Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (Playstation 3)

"Most fun I've had since Mega Man 2"
Hello Gaming Public and welcome to my first review for the PS3. Indeed my first work on gamefaqs.com period. I hope it is helpful if you are thinking of purchasing the game in question.

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. = Wow
Thats all I can really say. But even such a great game is not without its flaws.

Graphics: Graphically this game is the top of the heap as far as the PS3 power house... simply the best presentation to date on the PS3. Everything in the game from the seamless cut scenes to the animations of Drake stumbling through the jungle are wonderful. I can count on one hand how many glitches I found and even the camera work, (which is usually a problem even now a days in these types of games), was executed perfectly.

Sound: Not wanting to leave anything short the folks at Naughty Dog put just as much effort into the sound as they did the visuals for the game. The use of the odd instruments in the musical score was wonderful and really set the mood for each locale that you visit. Even the sound of ricocheting bullets as they zing past your head is in there. And the trash talking from the baddies as they taunt you during a fight? Too fun. The dialog is very well written and with great performances from the actors it really drives the story. One word of caution though: The dialog and cut scenes and the game itself was developed to give you the closest thing to an interactive movie experience that the programmers could give you. The dialog is no exception. Expect to hear mild language at different points and while its inclusion in the game did not bother me at all nor does it distract you from the over all enjoyment of the game, there are some of us who my be offended so be warned. All in all... when all elements are considered, the sound is top notch and perfectly compliments the masterful work on the visuals.

Controls / Playability: The PS3 controller is put to good use in Uncharted: Drakes fortune. The button configuration is easy to grasp and the controls are smooth as silk. Gone are the days of wonky controls for those of us who enjoy robbing graves and exploring caves. The SIXAXIS control portion of the game is well done although I did find it rather limited. Perhaps though some would think that less is more in this respect. All in all the control is kept relatively simple and easy to grasp for the casual gamer to come along and pick up in a short time.

Replay Value: Uncharted is not a long game by any means but it is very involved. From exploring every nook and cranny of lush environments looking for treasure, to trying not to get your head ventilated by a bullet from your adversaries you will be on your toes. The replay value of this great title comes from the fact that as you work your way through the story line you have different side objectives. The is a multitude of treasures to find that are hidden throughout the game as well as achievements to accomplish such as "100 head shot kills" or "30 Kills with a Brutal combo". Each of these tasks net you a certain number of points and as you earn points you unlock various things such as behind the scenes film clips, concept art or even cheats.

Bottom Line: Uncharted is a great game with a challenging adventure, engaging story, great visuals, and even greater sounds. A possibility of 4 difficulties and a plethora of hidden things to find and plenty of goodies to unlock, it will keep you coming back over and over.

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune is not a game about new ideas. The gameplay can and has been summed up as "Tomb Raider meets Gears of War," and the story plays almost like an unfilmed National Treasure script, which is another way of saying that the Indiana Jones influence on the story is palpable. Keep in mind that "derivative" isn't the same as "bad." Developer Naughty Dog has assembled its borrowed parts with great proficiency to create an action adventure game with momentum, one that is filled with exciting set pieces, a real cinematic scope, and some of the most gorgeous visuals you'll see in a game.

That Uncharted: Drake's Fortune is a game that trades in archetypes is apparent throughout the story. You'll play as Nathan Drake, an independent adventurer with a wry sense of humor who claims to be a descendent of Sir Francis Drake. That fact figures prominently in the narrative as you go hunting for an ancient relic believed to be hidden somewhere on an uncharted tropical island. The supporting cast includes your friend Sully, who's a cigar-chomping, affable cad with a taste for trouble, and Elena, a confident TV reporter who splits her time between being your sidekick and your damsel in distress. There are villains as well, including Nathan's dry British counterpart as well as a belligerent pirate captain, though you'll likely find their minions far more threatening. The game attempts to add some twists and turns to the plot, but they never really pan out. Nevertheless, the story generally moves with efficiency, as well as some occasionally snappy dialog.

Even if what's happening during the in-engine cutscenes isn't significant, it always looks great. Much of the game takes place in dense jungle environments and a variety of ancient ruins, which the game renders with a nearly photorealistic level of detail. Plants sway, water trickles, and the textures really look like they've got texture. There are a few moments when the game goes outside its wheelhouse with some murky industrial environments that look flat and drab by comparison, but these sequences are rare.

Nathan himself isn't a particularly flashy-looking character in his dirty gray shirt and jeans, but the subtlety of his animation conveys more about him than any outfit would. He'll do a stumbled half-step when traversing uneven terrain, and you'll see him wince when a bullet gets too close to comfort during a firefight. Likewise, his arms will flail spastically during a big jump, and afterward he'll dangle precariously by one hand on the edge he was aiming for. When he gets into a fistfight, half the time it's surprising he makes it out alive. Even when he's performing seemingly impossible acrobatic tasks with ease, the quality of the animation gives him a real sense of fallibility. There's also some terrific facial animation, of which you'll see plenty during cutscenes, though you'll catch glimpses of it during gameplay as well. When a grenade lands near Nathan's feet, you can see the fear in his eyes. The technical feats required to produce what you see on the screen in Uncharted boggle the mind, and the end results make it hard to look away. Overall, Drake's Fortune is my favorite Playstation 3 game of all time.