I’m relatively new to the PS3 and have been looking at an A+ title to play since I bought the thing. After hearing a number of good reviews I decided to pick up Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. The game follows the story of Nathan Drake, it’s protagonist, a fortune hunter that believes that he’s a descendant of Sir Francis Drake. Nathan and his buddy Victor “Sully” Sullivan are searching for the lost fortune of El Dorado and they’ve got tv show host and news reporter Elena Fisher tagging along for the ride, it seems that their search for El Dorardo is going to be featured on her tv show. We follow Drake and Co. as they hunt for El Dorado’s treasure and battle other fortune hunters.
There’s no accurate description for Uncharted. The game is a mix of platforming, shooting, hand to hand combat, exploring and a bit of token puzzle solving. The puzzle solving piece is pretty simple with lots of clues and hints thrown in. The platforming aspect is well done, and fits perfectly in with the game style. My main gripe is the gun play, it feels a bit clunky at first and when using the pistol or other smaller guns the targeting feels like it can be way off. The cover system has been described as Gears of War like and right off the bat you can see the comparisons. Taking cover and moving from cover spot to cover spot is done seamlessly, and you can even peek out over your cover to take a few shots. You’ll even find yourself mixing it up using different vehicles through the game, from using a mounted gun on a Jeep to steering a wave runner up rivers. Naughty Dog did a great job adding in the vehicle sequences, it really filled out the game play.
The games story is engaging and keeps you entertained. It’s got a few surprising twists and turns. It ties in the El Dorado treasure nicely and uses a historical backdrop with great success. It’s a blend of Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider, but far, far better than any Tomb Raider we’ve ever seen. It’s nice to see a thought out and entertaining story in a game, and it definitely left enough open for a sequel or two.
One of the things touted about the PS3 are the amazing graphics it can produce because of the Cell processor. Well it’s safe to say that Naughty Dog figured out how to get a good looking game on the PS3. Uncharted is one of the best looking games out there. I’d have to venture to say that it’s one of the top three best looking games ever. The textures are amazing, and they did a great job with the lighting. Trees sway in the wind and their shadows along with them, sun rays peek through the canopy tops or between cracks in walls. The character animation is top notch as well, if you get Drake wet his shirt will get wet and slowly dry over time. Not enough can be said in regards to how it looks.
One thing I found interesting, and in a very good way was that there were no load screens. The one and only load screen you will ever see is the first one as it loads the game world, after that the game is 100% seamless. Even if you die and need to continue. I haven’t seen that in a long time and it’s something I really appreciated.
Overall, I really can’t say anything bad about this game. Combine a good story with fun gameplay and amazing graphics and you’ve got yourself a winner. Naughty Dog did an exceptional job with the game and it’s definitely a must buy for all PS3 owners. You won’t regret it.