Actually, this 30-second teaser trailer for Uncharted 2: Among Thieves does not necessarily take place in the North Pole, nor does it necessarily feature a fight to the death with a mystic artifact-enhanced “Super Santa,” but we are no less excited. Okay, maybe a little, but not much. Developer Naughty Dog’s sequel to one of my favorite games for the PS3, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, sees our titular wisecracking treasure hunter following in the footsteps of 13th century explorer Marco Polo, aided by a new free climbing mechanic and stealth based gameplay.

Though the teaser is short on details, Drake’s looking a little sadder and stubblier then when we saw him last, but that might have something to do with being stranded in a blizzard with only an ancient ritualistic dagger and a gaping flesh wound for company. As long as they don’t pull a Prince of Persia: Warrior Within and turn Drake into the typical moody anti-hero, carving poetry into his home room desk with a switchblade, I can deal with a little dark. I prefer charming and cheerful, but any Uncharted is good Uncharted, even when it jumps the shark in the third act by introducing mutant Nazi monsters.

As hinted at the end of the trailer, more details should be revealed during SpikeTV’s Video Game Awards on December 14th.