Uncharted: Drake's Fortune.
Platform: PS3
Genre: Action/adventure
Released: November 19, 2007
Current Price: $29.99
Players: 1
--------------------
In anticipation of the upcoming Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, I've been playing 2007's action-adventure masterpiece Uncharted: Drake's Fortune for the ihavenolife-th time. An amazing game all-around, it still stacks up, and is one of the best Playstation games... ever, really.
Uncharted stars Nathan Drake, a treasure hunter following clues toward a bounty hidden by Sir Francis Drake and forgotten by time. He is backed by supporting his supporting characters Victor Sullivan and Elena Fisher. However, a group of renegades races him to the treasure, escalating conflict. The narrative is classic action-movie fare, simple, focused, and interesting. The voice acting is among the best I've ever heard in gaming, featuring accomplished VAs such as Nolan North and Simon Templeman. The characters have quite a bit of personality, and bring the game to life. Dialogue is well-written, and keeps the cutscenes entertaining. Graphics and sound are phenomenal, without a doubt, even two years later. The excellent presentation really draws the player into the gameplay, and makes playing Uncharted a fulfilling and satisfying experience.
How does Uncharted play? Just as beautifully as it looks. It has a little bit of everything, and draws influence from a variety of sources, including Tomb Raider, God of War, Resident Evil, and Gears of War. Expect a good mix of platforming, third-person shooting, and puzzle solving. The environments are lush, and wondrous to explore, although gameplay progression is very linear. The difficulty balance is also perfect. Puzzles require a bit of thinking, but they aren't brain-crushers. Jumping sections require some skill, but players don't need lightning reflexes. It's to the game's benefit that anyone interested in playing Uncharted need not worry about anything impeding your momentum through this awesome game.
As for the combat, it's fun and intense, though sometimes frustrating. Nathan can carry two guns at once, one handgun, and one heavy weapon, as well as some grenades. New weapons and ammo are found on the ground, dropped by enemies; there are a total of fourteen or so firearms to pick from. Aiming is presented in the over-the-shoulder view, and firefights usually entail a liberal usage of duck-and-cover mechanics. Some of the large battles, in which Nathan faces a dozen heavily armed mercenaries or more, can be very difficult, which sometimes hampers enjoyment, but there are no serious roadblocks in the game; victory always seems achievable.
To those who would denounce this game for its relative lack of originality, shame on you! Of course, originality drives the industry, but a line must be drawn. Will you really put an unoriginal game at fault, even though every other aspect of it is perfect? You should not, for Uncharted truly is as good as it gets, and it's certainly not fair to ignore the game's merit.
Getting all the way through Uncharted will take 15 hours the first time around. Expect to play through it a few times, however. This game can be addictive, and you won't want it to end. After you finish it, you unlock Chapter Select, which lets you start from any point in the story, alongside a bevy of excellent unlockables. These range from art galleries and making of videos to extra costumes and infinite ammo. For each Trophy you earn, you earn medal points which can be used to purchase the aforementioned unlockables. Incentives to come back to Drake's Fortune include hunting down every last hidden treasure, completing the achievements, beating the game on the controller-smashing Crushing difficulty, or maybe even just to enjoy the story all over again.
Even with Uncharted 2 on the horizon, the first game is well worth your time. It's remarkable, it's never ending fun, and I have nothing bad to say about it. This is a must-play for Indiana Jones fans, anyone who enjoys action/adventure games, and PS3 owners. No exceptions. Play it.
--------------------
Audiovisual quality: Highest
Controls: Great
Presentation: Excellent
Multiplayer: None
Length: 15 hours, first playthrough
Replayability: Very Good
--------------------
Score: 10/10
-PsychoticPulse
No comments:
Post a Comment