This year's Electronic Entertainment Expo is only a day old and we're almost ready to name Uncharted 2: Among Thieves game of the show. Sony's upcoming action adventure game has more treasure hunting, shooting and death defying leaps than a big budget Hollywood movie and makes owning a PlayStation 3 a smart decision. It's still a long way from being released (November), but we whetted our appetites by watching a new level that highlights some of the game's best features.

Our demo began inside of a tomb, where hero Nathan Drake and his sidekick Chloe must out duel heavily armed mercenaries to escape. As they quickly made their way through the ruins, we got a close look at the game's new combat system that changes on the fly depending on where the enemy is in relation to Drake. So, instead of running up to someone and watching a canned animation, his punches and kicks are a result of the bad guy's moves. If, for example, the computer shifts one way, Drake will respond with a backhand, but if it moves ever so slightly, he may punch its face.

In addition, Uncharted 2 has tougher enemies that require additional firepower to kill. Some of these mercenaries, for instance, wear armor that you must first destroy with a gun before targeting a specific body part.

Uncharted 2 has more variety when it comes to enemies. Here's a tip: aim for their armor.

If that sounds too complicated, you can always turn to grenades. This game has a cool blind fire grenade, where you can just toss one without adjusting the trajectory. There's also an "aim grenade" that falls wherever you point the targeting reticule, and when things get really bad, you can chuck a propane tank and shoot it in mid air to make things dead.

After barely making it through some tight spaces (the camera zooms to invoke claustrophobia), Drake and his new lady friend activate a statue that allows them to reach the surface and subsequently, a city under siege. He soon runs into Elena Fisher (from the previous game) and a wounded cameraman. Drake agrees to give the poor guy a (pardon the cliche) shoulder to lean on, and here's where things get trickier. Since the guy weighs a ton, he pulls Drake's body to one side and restricts his movement. In order to survive, you'll need to hang back and let the girls do most of the shooting. You're free to enter the fray any time, but you'll need to make sure you don't die.

Naturally, loads of enemies quickly flood the streets to stop Drake and his party. Fortunately, the women are good shots and Drake still has access to a pistol; Sony refuses to comment on whether this is a co-op mission.

Even with the extra characters, the game looks challenging. As everyone made their way through the debris littered streets, a truck suddenly crashed into a building and blocked their path. To get around it, they simply weaved in and around a destroyed building. That was it. Demo over.

It was a brief taste, but those precious 15 minutes were enough to sell us on Uncharted 2. Developer Naughty Dog has done an amazing job bringing this interactive world to life, with characters that get wet and then dry off, gorgeous sunlight, an enormous city to explore and seamless transitions from cut scene to gameplay. No matter which console you own, you'll agree that Among Thieves' graphics trump almost every console game before it.

For now, though, we'll have to wait to see what happens to Nathan Drake and preoccupy ourselves until the game hits shelves this fall. Look for more treasure hunting details soon.

Related Links

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Game Guide