Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

I don't like to use the word "clone", cause Uncharted is far from being a clone of anything. Its almost in a genre of its own... but as I try to explain to people it is a combination of three famous series: Indiana Jones, Tomb Raider and Gears of War. It has elements from all three of those, rolled into one, which in term brew's up the sweetest dish; Uncharted: Drake's Fortune.

Uncharted is the story of Nathan Drake, a treasure hunter that believe's himself to be a direct descendant of Sir Francis Drake. Its not actually told whether he is or not, but he shares the last name and is a treasure hunter/explorer himself... so maybe that qualifies? Either way, Nathan is chasing El Dorado... it takes him from caves and ruins to the jungle and beyond. Think of the game as being a faster, and graphically spectacular version of an Indiana Jones movie. It shares the same highs and lows, and the pace is so wonderful you'll be dying to know what happens next.

Not only is this quite possibly the best PS3 game to date, but it is also one of the most visually stunning games you're gonna find on the market today. There's plenty of eye-candy out there these days (especially on the PS3), but Uncharted is one of few to combine that, story, and killer gameplay all in one. If you own a PS3; buy this game. It's worth every penny and it'll have you coming back for more than one take! An average play through will last anywhere from 15-20 hours... and there are other difficulties that can be unlocked, as well as hidden treasures throughout the game that unlock special features on the Blu-ray disc (eg. making of videos, artwork, etc).

The only thing left to do now is wait for the sequel! And let me tell you people - this is one series that'll go from strength to strength - so expect to hear more from it :)

I liked this game for the most part, but I was hoping for something a bit more original, however, if you have played the two games listed above then this is not going to be anything new game play wise. However, it makes up for it by having a rather good story, and I did enjoy the game play in said two games. Just to warn you though, I was cussing at certain parts of the game and I had it set to easy. The story, typical search for the treasure scenario as Nathan and his buddies are after a treasure sought by Sir Francis Drake. You have your typical bad guys and you have numerous shoot outs, which is one of the problems I had with this game. There are two many go here then to the next screen all basic shootouts. These shootouts get annoying, especially when the enemy is seemingly dead on all the time. I just wish with all the advances in gaming they could dumb down the enemy a bit. I can't stand it when you get locked on immediately, it would be nice if for once the enemy would lose sight of you at times as that would be more realistic. The exploring is straight out of Tomb Raider Legends and fun for the most part, and then there is the end which spiced things up with strange things to kill, things that would seem more in place in a horror survival game than in this setting. Still, it was fun, the ending was good and I could see playing another game featuring these characters again. Next time I hope they work on the hand to hand more as you just did not get a lot of opportunity to really use it much.

Pros:

• Great story and characters
• Simple but effective gameplay
• Great graphics (for the time)
• A-grade voice acting and animation

Cons:

• Has aged abit
• Overuse of enemy waves
• Bullet sponge enemies
• Some clunky gameplay
• Limited variation of environment

Verdict: The oldest Uncharted game definitely shows its age. How ever it's still a good game to get, just definitely the weakest out of the bunch.

8/10

Uncharted is an action/adventure game from developer Naughty Dog, and is simply a major achievement in gaming. Simply put, this game will blow you away. To delve into it a bit more, this game offers a plethora of action, adventure, and engaging characters. The voice acting is far and beyond anything in a game thus far, and the characters are just likable. The story is pretty basic for adventure, with some interesting details; but if you ever liked an Indiana Jones film, this is right up your alley. The action is top notch and strategy is a must when playing tougher difficulty levels. The AI is great and there's never a lack of objects to hide behind, enemies to sneak up on, or open areas to run into blazing. The adventure gives another dimension to game, constantly searching for the next cliff to hang onto, the next rope to swing from, and a total of 60 treasures to collect. It's really a blast to go jumping from place to place, climbing and swinging. You can hang on edges and cliffs while throwing grenades to deter enemies or shoot with precision. Don't pass this gem up.

Gonna play through all the uncharted games. This one was decent definitely the best thing about it was the characters. Gameplay although a bit repetitive it was still fun. Story was good but there's a whole lot of potential for more. Hope the next one doesn't dissapoint.