With Uncharted 2 just a scant couple weeks away, I decided to play its predecessor for the first time. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune was heralded as one of the best games of 2007, and the first real “killer app” for the PS3. Does it hold up, 2 years on? Did it saturate my taste buds enough for the sequel? Read on to find out!
I have to confess that I have never played a game developed by Naughty Dog before; not that I’ve avoided the developer, it’s just that there was never anything that really caught my eye. During the PS2 era I was heavily embedded into RPGs to notice any other genre. I was a Naughty Dog virgin. When I saw Uncharted 2 at E3 this past Summer, my ocular zones burst with orgasmic juices of love towards quite possibly the most beautiful game I have ever laid eyes on. I instantly thought: “I need to play Drake’s Fortune to catch up. Now.”
Notes
Released: November 2007
Console: PS3
Developer: Naughty Dog
Publisher: Sony
Likes
– Visuals: The imagery, location, animation, lighting… add this wonderful mix together and you have one of the most visceral experiences in gaming history. Gorgeous. This is the first time that I really, REALLY fell in love with Hi-Def gaming for the aesthetics and “teh graphiks,” and felt that it added to make the experience as sticky in my mind as possible. I’ll be remembering the delicious imagery for a long time.
– Story: With a story that mirrors some of the better Indiana Jones flicks, Uncharted doesn’t do anything special. What it does do, however, is craft its story well enough to make you forget that. The focus on character development takes precedence here, as if Naughty Dog developed it specifically to create Nathan Drake as a memorable protagonist to build a seriess around. The dialog is well-scripted, even in its cheesier moments, and keeps the player mightily entertained throughout the 6 hours or so that it takes to complete the action-adventure.
– Mechanic: Uncharted is very much an action game, but with a few adventure- and QTE-elements thrown in. (I’ll mount that concern later). The shooting is well-implemented, allowing me to have a bit of fudge room while I aim for enemies. Head shots aren’t as powerful as we might like them to be, but at least the game gives us enough ammo (in Normal mode, at least) to get out of any hairy situation. The constant changing of play style, from a shooter to a platformer to QTE/action, keeps the gameplay fresh enough to be enjoyed at every pick-up.
Dislikes
– Shallowness: There is a certain sense of predictability when playing Uncharted. Whether it is in the cut-n-paste “made for Hollywood” storyline or the lack of innovation in the scenarios — example: the serious repetition when faced with the firefight -> ledge-climbing -> quick time event -> rinse & repeat flow of the game — the game makes me ponder if I already know what happens next, and if my actions are almost too scripted. Maybe the lack of any real exploration or ability to veer from the path keeps this feeling like somewhat of an on-rails experience. Not that an open world style is warranted here, it’s just that as a treasure hunter I am actually allowed to hunt treasures.
– Quick-timey-ness: Yes I know, I am not the first person to talk about Uncharted‘s often “Indiana Jones” rolling boulder scenarios. But it does become a little too common, especially when I’ve just finished surviving a flurry of bullets only to have to tap the triangle button at regular intervals to escape. It’s fine the first couple of times, but it just barely steers shy of turning into a hi-res Dragon’s Lair at times.
And Finally
Although it was released two years ago, Uncharted is the best game I’ve played yet this year. I cannot wait to get my grubby paws on the sequel in October, if not for anything more than an encore performance of one of the best games yet this generation. Uncharted holds up well, providing a fun game, full of money shot imagery and atmosphere.
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