Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

These co-op set-pieces will be tied together with cut-scenes to give them a narrative thrust. "We created a bunch of original content for the new sections in terms of the in-game cinematic moments that tie the experience together," says Lemarchand. "They're actually very cool. It's almost like little glimpses into a parallel universe where different combinations of characters are taking on sections of the single-player experience in a completely original way."

They can even be mixed and matched with other multiplayer modes and each other, he reveals. "In fact, we've devised a whole bunch of different playlists, schedules of different combinations of locations and game modes that players can choose, and then play experiences that work really well."

Though neither he nor Balestra will be drawn on the possibility of downloadable content (other than to say "we're definitely very enthused, of course"), Lemarchand does reveal that Naughty Dog intends to keep these playlists updated. "Because of the way that the technology's structured we can create new playlists on the fly that are small bits of data that propagate over the network without the need for any kind of intrusive download. That'll let us do special events," he says.

New to online multiplayer - the only social game it's ever made was racing spin-off Jak X - Naughty Dog has clearly been doing its homework. Playlists on rotation, a website boasting stats and leaderboards, a currency system across the multiplayer modes to give you a little persistent encouragement: Uncharted 2 has everything the modern multiplayer game could need or want, including the cinema replay mode, aimed at machinima enthusiasts as much as exultant teabaggers.

Every multiplayer game (deathmatch, anyway - "we're not sure yet" if it will be supported in co-op, says Balestra) will be recorded to your hard drive. It can be replayed from any player's point of view or from a free camera, and broadcast online to anyone in your party. Characters' lips will even by synced with voice chat, allowing virtual movie directors to act out scenes.

Naughty Dog has thought of everything. But has it really thought about why it's adding online multiplayer to Uncharted 2? Has it thought about whether all this boisterous skirmishing is the right thing for these characters, this setting, this style of game, and what it might do to Uncharted's already delicate balance of carefree adventure and strife? Some might cynically claim that Naughty Dog has added multiplayer just because it can, because everyone else does, because it's what the market expects.

Balestra is firm. "No, absolutely not. Not pressure from the market, it's something that we've been wanting to do. One thing I want to say is that we added more people to the team to do multiplayer. We don't want to have less levels or worse storytelling in single-player because we wanted to do multiplayer. It's going to be a great experience in single-player."

We'll have to take his word for it for now - and since Naughty Dog's high standards are a matter of record, that's easy enough to do. After Drake's Fortune, it's easy to have confidence in the quality of the solo adventure. After playing the game and talking to Balestra and Lemarchand, it's easy to believe they have an equal grasp of what it takes to make a multiplayer hit - and we won't have to wait long to know for sure. Uncharted 2 has a public multiplayer beta lined up for June, and anyone who picks up Sucker Punch's inFamous in the US gets automatic entry. The surprise won't last, but hopefully, the smiles will.