A stoic, dry-humored treasure hunter searches for a lost artifact with a dark secret. Along the way he encounters mercenaries, monsters and Nazis. Yes, it's the plot of every Indiana Jones movie, but it's also the plot of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, the new adventure game for the Sony Playstation 3.
Sony hasn't exactly had the best track record with exclusive titles lately. Lair was a huge disaster and both the solid Ratchet and Clank Future and the mediocre Heavenly Sword are underselling. And despite price cuts and Blu-Ray giveaways the Playstation 3 still isn't jumping off shelves. Uncharted is exactly the game the system needs. It's a gorgeous game from top to bottom and demonstrates the Playstation 3's ability to deliver a quality, narrative-driven game that's a blast to play from start to finish.
You play as Nathan Drake, a supposed descendent of Sir Francis Drake and like his ancestor, Nathan has a bit of an obsession with El Dorado. When Nate finds a map that leads to an uncharted island (hence the game's title) he sets out to find the lost city of gold and drags his pal Sully and his documentary filmmaker/love interest Elena along for the ride.
Gameplay in Uncharted is a combination of platforming, combat and driving. Nearly all of the platforming elements (jumping, climbing and swinging) in Uncharted are accomplished via the X button. Nate hurls himself off of cliffs, swings on vines and climbs up any surface with a pronounced ledge and the simple control scheme makes it a breeze to get from Point A to Point B, even if Point B happens to be at the top of an Aztec Church or the bottom of a rusted-out U-boat.
And it all looks remarkably realistic thanks to the animation system developer Naughty Dog implemented. There's never a single way for Nate to do anything in the game, so a jump that he cleared perfectly the first time, he might short the next. Uncharted is full of these idiosyncrasies. He trips going down stairs, clutches his side when he's injured or flinches when gunfire or grenades get too close for comfort.
Combat is reminiscent of last year's Gears of War. Nate can attach himself to any surface for cover and pop out from behind it in order to take accurate shots at enemies. This isn't anything that hasn't been done before, but it works well. When in close, Nate can forgo weapons in favor of his fists in order to dispatch his enemies. Again, there's nothing particularly new about hand-to-hand combat, but it's reliable.
The driving? Not so much. There's actually only one point where you actually drive a vehicle (a jet ski), but it's so frustrating that you probably won't want to do it anymore than is required. Having to stop the vehicle midstream to take shots at enemies with a superior vantage point essentially makes you a bullet magnet. But that notwithstanding, the segments are just plain dull.
While gameplay varies in quality and enjoyability throughout Uncharted, the game's audio and visual quality is always outstanding. Outdoor environments teem with life and movement and when played through a surround sound system, the jungle effectively surrounds you. Water ripples realistically and Nate's clothing gets increasingly wet as he treads further into ponds and rivers.
Indoor environments are moody and dimly lit, making them even more dreary and abandoned. The complete lack of ambient noise or the inclusion of faint echoes intensifies the eerie sense of isolation and guilt that comes with trespassing on an ancient gravesite.
The result is a highly polished showcase game that, while lacking anything groundbreaking, is still an excellent addition to the Playstation 3's library. Uncharted plays like a solid Hollywood action movie. Indy would be proud.