Drake with his crew. View larger.

Online multiplayer modes. View larger.

Cinematic, over-the-top action. View larger.

Varied exotic environments. View larger.

No action-stopping load screens. View larger.

New stealth gameplay. View larger.

In 1292 Marco Polo departed the court of Kublai Khan in China with 14 ships filled with over 600 passengers and crew. Eighteen months later only one ship remained and 18 passengers survived. Marco Polo never revealed what happened to these lost ships. Embarking on a quest to find the lost fleet, fortune hunter Nathan Drake soon realizes Marco Polo was hiding a much bigger secret - he had gone on a secret expedition to find the mythical kingdom of Shambhala and to recover the legendary Cintamani Stone, the "Wish-fulfilling jewel" of Buddhist mythology. With this new information Drake settles on a new course, following Marco Polo's trail through a diverse range of exotic environments. This quest also pits him against a new, more formidable adversary - a ruthless, rogue paramilitary leader with a private army and a relentless ambition to recover the stone for himself.

Gameplay
Although gameplay in Among Thieves is similar to that of the previous game, there are several major differences. The most important of these is the addition of several online multiplayer options. Unfortunately, no offline multiplayer could be included in the game due to the impact local split-screening has on the game's graphical quality. Thankfully though, the online modes included cover both co-op and competitive play. See the feature list below for details on these. In addition to play modes players can also expect a wealth of new gameplay features including a new stealth gameplay mechanic and altered climbing mechanic--both of which are extended to the AI of enemies; the ability to create cover by flipping over certain found items; the use of riot shields for defense and offense; and a complete lack of loading screens.

Key Game Features

• Powered by Naughty Dog’s new 2.0 Engine Technology.
• Open layout allows players to take an aggressive or stealth approach to combat.
• Free-flowing "traversal gunplay" adds a unique vertical element to standard 3rd-person shooting mechanics.
• Award-winning cinematic story presentation.
• A Deep Single Player Campaign
  • An expanded cast of characters who reflect different facets of Drake’s character, including Chloe Frazer, Drake’s current partner and new romantic interest.
  • Varied and exotic locations – from lush, green swamps and dense urban environments, all the way to the ice and snow of the Himalayas.
  • Unrestricted combat allows you to take an aggressive or stealthy approach to combat.
  • Free-flowing "traversal gunplay" adds a unique vertical element to familiar cover-based third-person shooting mechanics, allowing you to engage in combat from any position in the environment – even while climbing and hanging.
  • Introduction of new traversal and free-climbing mechanics allow Drake to navigate through the environments more fluidly and naturally.
  • Gunplay and combat enhancements, including an expanded melee system, and a variety of enemy types with advanced AI routines. High-quality cinematic presentation of scenes, characters and dialogue, all rendered within the Naughty Dog Engine 2.0.
  • Dramatic in-game events that make you an active participant in the cinematic experience.
  • Full character interaction with dynamic geometry.
• Utilizes Naughty Dog Engine 2.0 purpose-built for the PlayStation 3; utilizes the PS3 technology to hit a turning point in technology innovation by recreating reality and capturing human emotion.
• No visible loading – a Naughty Dog hallmark – returns along with technology improvements in major game systems such as lighting, shadows, ambient occlusion, animation technology and physics, among many others.