I finally got a PS3 today (Just ordered it on Amazon, it'll be here tomorrow!) and with it I bought InFAMOUS.  Anyways, the next game on my list of games I have to play is Uncharted 2, so I was wondering - do I need to play the original Uncharted to catch a reference, have characters more fleshed out, or understand the story better?  I don't have a particular interest in playing the first game (I've heard about bullet-sponge enemies being bad in the game, which I hate, and there are a lot more games I would rather play), so unless it has some importance in the second game, I probably won't buy it until I get the rest of the exclusives I've been looking forward to.

I only played the demo of the first. But everybody knows Drake is badass and Sully is a dirty old man.

Character wise it does allow you some time to get to understand them more and there's also plenty of insider jokes in U2 referencing situations and character quirks from the original. All in all...play the original first.

There's a bit of a love triangle thing going on which I guess you would be more clued in on if you played Drake's Fortune, and most of the characters in the second were, I assume, properly introduced in the first, but I didn't play the first one and still loved the second.

I only played the 2nd and had no trouble keeping up with the story. One of the best games ever. Amazing set pieces.

Alright, looks like that will be the next game I get then (the original).  Thanks duders!

You will understand and appreciate more if you play the first game. I think you should!

" Character wise it does allow you some time to get to understand them more and there's also plenty of insider jokes in U2 referencing situations and character quirks from the original. All in all...play the original first. "

There are definitely some in-jokes in Uncharted 2 that refer back to the original game.  They are not in any way integral to the story of U2. 
 
The first Uncharted is a fantastic game and is definitely worth playing.  I think the bullet sponginess of Uncharted's enemies has been a bit exaggerated.  Give it a try and if you're terribly offended by it, just switch to an easier difficulty.  Problem solved.

I would recommend playing the first if only to get a feel for the characters. All the experience that will be missed is in character development, especially with Sully, since he isn't as prominent a figure as he was in the first. An example of what you'll be missing out is someone saying "Who is this?" (referring to a character from the first game), and Nate replaying "Uhhh... it's a long story, we have some history" or something like that. If you play the first you will know that "history" but if that doesn't bother you, just play the 2nd game.

I didn't play the original and still thoroughly enjoyed the second. I think the only thing I'd have gained by playing the first is knowledge of the characters before they showed up.

no

No, but the first one is so awesome you would be missing out if you have a PS3 and don't play it.

I have not played the first yet. The characters are so well developed in Uncharted 2 that you get a feel for them quickly, and I don't recall any references to the first game that confused me.

I got near the ending of Uncharted 1 before I started Uncharted 2, and my PS3 messed up and I had to format my hard-drive, so I said fuck it to replaying Uncharted 1.

Yes you do. I would imagine UC2 alot less enjoyable if I had not played the first, mostly due to the storyline.

I'd certainly say so.

I think in all forms of entertainment, it pays to have covered all your bases. I have never been able to just jump into a franchise without working my way from game 1 to the current release. 
  
You'll have a better grasp of the story, and be more comfortable with the characters and setting after playing the first. Plus, if you enjoy it, it means that after you finish, you have at least one whole new game to get into. Better still, when you buy older games, they cost next to nothing. 
 
I bought Bioshock this week with the intentions of moving to Bioshock 2 sometime in the near future. Living years behind everyone else rocks, haha.

Very literally to get the "full" experience you will need to play the first game. But to have a great experience you won't. My girlfriend never played the first one and she played through the second. She loved the story, was never confused or lost, and thought it was great.

I played the second without playing the first and I loved the game. (it was my game of the year last year). But looking at the other posts here then it sound like the 1st is just worth picking up as well (it also must be cheap to buy now). The only thing I would recommend is to play inFamous first as the gun controls are similar (left top bumper to aim right top bumper to shoot) and inFamous is a little more forgiving.

I don't think that the stories relate to each other. So unless you want to know more about the main characters, just play the second one. but don't get me wrong uncharted 1 is still a blast to play even now after playing uncharted 2.

The first had enemy thriller slides and vehicle levels (favorite parts) not seen in the second.