefit from a delightful blend of pitch perfect delivery and understated natural writing that should cause every other game out there to blush with embarrassment. There's a real sense that these are people genuinely interacting, rather than actors quipping one-liners alone in a recording booth somewhere and you're sucked into their story to a greater degree because of it.

That sense of immersion is also helped by the way the story is told through both cut-scenes and in game dialogue. The cut scenes in particular give the game engine yet another chance to shine with some beautifully framed moments showing off the world as well as possible. These regular non-interactive interludes never feel jarring, or worse still unwanted, in fact Uncharted 2 does such a good job of blending its storytelling into the game proper that the dreaded phrase 'interactive movie' actually starts to sound like a good thing.

Interestingly, Naughty Dog have obviously realised the potential of their engine for cinematics and opened it up to allow you to create your own using the Cinema mode. Think the maker in 3 with added bells and whistles including a green screen mode and the ability to get Nathan and chums to lip sync to your own dialogue.

Since Drake's Fortune was so good there wasn't actually a massive amount Naughty Dog needed to do to craft a sequel. In all honesty there'd have been barely a moan from anyone had they simply slapped a new story and levels onto the bones of the first game, pushed it out of the door and watched the money roll in. So it's to their huge credit that instead they've taken the time to craft a game that manages to feel like a genuinely significant step forward while retaining everything that was so great about the original. The addition of a stunning multiplayer component and the creative freedom of the Cinema mode are like the enjoyably overindulgent pudding after a wonderfully satisfying main meal that make you thankful for elastic waistbands.

If, as some have said, the PS3 is still in need of a killer exclusive to take into the festive silly season then Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is, without a doubt, it. Anyone with a PS3 should be beating down the door of their favourite games emporium come release day and the rest of you still waiting for a reason to belatedly join Sony's party have just found it.

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By Paul Newcombe