E3 '07: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune Update -- New Levels, New Story

Naughty Dog's upcoming Uncharted is one of Sony's crucial first-party PlayStation 3 games on the way for the all-important fourth quarter this year; thus, the company is showing off plenty of the game here at E3. Top designers Evan Wells and Richard Lemarchand from Naughty Dog showed us a couple of new areas from the game and also divulged quite a bit of information on this impressive-looking action game, which was inspired by the same sort of pulp adventure serials that spurred George Lucas to create Star Wars.

First, we learned a number of new story details that are making this game sound pretty exciting to us. We knew previously that the game starred Nathan Drake, an Indiana Jones-type character who was searching for the lost city of gold, El Dorado. Now we know that Drake--who believes he is descended from the famous English explorer/pirate Sir Francis Drake--will team up with a lovely television host named Elena to search for the elder Drake's legendary sunken coffin, which was buried at sea. Elena heads a program about exciting adventures around the globe and sees this journey as the opportunity for a ratings boost. Nathan, of course, just wants all that gold. The game will open with the two salvaging the coffin and discovering Sir Drake's leather-bound travelogue inside, which indicates he had some involvement with a secret Spanish colony on an uncharted island in the Pacific.

What will the pair find on the island? As we know from Uncharted's previous demos, they'll find the ruins of the secret colony, as well as a mercenary force that's already beaten them there. Drake and Elaina will have some help from a shady character named Sullivan, an older treasure hunter, daredevil, and con man who's acted as something of a mentor to Drake. But because Sullivan's motives are his own--and his interests are purely self-centered--it's hard to say how long you'll be able to count on his aid. In fact, he may be as much of a hindrance as a help during your journeys, which we learned will occur primarily on the secret island but will also take you to some other interesting locales over the course of the game.

The gameplay demo we saw depicted two new sections of the abandoned, ruined colony, which Drake was able to navigate with Lara Croft-like ease. One section had him scaling a cliff face with precarious handholds, swinging on vines from one indented section to the next. Another section had him climbing up a crumbling watchtower by jumping from windowsill to windowsill. Once at the top, he secured a set of keys from the clutches of a poor skeleton. (We really like the mysterious atmosphere we noted in the demo, engendered by the signs of the island's previous inhabitants.) But just because Drake is getting all acrobatic in these ruins, it doesn't mean he's a Prince of Persia-style superman. Wells said that the designers want to portray Drake as a competent, physically fit adventurer, but one whose abilities are being stretched to the limit by this journey. So expect plenty of high-flying action and explosive gunplay that will nevertheless be grounded in realism.

Naughty Dog's previous Jak & Daxter series was known for offering a variety of entertaining gameplay styles outside its core platforming and shooting action. Uncharted will follow that tradition--although to a lesser extent than the Jak games--from the sound of it. For instance, you'll get to participate in a harrowing jungle jeep chase, though we didn't find out if you'll be driving that jeep or firing at pursuers from the back of it. There will also be at least a couple of high-speed Jet Ski chases throughout the game. In fact, Lemarchand says that much of the excitement in Uncharted will be about chases, though you'll be pursued by the bad guys just as often as you'll do the pursuing yourself.

We noted a number of subtle refinements in Drake's Fortune since we last saw it at Sony's previous press event in San Diego, including a slightly smoother frame rate and more consistent animations. The artists and designers also continue to refine the look, as well as the style, of the game. For instance, Elena has undergone a slight visual makeover, with blonder hair and an updated hair shader that's generally improved her look. (The designers admit this change may have been informed by some of the feedback they've seen on message boards recently.) At any rate, we're more interested in Uncharted every time we see it, and we look forward to seeing the final result of Naughty Dog's labors later this year.