Only two BIG flaws ruin this otherwise awesome game.
STORY:
Possibly the best part of the whole game(because it presented so well the story is generic as they come but told wonderfully.) The story in short you play a Nate Drake the descendant of Francis the great. You are a treasure hunter who is after "el dorado" and following in Francis's foot steps to the treasure. It is told wonderfully and there are some surprising moments it is almost like a Hollywood movie.
GAMEPLAY:
The gameplay in short is a combination of Gears of War and tombraider. It is a 3rd person shooter that requires you to hide behind cover and shoot at the enemies. Yet it is also a platformer. Drake will climb rocks, ledges, and swing from vines in amazing detail.
You fight in lush jungle environments and they are a sight to behold. You will be in awe at the decaying spanish buildings that you will forget all about the enemies that are ruthlessly after Drake. The guns you use are a decent bunch with their own pro's and con's. Shotguns are good for close range and machine guns or pistols are good for short or medium range. Also there is a grenade launcher and its just overall pwnage.
There is replay value to the game meaning there are random treasures hidden in each level. There is 50 in total. The more you find the more you unlock a feature. These features could be trivial like a behind the scenes feature. Or it could be a infinite ammo mode or weapon selection mode. Some treasure is hidden in plain sight while others are going to drive you insane.
There is also a puzzle element involved in the game. In short you have a diary with all the clues. The game will prompt you when you need the diary. Most of the puzzles are very easy and made easier with the diary. I guarantee you will have trouble with the puzzles because you will over think them. My answer to you is basically yes the puzzles are that easy stop over thinking it.
Yet there are two HUGE flaws that really ruin the overall experience of the game and made me give it less than a 9.
The fist is basically the enemies. The main problem with them is A.) they don't stop spawning. B.) They take too much damage.
When Drake is forced to fight he will have to fight a ton of enemies. The battles are engaging but after awhile it gets tiresome and frustrating because the ranks get bigger and your ammo count dwindles. The game becomes more annoying then fun when there is a mass rush of enemies. You will find yourself running over to dead bodies out in the open looking desperately for the ammo you need. When you think you are done there will be another wave with either more or the same amount of enemies. Also as I said before the enemies just absorb too much damage. They can take shots a little too much. I shot a guy 3 times with a SPAS shotgun....THREE TIMES!!!! the game becomes annoying. The guns just don't feel powerful. The enemies just won't die and will quickly finish off Drake if you are not careful.
The second problem is the platforming. Now the platforming in general is ok. There was never a moment where I felt some scenes were unfair. What I do find annoying though is you never know what to jump to next. The game is a very realistic game and won't make the things you need to jump on glow or at least stand out. You will find yourself jumping on random objects hoping that's where you need to go. There were some moments I left Drake hanging off a crumbling ledge trying to figure out if that little nook in the wall is my next target. Overall the platforming just needs a little bit of a guidance system for it to work.
Graphics:
One word...awesome. The game really stood the test of time. My jaw dropped when I saw the amazing detail they used for this game. There is literally no flaws I can find. Ok a little one some repetitive character models but now I am nitpicking.
Audio:
Once again amazing the audio really helps the game in every way. The voice actors are amazing they really make the characters feel real. Drake will feel like a real character and you will actually enjoy when they talk or when there is a cut scene.
Pro's
Great blend of games (GOW, tomb raider), The story might be generic but you will still find it interesting,amazing graphics and audio, when you are in water Drake looks realistically wet,rewards will make the game replayable,the game really is put together wonderfully its a complete package of action and fun that you will remember for quite some time,
Con's
Annoying non stop spawn of enemies, the enemies take too much damage and give out too much, some checkpoints are annoying, the guns don't feel powerful, the platforming needs some sort of a guide to help tell you where to jump, the last 30 min of the game got annoying
Overall:
Overall the game is just fun. The game is very well put together and I really can't find many faults with it. Its a solid game and plays well and if you own a PS3 should without a doubt pick it up.