Ok, I finished the game a while ago and I finally got a chance to review this exclusive PS3 title.  After playing Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, I can say that it’s a fun solid game from beginning to end.

You play as Nathan Drake, a decendent of Sir Francis Drake, who is on an expedition to uncover his ancestor’s secret and the treasures of El Dorado.  You’re joined up with Elena Fisher, a journalist, and Victor “Sully” Sullivan, an old friend who’s in debt with the wrong crowd.

The game setting is like Indiana Jones in present times.  The cool thing that I love about these games is that you play a regular dude.  Video games are getting to the point where graphics are so good, you don’t need no fancy superhero with a huge sword, dressed in pretty leather clothing, to catch your attention.  You get it from the nuances of the facial and body animation, the details in the character models, and the details of the video game’s environment.  The game makes really good use of color.  The jungle is lush green and the sun shines bright reflecting a more vibrant and colorful world to play in.

The gameplay is fun and the controls are very responsive.  You can jump, climb, cover, shoot, dodge, and fight with ease.  It’s like a gazillion times better than Tomb Raider’s effort of bringing Indiana Jones’ type gameplay to life.  Uncharted is one of the first wave of games to make good use of the cover system.  Just press O and you can cover to the nearest wall and leaves little room for error.  Nathan is in a fast paced environment, so he needs quick responsive controls.

The soundtrack has that exploration tone and feel, like music from the earliest century.  The voice acting is fun and carries a lot of emotions.  The sound effects are explosive. 

The characters are easily one of my favorite things about this game.  Nathan is fun, sarcastic, clumsy at times.  Elena’s got that cautious cute attitude about her, and Sully is the guy that likes to cut to the chase.  The story and setting is a nice backdrop for the characters to interact in.

Final Thoughts 

Uncharted’s got fun realistic characters, fast-paced gun fighting, bonecrunching hand to hand combat, lush environment, and crazy platforming.  It’s a game that’s is worth having in your PS3 collection.  I never really got into Naughty Dog’s previous games, like Crash Bandicoot, but after having played this game, their next project will be in my radar. 

Grade: A

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