While multiplayer, done well, is always a welcome addition, my first crotchety reaction is to wonder whether it's a necessary one for Uncharted 2. After all, the original's storytelling, not the gunplay, is what kept me playing to the end (though, perhaps like some of you, I didn't particularly enjoy the crazy supernatural ending). And really, not all games that involve shooting need to have multiplayer; so, how can Naughty Dog reconcile that experience with Nathan Drake's solitary moments?

So far, it turns out, co-op is my favorite of the three new modes. It's also the longest in duration. Unlike Team Deathmatch and Plunder, co-op uses actual, in-game locations (whereas the competitive modes simply use art assets in new arena configurations). Rather than let you play through the single-player game with buddies, arguably making it more difficult to tell Nathan's story, Naughty Dog has put in special co-op side missions. Areas that may be clear when you travel through them in the single-player game will be swarming with enemies in the co-op side missions, letting you see them in a different light.