Basics

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Guide

Basics

Damage Indicator:
o The Uncharted Series has a rather raw and realistic appearance.  You have no health bar.  Instead, when you're hit by enemies the screen's outer edges get a little bloody, and if you get severely hurt the screen will turn grey.

o When you get hit several times, stay behind cover to make sure you're not hit for a short period of time.  This will allow you to recover, and you can do this as many times as you like.  Keep in mind however that if you're hit during any time while recovering, the whole process starts over again and you have to wait several seconds once again to recover. 

o The blood on the screen's sides also gives an indication as to where the enemy fire is coming from.  If the left side of the screen turns red, quickly take cover behind something to your right as you can be sure that enemies are firing at you from your left.

Taking Cover:
o It's extremely important to take cover in Uncharted 2.  Rushing over to groups of enemies is the best way to quickly get yourself killed.

Blindfire:
o While it's not an effective way to kill enemies, blindfiring from behind cover is done by simple pressing R1 while in cover.

Headshots:
o Try to take enemies out with headshots.  The pistol is the weapon of choice for trying to kill soldiers with headshots.  Weapons such as the AK-47 lack the accuracy to perform well on this task, and Shotguns lack the range to effectively hit the enemy.  Magnums are not suited either; A Desert - 5 will take out the enemy regardless of where you hit them either way, while a Pistole lacks once again the range in a similar way Shotguns lack this.

Grenades:
o Hurl grenades at your foes with L2 and adjust the throwing angle with the right analog stick.  Nate will throw grenades quite precisely, so you can greatly use this as a tactical advantage against turrets.

o When enemies throw grenades at you they'll usually shout something such as “flesh him out!”, so be alerted when this happens and try to kill the wanker who's about to hurl one at you.  Of course, you're always alarmed by the grenade indicator on screen, as well as the bleeping sound, and even Nate himself as he comments on the grenade.  Enough indications to roll away in time from the explosion.

Propane Tanks:
o You'll occassionally come across propane gas canisters.  These are highly inflammable and shooting them will cause an explosion similar to a grenade.

o Alternatively you can pick these tanks up and hurl them away in the same fashion you throw grenades.  It's possible to immediately shoot the tank by tapping the R1 button.

Stealth Kills:
o There are various ways to perform a stealh kill, and they all require that no enemy has spotted you thus far. 

o Even when you can perform a stealth kill, always check your surroundings to see if other enemies can see what you're doing.  If they can, try and wait until they're looking away.

o Sitting behind a crate or a low wall with an enemy standing on the other side is a guaranteed stealh kill.  Press Square and Nate'll grab them over the crate and punch them KO.

o Similarly, while crouching behind a crate or even standing behind a corner you can stealthily kill any approaching enemy.

o Enemies standing near ledges while you're hanging can be pulled off, killing them instantly.

o When you kill an enemy with stealth they'll drop more ammunition.  This is indicated by the blue ninja icon next to the item pickup.  Sometimes the extra ammo comes in the form of a grenade.

Aiming:
o Aiming is done with L1, but you can also shoot from the hip by just firing with R1 as you run around.  This is not the best choice with regular soldiers around, but you may rarely want to resort to this technique.

Collecting Ammo:
o You can only hold two weapons at any time; One Pistol and a two-handed weapon. You furthermore have four grenade slots.  If you swap a weapon, the other weapon will be dropped and must be left behind.

o If you stealthily kill an enemy they'll drop more ammo as described above.

o While you may not be able to take a certain weapon with you, it is however possible to take ammunition along for it.  For example, if you only have a few AK-47 bullets left and you want to bring a shotgun along with a pistol, you'll need to leave the AK behind.  But shotguns don't usually hold large clips, so it may run out rather quickly.  By collecting all AK-47's from downed enemies you can fill up on ammo for this weapon type.  Then, the next time you want to swap your shotgun for an AK-47 you'll have a full clip instead of only one clip.

Melee Combat:
o You can initiate a melee fight with any soldier you come across, but it's best not to attempt this with groups of troops moving in on you or you'll be gunned to death.

o During a melee fight, attack your enemy with the Square button.  If the enemy gets you in a grapple however, quickly press the Triangle button instead to counter attack and break free.  You can then continue the melee fight if it hasn't already ended.

Treasures:
o There are essentially 101 treasures to be found in Uncharted 2.  Treasures always sparkle with a bright, characteristic shine, allowing you to spot them from afar .. that is, if they're hidden in plain sight.  This guide has all treasure locations embedded in the main walkthrough.  There is also a quick checklist available for you at the end of this guide.