Uncharted is the latest action filled platformer from Naughty Dog (Crash Bandicoot, Jak and Daxtar) and tells the story of modern day treasure hunter and everyday guy Nate Drake, who claims to be a descendant of legendary explorer Sir Francis Drake. A 400 year old clue found in the coffin of Nate's ancestor leads him on an adventure to an uncharted island in search of the lost city of gold, El Dorado. When Nate and his sidekick, the spunky news reporter Elena Fisher, arrive at the deserted island they soon find that they're not the only ones in search of the lost treasure and that the island is far from deserted.
Naughty Dog really taps into the PS3's power and takes advantage of the Cell Processor to produce what are some of the best looking graphics on any video game console to date. The jungle comes to life with it's lush and beautiful foliage, water looks good enough to drink, and buildings, from ancient ruins to flooded villages, will stop you in your tracks and make you stare in awe. But the environment isn't the only thing Naughty Dog put work into. Uncharted's character models are highly advanced.The characters move fluidly and naturally, like nothing seen in a game before. You may spend the first few minutes of the game just watching Nate run. Facial expressions are the most advanced we've seen. They effectively bring the characters to life and help to accentuate the game's snappy dialogue.
Even Nate takes a second to take in the amazing sights Naughty Dog has produced.
But this game isn't just a feast for the eyes, your ears will be in for a treat too. Uncharted's stunning visuals are backed by equally impressive sounds. The voice acting is top notch and the actors do an amazing job of bringing their roles to life. The intense score ramps up the games dramatic moments and the ambient noise makes the jungle feel natural. Grenades explode with a thunderous boom that will leave your ears ringing and the guns pack a nice pow. Uncharted blends all these elements into nice tight gameplay.
Uncharted's gameplay consists of traversing the beautiful scenery and solving puzzles with frequent gun battles intermitting the platforming, and this is where Uncharted misses a jump. The platforming in Uncharted is a little too easy. It mainly consists of moving the analog stick in the direction you want to go and tapping X until you get to the other side. A few context sensitive cut-scenes are mixed in with the platforming but these are also too simple and more often than not are nothing more than just pressing O and watching Nate dodge something. The puzzles are also overly simplistic and one look at Nate's journal reveals the answer.
Gun play can be tough so find some cover and stick behind it.
The game-play is really thrown off balance once you get into the gun battles. One moment you are swinging from vines with ease and the next your fighting tooth and nail for survival. Enemies take too much damage and the AI in the game is brutally smart. Enemies will flank you and use grenades to flush you out of cover. More often then not you'll find yourself tucked behind cover waiting for the screen to turn from black and white to full color (Uncharted's system of health). Luckily the game controls nicely. Combat isn't all gun play. If Nate is close to an enemy he can resort to fisticuffs. Nate can perform a quick combo or a brutal combo. The button sequence for each combo may be the same but Nate pulls off some very slick moves. Combat is further mixed up with some vehicle sequences that are fun and fast paced.
Uncharted isn't a long game. I completed my first run through in about nine hours. There are no noticeable loadtimes and the game saves automatically often so if you fail a jump or get shot down you start right where you left off. Once you beat the game you can go back and try it on a harder difficulty or try and find all the hidden treasures. The game is also packed with bonuses such as weapon selection, alternate costumes, and making of videos. You unlock these rewards by completing medal challenges. Medals are like achievements on the 360 and there are plenty to unlock.
Uncharted Drake's Fortune is a must own for the PS3. It's stunning visuals, likeable characters and action packed gameplay more than make up for some balancing issues. While the game may be a little on the short side all the unlockables and the amazing adventure make this a title that everyone should experience.
9/10
Uncharted's beautiful environments and action packed adventure make this a must own for the PS3.
